Mourning the Loss of Georg Nolte Sr

Löhne, March 10, 2025 | Mourning the Loss of Georg Nolte Sr.

At the age of 84, Mr. Georg Nolte Sr. passed away peacefully last Sunday, surrounded by his family. With his passing, the German kitchen and furniture industry loses one of its most influential visionaries and strategists. For more than 60 years, Georg Nolte drove the development of Nolte into one of Germany’s largest kitchen manufacturers with pioneering spirit and entrepreneurial instinct.

Firmly rooted in East Westphalia, where he was born in Rheda-Wiedenbrück in 1941, Georg Nolte gained early experience in the industry. His grandfather laid the foundation for today's furniture dynasty in 1921 with the production plant. His career in the family business began at Nolte Kitchens in Löhne before Georg Nolte moved to Germersheim in the Palatinate in 1966, where he took over the management of Nolte Möbel. In 1983, his father, Konrad Nolte, entrusted him with overall responsibility for the corporate group, which Georg Nolte developed with intuition and passion into one of the leading kitchen and furniture brands in the country.

Upon reaching the age of 75, Georg Nolte stepped down as chairman of the supervisory board for his companies in 2016 and withdrew from the operational business of the furniture group. Today, the interests of the owning family are represented by his children: Maren Schmitt-Nolte, Chairwoman of the Advisory Boards, and Georg Konrad Nolte, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the holding company Nolte GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Georg Nolte was not only an outstanding entrepreneur and recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit but also a passionate and versatile athlete. Even at a young age, he demonstrated exceptional talent: At just 17 years old, he became the European champion in water skiing, laying the foundation for a lifelong passion for equestrian and motorsports, where he impressed with the same dedication and discipline. As a successful GT-40 driver, he proved his skill and determination on the racetrack. In addition to his athletic versatility, he was also a successful horse owner. A particular highlight was the victory in the Grand Prix of Aachen in 2006 with Nolte’s Küchengirl and rider Marcus Ehning. In all aspects of life, Georg Nolte was an inspiring personality.

"Georg Nolte was a dedicated family entrepreneur who enjoyed respect and recognition far beyond the boundaries of our industry," says Manfred Wippermann, Managing Director of Nolte Holding, who worked closely with Georg Nolte for decades. "He not only built a successful corporate group but was also a source of ideas and inspiration for the entire German furniture industry. On behalf of all employees in our companies, our deepest sympathies go to his family."