| Type | Manufacture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Porcelain production |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Headquarters | Louchki, Czech Republic |
| Key people | Benjamin Hunt (Founder) Rudolf Kampf (co-owner) |
| Website | www.rudolfkampf.eu |
Rudolf Kämpf is a porcelain manufacturer in the Czech Republic.
Contents |
Benjamin Franklin Hunt founded the «Egerländer Porzellanfabrik Elbogen, G.m.b.H.» on 15 June 1907 in Louchki[1] when he got the written approval for the reconstruction of a porcelain factory at the site of the previous brick plant. Producing of porcelain is traditional in this area because of great resources of kaolin, loam and other raw materials. That’s why some people of great influence were interested in export of porcelain and in merging of porcelain manufacture in the country which would be competitive to leading European producers.
When Benjamin Hunt and Eleanor Hunt became the directors they had already cooperated with the owner of Loket’s company “Austria” Karl Shpek. Reconstruction works started in 1904-1905. But very soon the company went bankrupt and the reconstruction was stopped.
8 December 1909 doctor Yuliy Geller bought the unfinished building of porcelain factory. 21 July 1910 Benjamin Hunt and Karl Shpek got a concession for porcelain production from the beginning of 1912, and 25 September 1911 the firm was registered under the name of “Porzellan fabrik Rudolf Kämpf GmbH, Grünlas”.
In December the plant was registered again under the name of «Rudolf Kämpf GmbH, Fabrikation und Vertrieb von Porzellanwaren und der dazu gehörigen Nebenprodukte, in Grünlas». The image of crown with letters RGK below was chosen as logotype. Rudolf Kämpf a skilled businessman developed the company successfully. 19 March 1918 he died, and his son Huns Kampf headed the company.
After the 2nd World War the factory changed greatly. With coming of new government the company was nationalized and became a part of Slavkovsky porcelain group. And in 1958 - the part of Karlovarsky porcelain concern, which was ruled by the government. In November 1992 the factory changed ownership to Leander 1946 s.r.o. company and from this time it was named LEANDER.[2] In this period Leander manufactory became one of the most important producers of art porcelain in Europe. In 2006 Leander company was sold to CS Investment Czech holding. New owners return the name of the founder to the factory and today it names Rudolf Kampf and produces handmade porcelain under 3 trademarks:
Today when practically every manufacture or farm uses automatic equipment,[3] Rudolf Kämpf still produces high quality production with help of handiwork. Also they can afford to use the best raw materials and to produce highest-quality hard porcelain which is extremely strong. The manufacturer usually produces unique articles or short series.