The Beta recliner has a long story – even before Nielaus took over the manufacturing rights of the chair in 2008. Previously, it has been in the hands of different furniture manufacturers, but when Kim Nordentoft took over, his goal was clear: ”I wanted to make a recliner that did not make any trouble”.
Continuous collaboration
However, the part about avoiding trouble was easier said than done. When Kim Nordentoft took over the recliner, he believed it was way too complicated in its setup and production. That is why he started working closely with LINAK on the electric adjustment. At that time, LINAK did not have an actuator system specifically designed for recliners. This meant that they came up with a good, but not optimal, actuator solution for Beta with existing LINAK products. As Kim Nordentoft says: “It never turned out quite well with the old solution, even though we spent a long time going back and forth to optimise. Looking back, the time we spent does not match the number of recliners we sold. But both LINAK and I could see the potential. With the new solution, I am certain that we can finally achieve our goal”.
A new solution
The new solution is the LA10 system which LINAK developed specifically for recliners. The solution consists of two compact and intelligent actuators, a battery with unique functions and a stylish hand control. Kim Nordentoft has been testing the new solution from the beginning, and he is very excited: ”It has turned out very well – all details have been thought out, all the way down to plugs and cables. I am a fan. It has that Apple like feeling and it is very professional”.
Teamwork is the way forward
Besides being happy about the actuator solution, Kim Nordentoft is also very pleased with the collaboration between Nielaus and LINAK: “We have had such a good collaboration during the whole process. We have used each other’s experiences in the development phase and through it all, we have had a common understanding that we really want to succeed with this project”.
Next step
The first step for Kim Nordentoft has been to integrate the new LINAK recliner system into the existing Beta recliner. However, the plan moving forward is to relaunch the Beta recliner. This time with an updated design and new options. As Kim Nordentoft ends: ”I see a big potential for the recliner on the international market. There is no chair like this one, being so complete in both design and comfort. I am looking forward to seeing how it will all turn out – and it means a lot to me to know that the whole LINAK team is behind me and ready to help”.
Read more about Nielaus and the Beta recliner on their website.
