Platform about design and technology in the kitchen, home, and bathroom industry
If it were up to Martin van der Sluis, director/owner of PlasmaMade in Staphorst, the kitchen industry would have an even greater focus on energy transition in the coming years. "Because, left or right: everyone has to do their part. So do we as a company. After all, the climate crisis is the order of the day. Sitting still is not an option. We also see that many consumers - i.e. the end users of kitchens - are letting too much energy slip away. A shame! And then energy gets more expensive, too. In short, can we make our contribution to that with product innovation?"
"We will naturally pay attention to this at the upcoming Küchenmeile in Germany," says the very enthusiastic Martin. "Of course, at the fair we will talk about the recirculation of the extractor hood, for example. You can save energy with that. Our goal is to create a healthy living and/or working environment through our filters. So, we are looking in our product development not only for ultimate cooking convenience, but also for a substantial contribution to people's well-being. A healthy indoor environment, in other words!"
According to Martin, anno 2022 is therefore no longer exclusively about neutralizing and getting rid of unwanted odors - as it always was in the past - but certainly also about eliminating pollen and bacteria. The traditional exhaust hood has actually evolved into an advanced air purifier."
Martin emphasizes that precisely by using recirculation filters, there is also more design freedom in the kitchen. "After all, you no longer have to create an outlet to the outside," he says.
But there is more to the Küchenmeile. Martin says: "We have set up a separate company - Vikicks - which is also engaged in the development, production and sale of revolutionary filters that remove cooking odors from the room, while leaving the heat of the home in the room. Because of the different sizes and shapes of Vikicks filters, they can be placed in almost any exhaust system. They also do not make any noise. In fact, they have a dampening effect. As with PlasmaMade's E-filters, it is a matter of Plug & Play. Convenience serves man!"
However, Vikicks is targeting a different price segment compared to Plasmamade's E-filters. "We believe in this very much because achieving sustainability should never be limited by smaller budgets. In fact, starting next year, I don't expect the market to grow as much as we have experienced in recent years. I think consumers are going to become more critical with regard to their spending. But, they still want to make that contribution to reducing waste or cradle-to-cradle, for example. That trend really doesn't just disappear. That's why we at Vikicks are betting on the theme of 'saving'."
Martin is looking forward to the Küchenmeile. "Of course I am very much looking forward to meeting everyone again. But especially also to tell the story: after all, we all have to work together. The energy transition is a priority for everyone!"
