Graewe & Kaiser
Graewe & Kaiser, screw factory , later also called Graeka for short , was a manufacturer of screws in Plettenberg . After the Second World War, around 600 employees worked in the company. The company was considered one of the most important in the region. In the course of the steel crisis in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the company got into turbulence after pressure from the steelworks, had to file for insolvency at times and never recovered from the difficulties. On September 1st, 2002 the company was closed after 130 years of activity.
history
The company was founded on September 1st, 1872 by Wilhelm Graewe and Julius Kaiser as a screw and rivet factory. The decisive factor for the foundation was the possibility of having pig iron supplied by an ironworks in nearby Nachrodt . Already in the years 1874 to 1918 the company management gave the employees a share of the profits, which was rather unusual at the time.
The company profited particularly strongly from armaments contracts during the world wars. As a result, the factory buildings were destroyed by US bombing towards the end of World War II. In addition, remaining machines and equipment were dismantled due to reparations paid to the British. The reconstruction was successful and the number of employees grew to an all-time high of 600 employees. The company now relied on the manufacture of molded parts and high-strength adjustment screws, built its own annealing shop and worked in three-shift operation. Companies such as Daimler-Benz , MAN and VW were among the customers. In addition, the Graeka screw was expanded into a brand.
When the steel crisis broke out in the late 1970s due to international competitive pressure , there was a massive default in October 1981, and bankruptcy threatened. A settlement was reached with the steel manufacturers before the Hagen district court , which enabled them to continue working. A takeover by the competitor FHS Schulte from Altena initially led to stabilization, but this only lasted a year. It went bankrupt and the bankruptcy estate was taken over by a British entrepreneur. The buildings were initially rented out and later demolished. Several retail stores have been built on the site.
aftermath
An old wooden roof structure, which was erected in 1906 over a boiler and machine house of the factory, is now in a central location in Plettenberg. The roof structure of the Stephanscher half-timbered arch was left after the demolition of the building and was taken over by the city. This then had him set up at the Alter Markt. However, it no longer has a supporting function and is embedded in a steel / glass construction that serves as a roof for an event stage.