Joka managing director

“Leave no stone unturned”

Joka Managing Director Anna Kapsamer-Fellner (center) is delighted with the award for the outdoor lounger.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/SOJO/Thallinger, Joka)

The slowdown in consumer spending among Austrians is also affecting Joka. The upholstered furniture manufacturer from Schwanenstadt has responded by reducing working hours and adjusting staffing levels. The showroom strategy was also adapted.

The opera house in Essen was the venue for the Red Dot Design Award ceremony, one of which was won this year by Joka with Soliday for the Butterfly outdoor lounger. "This is an outstanding event for us," enthuses Anna Kapsamer-Fellner.

Together with her brother Johannes Kapsamer, she manages the business of upholstered furniture manufacturer Joka. The Schwanenstadt-based company is feeling the full impact of the slowdown in consumer spending. "The hotel industry is compensating for this somewhat, we are quite satisfied this year," says Kapsamer-Fellner. A lot of investment is still being made in tourism regions to improve the offer: "The Ski World Championships will also be held in Saalbach in 2025."

"Measures are still ongoing"
The family business reacted to the downturn at the beginning of the year: With the help of individual agreements, each employee's working hours were reduced by 6.5% - which clearly involves a reduction in salary. "We have the agreement until the end of the year. The measures are still in place," says Kapsamer-Fellner. The workforce has also shrunk: the Schwanenstadt-based company currently employs around 125 people. Some retirements have not been filled.

The company also rebuilt its showrooms: In a furniture store in St. Pölten, they were allowed to use space, in Linz a partner took over the business and in Villach they downsized considerably. "We are simply trying to turn all the screws. You can't leave any stone unturned."