From darkroom to digital, Luxembourg’s CK Charles Kieffer Group marks eight decades of reinvention — and shows no signs of slowing down.
There are companies that survive eighty years. And then there are companies that earn them. CK Charles Kieffer Group, one of Luxembourg’s most enduring family businesses, celebrated its 80th anniversary on June 4th at the CK Sportcenter Kockelscheuer — the very sports facility it opened in 1980 as a testament to its founder’s belief that performance and well-being are inseparable.
“Charles Kieffer had a driven, persevering, athletic attitude. He was human, positive, and deeply attentive to his team.” — Suzette Elsen, Chairwoman of the Board
Founded in 1946 in Steinfort by Charles Kieffer in the aftermath of World War II, the group has never been defined by a single industry. From its origins in photography, it pivoted into office technologies and digital business solutions, while simultaneously building a sports and fitness empire now spanning five CK Fitness centres and a sports complex that draws over 35,000 visitors annually. Today, the group employs 225 people and serves more than 13,500 professional and sports clients.
That breadth is not accidental. “Our DNA is the link between performance and people,” said David Gray, summarising a mission unchanged since the company’s founding. It’s a philosophy captured in the group’s baseline — healthy people, healthy business — which resonates as much in a boardroom as in a weight room.
“This new hub is designed to strengthen client proximity, improve responsiveness, and support team performance.” — Laure Elsen, Managing Director
Board President Suzette Elsen recalled the spirit of the founder: “Charles Kieffer had a driven, persevering, athletic attitude. He was human, positive, and deeply attentive to his team.” That culture of proximity has outlasted every technological disruption the group has navigated.
Recent years show no slowdown. In 2022, the group absorbed around fifteen employees from iTEC, a technology and printer services firm. In 2025, it added seven more through the acquisition of NG Partners. And this year saw the inauguration of the CK HUB in Grass — an eight-million-euro after-sales facility built with support from the SNCI. “This new hub is designed to strengthen client proximity, improve responsiveness, and support team performance,” explained Managing Director Laure Elsen.
To mark the milestone, the group has launched a podcast — Healthy people, healthy stories — in which five voices central to its history recount eight decades of transmission, transformation, and identity.
In Luxembourg’s business landscape, longevity is rarely accidental. At CK Charles Kieffer Group, it looks a lot like intentionality.
Read more articles:
Pictet Doubles Down On Luxembourg Insurance
La Vie est Belle, Developing Luxury Real Estate Outside Luxembourg
