History

On 1 August, the skilled interior decorator Manfred Diedrichsen founded a small business together with Alfred Scharkowski, with the objective of perfecting the as-then unpretentious curtain rails. Just one month later, the young company submitted its first patent application to the German patent office.

It only took a short period of time for better materials, greatly improved quality of workmanship as well as simplified installation – taking only seconds – to impress interior designers and stores. 

The company started to expand. As it was becoming cramped in the garage, the two entrepreneurs rented a former carpentry workshop in Steinhagen. During the day, they took care of production and sales, in the evenings they worked meticulously on their machines, all of which were built from old car parts, sewing and shoemaking machines. But not only did the amount of machinery grow, the first employees were also employed.

In the Brockhagen industrial park, they single-handedly erected the first 800-square-metre manufacturing hall alongside 200 m² of room for the administration offices. The site was five times bigger - but as was later to transpire, also became too small too quickly.

The curtain pole experienced a renaissance. At the time, T- and traversing rails were produced in-house. The machinery pool was considerably expanded to allow for the manufacture of round solid-wood parts.

The start of long-standing business relationships. The most important national dealers in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria became customers.

The successful partnership with LEHA in Austria still exists today.

For the first time, interstil instructed a design office to develop new models, which would meet the continuing trend of the clear-cut, unpretentious style of living. The designers Sasse and Zagatta created a completely new 25-millimetre brass range as well as a stylish 30-millimetre wooden range. 

In Brockhagen, it gradually became too cramped for further expansion, despite having purchased additional land. The offer of a neighbouring industrial company came at the right time and Manfred Diedrichsen relocated the company to Steinhagen, five kilometres away.

Almost single-handedly, the company built a representative half-timbered building for the administration offices with an adjoining 6,000-square-metre manufacturing hall.

Brass curtain fittings became more and more established in the high-end segment. Unlike the prevailing customary cast parts of the competition, interstil used modern CNC technology in its production. The result: precisely-turned components with a perfect finish.

For the first time, interstil instructed a design office to develop new models, which would meet the continuing trend of the clear-cut, unpretentious style of living. The designers Sasse and Zagatta created a completely new 25-millimetre brass range as well as a stylish 30-millimetre wooden range. 

The new catalogue contained the largest number of new products which the company had ever presented in its history. For the first time, the range included a series of stainless steel products as well as introducing extravagant designs, such as the Primus marksman and the Salix tree. 

A 70-page stainless steel collection with small diameters from 8 to 12 millimetres supplemented the two year-old catalogue. A tribute to the elegant and cool material, which was becoming increasingly popular.

In the autumn, interstil exhibited for the first time at the Dortmund trade fair. The representative exhibition stand was a further building block in establishing interstil with wholesalers and dealers.

interstil appointed JAB Anstoetz as the sales partner for the USA. The renowned textile company from Bielefeld had a close-knit local sales network there. For the first time, interstil produced made-to-measure fittings and sent them directly to the designers in the USA.

Designer Frank Greiser was commissioned for the first time to create a series of designs. In the following years, he was significantly involved in the development of the holistic product strategy, covering form and function, which is nowadays so typical for interstil. To this day, his designs place the topic of design uncompromisingly in the foreground. More than 30 international design awards for products from our company can be attributed to the work of Frank Greiser.

interstil developed a revolutionary system with which curtain poles can be adjusted to run 100% straight – the “integral”. The worldwide-patented “integral” was developed on the basis of technology from bridge building, which allowed for a 60% wider span without additional intermediate brackets.

outlook denoted the birth of a collection which uncompromisingly placed the topic of design at the focal point. Designer Frank Greiser designed five spectacular fittings whose straight-line design language was critically acclaimed both nationally and internationally. outlook.1 impressed with its unconventional method for wall mounting with just one bracket in the middle and won four awards in Germany, Japan and the USA. outlook.4 also won three awards. 

The F1 flat panel curtain was launched: the system not only impressed due to its purist design – each track was fitted with its own facing, behind which was hidden the panel carrier. A clever, patented lowering mechanism ensured the highest comfort when attaching and removing the curtains. Aesthetically unostentatious weights provide a highlight at the lower end of the curtain. Three important design awards paid tribute to the new system.

interstil established its first sales company abroad. A capable man was found for the Dutch branch in the person of Ed Jansen van Doorn. As with JAB in the USA, fittings for Dutch customers were individually made to measure in Steinhagen, Westphalia.

The sales system was restructured. In order for dealers to benefit more from the strengths of the company, the sales channel through wholesalers and sales partners was discontinued. Henceforth, interstil supplied all dealers directly, calling for huge changes in the assembly and logistics departments. And the grey tube became the interstil hallmark at the dealers.

The ripplefold curtain collection was launched. Once again, the dealers were impressed by the innovative ideas of this system. Rotating gliders prevented jamming and ensured perfect running, end brackets kept the curtain ends straight, the cords were concealed in the track channels and in the end, Frank Greiser’s designs impressed, all along the line. Alongside numerous other design awards, the W2 fitting also won the highest accolade with the German Design Award in gold.

interstil launched the new 2016 collection. Filled with innovation, refined designs and a greater range of versions, it offered even more ways to implement creative ideas. Over almost 700 pages, the catalogue showed innovative hanging systems for every style of furnishings. With well over 200 different models, more than 50 different finishes and numerous diameters and materials, interstil offered the most comprehensive range on the market.

interstil celebrated its 50th anniversary. During a big anniversary party on 2 September, Manfred and Jens Diedrichsen looked back on five decades of company history. They shared their joy of continued company success with 500 guests as well as representatives from the von Bodelschwingh Foundation Bethel. They presented them with a donation in the amount of € 50,000 for the construction of the new children’s hospital.