Firm Description
During his sophomore year in college in Venezuela, Josu Gaubeka started his business with a small capital of $3,000, selling kitchen sinks out of his truck and distributing and servicing high-end kitchen appliances dealers while also studying Economics at the Universidad Católica Andres Bello. Today, he leads La Cuisine International with over $50M in annual sales and 135 employees servicing Florida and 35 countries and islands and 11 La Cuisine Appliances retail stores.La Cuisine International
La Cuisine International is a multinational B2B distribution group of high-end and luxury residential kitchen appliances, plumbing and home products with a strong presence in South Florida, Central & South America and the Caribbean, inspiring good living by providing customers with the most prestigious kitchen appliances that make the home a better place to be and enjoy, bringing family and friends closer together.
La Cuisine International has subsidiaries and offices in Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Panamá, Perú, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. With the vision of expanding their successful business models into other cities in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Established in Miami in 2004, La Cuisine International has grown at an average rate of 30% each year and has been profitable since year one. The company achieved nearly $10M in revenue by 2011 and surpassed the $10M mark in 2012. In 2019, it has a projected revenue of $17.8M.
The company specializes in high-end and luxury brands to inspire home cooking and bringing families together through the preparation of each meal. La Cuisine works with leading brands that offer quality, technology, design and sustainability, bringing the most advanced kitchen appliances into the home, and modernizing the execution of every plate.
La Cuisine International is the leader in the high-end kitchen appliances industry and the exclusive distributor for Latin America and the Caribbean for most of the best-known product brands in the industry such as BOSCH appliances, GAGGENAU, SMEG, LIEBHERR refrigeration, THERMADOR, FRANKE kitchen systems, U-LINE refrigeration, SCOTSMAN ice machines, KINDRED, FALMEC ventilation systems, JURA coffee systems, THE GALLEY workstation, IRINOX blast chillers & shock freezers, ALFRESCO, COYOTE and KALAMAZOO outdoor, among others.
La Cuisine Appliances-B2C
La Cuisine Appliances is the name of the builder and retail channel of La Cuisine International. It consists of retail showrooms, a builder division to service new construction condominiums and multifamily rentals and an e-commerce platform.
In 2005, La Cuisine Appliances opened a high-end retail store in Coral Gables for consumers and builder distribution for high-end kitchen appliances, gourmet cooking tools, and kitchen accessories focused in the South Florida market.
With an evolved approach to offer more experiential retail for consumers, in fall of 2018, La Cuisine Appliances opened a new showroom in Aventura at 18187 Biscayne Blvd. Additionally, La Cuisine Appliances has 9 other showrooms: Colombia (Bogota & Barranquilla), Costa Rica (San Jose), Guatemala (Guatemala City), Panama (Panama City), Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo & Punta Cana), Peru (Lima) and Venezuela (Caracas).
La Cuisine Appliances revenue went from $3.7M in 2008, on the third year of the company being established, to $9.8M in 2016, with over $15.5M projected for 2019. It’s been experiencing a 33% growth rate per year.
“The tipping point for my businesses was working with new development condos,” says Gaubeka. “We identified a huge need in the market to provide not only excellent quality appliances but also to offer unique services to developers and buyers. We help developers match the right brands for their buyer profiles and go a step beyond that no other distributor provides, offering the end-user direct, in-home service on the appliances, eliminating any wait or hassle.”
In South Florida and the Caribbean, La Cuisine Appliances has delivered to major high-rise luxury condominiums, and multifamily rentals, engaging developers with their unique services and distinguished selection of brands. Their services go far beyond sales, taking an attentive approach to each project ensuring longevity and top performance for the products they sell. Their full-coverage service center provides warranty services, repair and maintenance, delivery and installation, and original equipment manufacturer spare parts, backed by an efficient team specializing in repair and maintenance.
Their keen customer focus allows La Cuisine to expertly match the most complimentary brands with their esteemed clients, which include Fendi Chateau, Brickell City Center- East Hotel, Aria On The Bay, 1010 Brickell, Panorama Tower, The Ritz Carlton Sunny Isles Beach, Palazzo del Sol and Palazzo Della Luna in Fisher Island, 400 Sunny Isles, Adagio in Ft. Lauderdale, Baha Mar in the Bahamas, Four Seasons Costa Rica, Four Seasons St. Kits & Nevis and Amanyara in Turks & Caicos, Trump Ocean Club Panama among many others.
La Cuisine Appliances – E-commerce division
La Cuisine Appliances debuted its first e-commerce platform with an online sales team in 2017, with a newer and more robust platform set to launch in May 2019 that offers up to date access to products, pricing, promotions, etc. for consumers.
