125 Years of VS How Will We Learn and Work in the Future?

Old photo of plant 1 of VS in Tauberbischofsheim

“Asking questions, seeking answers, finding solutions.” When Managing Director Philipp Müller dives into VS’s history, he shows a refreshing lack of nostalgia. Looking back sharpens his eye for future tasks for this family-run furniture specialist. Thinking ahead, that’s what it's all about, as it has been for the last 125 years.

1898

VS launches

It all started with a success. In 1898, VS developed the most successful school bench by far in Germany: the “Rettig-Bank”, according to a design by the architect Wilhelm Rettig. The raised foot board made it easier to get in and out. When it came to cleaning the classroom, the two-seater could simply be folded to one side, thanks to a tilt fitting – tremendous progress in terms of hygiene. It was the first of many pioneering VS products in 125 years – products that were to establish themselves all over the world and were therefore frequently copied. Many patents and groundbreaking process innovations followed that made VS’s name worldwide and to this day have secured its position as European market leader in direct sales of school and office furniture.

VS led schools into the 20th century with their pioneering “first-born”. “Now, in the 21st century, in principle we are asking ourselves the same questions are we were then: How will we learn in the future? How will we work?”, says Managing Director Philipp Müller, who is the fourth generation to head the company. “Getting to grips with these questions, seeking answers and finding solutions – that’s a new challenge for every generation. And it's incredibly satisfying, as it always has been.”

1914

Helping to Shape Education

Where does this passion for education come from? “When my great grandfather was a little boy, he played with Mario Montessori,” says Philipp Müller. “He was the only son of Maria Montessori, who often came to our house and reformed education with her belief that children don’t learn by following rules and reproducing behaviours. They learn by discovering and trying out their own strengths and abilities in an environment that is suitable for this self-determination.” When Maria Montessori gave her first lecture in Berlin, Valborg Müller, the wife of VS founder Paul Johannes Müller, was sitting in the room. She persuaded her husband of the Italian’s vision. From 1913, VS was the only manufacturer of Montessori teaching materials for the German market and retained this status until the 1930s. “Today, we manufacture highly flexible furniture for all-day schools and offer a wide range of furnishings for nurseries and universities. But we continue to be guided by the original aim of the reform movement of those days: to create a supportive learning environment so that children can enjoy learning well with good teaching,” says Philipp Müller.

Black and white photograph of a classroom by Dr Maria Montessori

Portrait of the education reformer Maria Montessori in black and white.

Portrait of the Managing Director of VS, Philipp Müller

"My great-grandparents maintained a very close friendship with Maria Montessori. Additionally, my great-grandmother served on the board of the German Montessori Society."
Philipp Müller, Managing Director VS

1952

Legendary Skid ChairIt is this mix of pioneering spirit and the search for a substantial solution that is common theme through the company’s history. Co-creation is the recipe for success thanks to which VS has succeeded in initiating pioneering developments in the industry. Creative coexistence with major figures from architecture and design has, among other things, led to one of the most successful products of post-war history: more than six million examples of the Skid chair, which VS developed with architect Karl Nothhelfer, have been sold. With this chair, VS not only sealed the end of the school bench, but also led schools into freedom of movement. The legendary chair was so light that children could carry it themselves – out of the classrooms and towards freer forms of teaching.

There are many more exciting co-creation stories, for example about the free-form table by architect Günter Behnisch, from which VS developed an office furniture system and furnished the German Bundestag with it in 1986. Or the 1994 cantilevered versions by design legend Verner Panton, with which VS gave ergonomic chairs a permanent place in German schools for the first time, and which many people still believe is the best school chair in the world. Sitting and moving is good, but moving is better. A key question for VS here is therefore: “How can we design learning worlds so that they are more mobile? Because learning needs movement. It takes the whole body, not just the head,” says Philipp Müller. Answers come about in exchange with experts in exercise, education and design, in trying out with partner schools. The users themselves provide inspiration by the way in which they interact with VS furniture. “Children in particular sometimes have astonishing ideas that have helped us to quite a few strokes of genius,” says Müller.

1992

Entry into Office Furnishing

How do people communicate with each other? What do they need to concentrate? How can they develop new ideas better? These questions are central to learning as much as to work. The step from the world of education to work was therefore small. Since 1992, VS has developed holistic and custom-fit solutions for workplaces in banks, car manufacturers, the Siemens headquarters or the ECB, but especially for SMEs, such as HiPP or the healthcare company medi. In future, the world of work will change even more and more rapidly than it already has. “People are demanding and increasingly more self-aware: they want the best possible conditions so that they can achieve their best possible performance. They won’t be palmed off with any old emergency solution,” says Philipp Müller, speaking from experience.

Chairs and frames being transported on roller conveyors of the VS conveyor system

“That's why employers are increasingly required to create worlds of work that are attractive, from the design of the room to the working hours and offer all of the opportunities for networking. The furnishing of home offices will also become more important,” predicts Müller. Incidentally, as an employer of a good 1,200 employees at the Tauberbischofsheim site he is watching this very carefully: “Two thirds of the people here work in production. That’s why we are intensively seeking solutions there as to how we can make workplaces and working environments more attractive, more ergonomic and, as far as possible, more flexible.”

1998

Opening the VS School MuseumTypical VS: Without much fanfare, to celebrate its 100th anniversary VS opened its first Museum of School Furniture on the plant site. In this VS was also writing a new chapter in cultural history, in which the development story of school furnishings as opposed to residential furnishings were finally given appropriate appreciation. VS had brought together the exceptional collection of German and foreign historical items over decades. The driving force behind the museum was Philipp Müller’s father, Prof. Thomas Müller, VS Managing Director until 2019. At the time, Thomas Müller put in a nutshell what distinguishes VS from a “normal” furniture manufacturer: “With this undertaking, we can greatly contribute to the education and further development of children. That is a wonderful task. But there’s still a lot to do because it’s a never-ending subject.”

Historic student workstations from the first school museum on the factory premises of VS

2007

Digital DivisionEverything from a single source. For decades, VS has been playing this trump card as a direct sales furniture manufacturer. The well thought out company strategy, which moved from diversification after internationalisation, has contributed to the success. In 2007, VS developed the very new “Digital” division to be able to offer holistic solutions for all of the needs of the modern information and knowledge society, from kindergarten to university. The digital future needs to catch up quite a lot, especially in schools, which was shown by the coronavirus pandemic at the latest.

Project room with VS high table TriUnion, Hokkis, mobile partition walls and interactive whiteboard

We integrate interactive media – and offer displays and boards, peripheral devices, secure connection solutions and simple device management from a single source. As a premium partner of various manufacturers, we are your reliable partner for all hardware and software issues and offer a wide range of services.

“Naturally, we ask ourselves how the digitisation of schools can be advanced. It’s not just a matter of swapping chalkboards for touch displays. The technology has to be incorporated in the room and teaching concept of the school concerned. Teachers need support in this so that they can incorporate the media in their educational concept. Not least, the IT support must be sorted out,” says Philipp Müller.

Sustainability has always been part of the way we see ourselves.
Philipp Müller

2016

Fourth Generation

“Sustainability has always been part of the way we see ourselves,” says Philipp Müller, who took over the Managing Director position from his father Thomas in 2016. In 2019, the handover of all business to the fourth generation was completed. He is aware of the responsibility the family company bears towards people, the environment and society. “We have never manufactured throw-away products, our furniture was always supposed to be durable – and it is. Quality is just as important as the design. For bestsellers, such as the chairs developed with Verner Panton, we use production facilities for many years – another aspect of sustainability.” Ecological responsibility is not only part of our heritage and thus a matter of personal importance but is also part of the successful company strategy.

Phlipp Müller, VS-Geschäftsführer seit 2016, und Dr. Thomas Müller, VS-Geschäftsführer von 1987 bis 2019.

Philipp Müller, VS Managing Director since 2016, and Dr Thomas Müller, VS Managing Director from 1987 to 2019.

“In production, when considering the consumption of resources and energy we continuously optimise to further improve our already good values,” says Müller. Example of the circular economy: here, too, VS is thinking ahead. “Naturally, we think a lot and develop concepts for how our products can be better returned to the technical cycle. We have our products certified to FEMB level, some also by Cradle to Cradle. We offer a spare parts service so that repairs are possible, even after decades of use. We sell ex-display furniture in the factory shop or donate it. We do a lot, and we are always doing more.”

2020

Work 7 is given the go-aheadThe groundbreaking ceremony for Plant 7 will take place on 19 October 2020. The construction of the two-storey building will begin in the ‘Am Schneekasten’ industrial area in Tauberbischofsheim.

The team responsible for the construction of Plant 7 (from left): Georg Benz, Philipp Müller, Sandra Hannig, Alexander Ille and Uwe Reichel.

2023

Start of production in plant 7On 2 January, table assembly will start production in the new Plant 7. We now have capacities available here in an area of 17,000 square metres, spread over two floors.

VS crew in matching 125th anniversary shirts at the VS Open Day

In September, we celebrate our 125th anniversary with a big party for all our employees and an open day for the general public.

The world is turning ever faster. VS is keeping up with the pace and often actually sets it. 125 years – a long time to be seeking innovation in tables and chairs. “Our Education, Office and Digital divisions are extremely lively. There are always new developments to advance people as learning beings or to support them even better. That keeps curiosity alive. Especially because these are divisions that decisively shape our company. A person spends around 12,000 hours in lessons, and forty years at a workplace on average. The right furniture is therefore a major foundation, when learning, when thinking, when working. In this respect, for 125 years VS has been offering what young people today are looking for: purpose.

Knowledge Corner

The JUMPER Air Active cantilever chair by VS in black

Sustainability at VS

A look at VS manufacturing using the example of the JUMPER Air Active school chair shows what is important for sustainable manufacturing and why the circular economy is nothing new for VS.

125 Years of VS History: Learning and Working in the Future | VS