Founded in the furniture-making region of eastern Westphalia, the company began by specializing in products for the bedroom. It was restructured after World War II to become a “Schulmöbelfabrik”, now focusing on the school furnitre sector. But by the 1960s there was another change of direction. This time the business developed into a flagship of West German post-war Modernism. Ever since, the company has pursued a characteristic corporate style, supplying furniture for home, school and office. Some Flötotto programs have gone on for decades almost unaltered. Among these perennial favourites are Profilsystem ( introduced in 1975) and Personal Colour ( 1984). Profilsystem in particular demonstrates the principles of system and module, applied here as a solution for every type of room. More recent products include Lite, Unic and Kvaro. When the company began selling a classroom desk ex-works in 1970, it discovered the advantages of direct marketing (launching a webshop as well in 2000). Elmarflötotto was then spun off as an independent business. At the end of the 1980s, Flötotto opened its own stores in major city locations. Meanwhile, the brand never lost its huge presence in Germany’s schools and universities. However, the company went insolvent in 2002 when the main investor pulled out. It then reverted to a family business and currently employs about 110. As a furniture brand leader in Germany, Flötotto is a name familiar to one in three people in its home market. Better- off consumers still put its products near the top of their wish lists. All its furniture is still assembled in Germany. This is regarded not only as an important factor in quality assurance but also as an economic advantage: short delivery distances, optimized logistics and rapid response to customer demands. Recently, the company has sought to associate its products with cultural contexts. In 2006, for example, a film premiere was used to launch Kvaro (by Justus Kolberg). A documentary on the artist duo Christo and Jeanne- Claude was screened in the company’s stores. And, in the same year, this classic children’s furniture brand marked the thirtieth TV anniversary of the popular German cartoon figure Biene Maja by issuing a special collection for the nursery.