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MEMBERSHIP

Common cause

Become part of a whole! Here you can learn how the Association was formed and what opportunities there are for you to work with us.

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History

The alliance of seven

In 2013, seven notable German manufacturers of branded goods in the nursery products industry founded the Association of the German Nursery Products Industry e.V. (BDKH) as the first industry association for durable consumer goods in the German-speaking region. It was a core aim of the alliance, right from the start, to improve safety and social standards in the production of children’s products and to work towards a more child-friendly society. Shortly after the Association was founded, the ‘Little Heroes Living Safely’ consumer initiative was set up to provide targeted information campaigns.

Michael Neumann

Committed, well connected and experienced

Michael Neumann is the ideal choice for Managing Director of our Association. Neumann, who hails from the Lake Constance area of southern Germany, launched his career in the baby sector in 1986. In 1994, the father-of-two started developing the Maxi-Cosi brand at Dorel, where he held several positions until 2019, most recently as Managing Director for Northern Europe. It was on his initiative that the Association of the German Nursery Products Industry was founded, the first association of its type in Germany. He has been on the board since the beginning, and since 2020 has been the Association’s honorary Managing Director.
 
“When we founded the BDKH in 2013, our aim was to establish an association that would give our industry a voice, would represent its interests to the outside world and would offer its members a platform through which they could exchange ideas and information. Today our members include small start-ups as well as large conglomerates, all of whom share the same values and benefit from our work and our services. And in my role as Managing Director of the BDKH it still gives me a lot of pleasure today to help shape the development of this rapidly changing sector.”

CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP

Nursery products + headquarters or distribution set-up in the German-speaking region

The size of your business does not matter when becoming a member of the Association. We bring together international corporations, SMEs and start-ups on an equal footing. What is important is that your company deals in nursery products. This includes all children’s products other than clothing, footwear and toys for children aged 3 and over. You can become a Member if you are a producer or a distributor for a manufacturer. Your company should have its headquarters or distribution set-up in a German-speaking country and achieve a significant turnover there in the production, sale, importation or marketing of nursery products.

PASSIVE MEMBERSHIP

For industry players of all kinds

If you do not meet the above conditions for full membership of the BDKH, you can also become part of the Association as a Passive Member – if, for example, you are involved in a related sector or represent an organisation working in the fields of child and family support, child health and safety, trade fairs, market research and media. You will be making a substantial contribution to ensuring that the Association is shaped by a wide variety of ideas and viewpoints.