Page 24 - LPG September 2018 Newsletter

24
The Luxury Report September 2018 Luxury Products Group
VENDOR
OF THE MONTH – FRANZ VIEGENER
A long way from beer taps — Franz Viegener builds reputation as luxury xture provider in U.S.
Franz Viegener, the company’s namesake, started a business In 1899 in Attendorn, Germany, making beers taps forged from
brass. In 1921, his son emigrated to Buenos Aires and founded a new Franz Viegener that soon became a leader in the South American faucet business.
Nearly ten years ago Josef Moskovic, the former president of Max Gerber Showroom in Chicago, began to work with the FV engineering team to create Franz Viegener Premium Collection.
For the past decade, Josef Moskovic has designed the Franz Viegener Premium Collection. This collection of high-quality, design-oriented luxury product exceeds the standards of designers and architects
worldwide. To do this, they built a small factory within their factory, ensuring that each of these products are painstakingly machined, polished, assembled, tested and packaged with the utmost care.
JOHN WEINSTEIN
By 2010 Josef and Enrique Vasco, an FV appointee, began to market the beautiful collection at ICFF and Dwell exhibitions, winning design awards along the way. In late 2017 - 2018, they began a search for a North American director, and in September, Moskovic began discussing the opportunity with John Weinstein. Both thought it was an ideal t, and soon after, Franz Viegener announced the selection of John Weinstein as their Corporate Director-North America. Sadly, during John’s onboarding, it became evident that Vasco was not well enough to continue in the business.
“Enrique stayed on to help with the transition,” Weinstein said, “and I’m so appreciative of
the time he shared with me. I’ve spent the better part of the year getting the groundwork established in the U.S. market.”