Kirchhoff Automotive

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Kirchhoff Automotive GmbH

logo
legal form GmbH
founding 1785
Seat Iserlohn , Germany
management J. Wolfgang Kirchhoff (CEO)
Number of employees 9,000
sales 1.61 billion euros
Branch Automotive supplier , vehicle construction
Website www.kirchhoff-automotive.com
Status: 2019

Headquarters in Attendorn

Kirchhoff Automotive GmbH , based in Iserlohn, is a fourth generation family company. As a development partner to the automotive industry for complex metal and hybrid structures for body-in-white and chassis as well as crash management systems and dashboard supports, the company generated sales of 1.61 billion euros in 2019 and employed over 9,000 people in 11 countries. Since taking over all the majority stake in the Canadian company Van-Rob, Kirchhoff Automotive has around 30 production plants on the continents of Europe , Asia and North America .

history

The story goes back to a company founded by Conrad von der Becke, Stephan Witte and Franz Hermann Herbers in 1785 for the production of all types of needles from first-class cast steel needle wire, which was manufactured in its own workshops. Later, the Witte'sche limited liability company was established as a sales organization for the European market.

As a special department of the company, the first press shop for the production of belt pulleys was founded in 1894 under the name Iserlohner Preß- und Stanzwerke, Stephan Witte & Co. This was followed by the production of pressed parts for wagon construction, pressed and stamped parts for the construction of army vehicles and finally for the automotive industry.

The expansion of Kirchhoff Automotive began in 1984 with the acquisition of Mathias Kutsch in Attendorn . In 1993 the company Gametal was acquired in Portugal, which has since been renamed Kirchhoff Portugal, and in Ireland a plant from the company Sigro from Olpe , which operates as Kirchhoff Ireland. For the first time you took part in the IAA in Frankfurt in 1995 . Kirchhoff Mexicana in Puebla , Mexico was founded in 1997. In 1998 Kirchhoff Polska was founded in Mielec , Poland and a second Kirchhoff Portugal plant was opened in Ovar . In Mexico, the VRK joint venture was founded in Querétaro in 1999 . Kirchhoff España in Saragossa , Spain was founded in 2000. Kirchhoff Hungria was founded in Esztergom , Hungary in 2004 and Kirchhoff Polska Assembly in Gliwice , Poland was opened in 2004. The company SOEC was acquired in France in 2005 and the third plant was opened in Gliwice, Poland. In 2006, Kirchhoff Automotive Suzhou (Jiangau) was opened in China. A press shop was built at Kirchhoff Hugária in Esztergom / Hungary in 2007. Also in the same year a Tec Center for research and development was set up in Attendorn. The plant at Kirchhoff Automotive Suzhou was expanded in 2008 by building a new press shop. The German pressing plants in Attendorn and Iserlohn were expanded in 2009, press hardening was introduced and a second Chinese plant was built in Chongqing . The 225th anniversary of the Kirchhoff Group was celebrated in 2010 and the Sales & Technical Development Center in Hamamatsu ( Japan ) was expanded. In 2014 Kirchhoff Automotive took over a majority stake in its long-term partner Van Rob in the North American market. In 2016, Kirchhoff Automotive took over all of the shares and now produces with around 30 plants in 11 countries on three continents.

Managing Director of the Kirchhoff Holding

Manufacturing focus

The company uses the core technologies of forming , joining , lightweight construction and surface treatment to manufacture products such as bumper systems, front end frames and cross members. These are assembled in just-in-time production . As early as the development phase of new vehicle models, the company strives for close cooperation with the automobile manufacturers. The company develops structural parts for the body shell, for example in hybrid construction. Combinations of steel-aluminum or metal-plastic are used here. With the newly developed partial press hardening, the company is able to produce steel products with different strength ranges and thus weight and accident-optimized body components.

Development in turnover and employment

Fiscal year Total sales Number of employees
2013 EUR 1.190 billion 8400
2014 1.205 billion euros 8400
2015 EUR 1.350 billion 8250
2016 EUR 1.450 billion 9000
2017 EUR 1.550 billion 9200
2018 EUR 1.550 billion 9300
2019 EUR 1.615 billion 9000

Source: website

Locations

Locations in Germany

Locations worldwide

literature

  • Margaret Heckel: Knowledge, values, change: 225 years of the Kirchhoff Group . 2010, ISBN 978-3-00-033043-8 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c data & facts. Kirchhoff, accessed January 29, 2017 .
  2. ^ Kirchhoff Automotive: Company. Retrieved August 24, 2017 .
  3. ^ Kirchhoff Automotive: North America. Retrieved August 24, 2017 .
  4. ^ A b Hanswerner Hildenbrand: Stephan Witte & Co. Nadelfabrik / Press- und Stanzwerke Iserlohn In: Contributions to local history for Iserlohn and the Mark region, Förderkreis Iserlohner Museen e. V., Volume 22, Zimmermann Druck und Verlag, Balve 2017, 1st edition, ISBN 978-3-89053-152-6 , p. 227
  5. ↑ Homepage of the KIRCHHOFF Group, history , accessed in February 2014
  6. ↑ Kirchhoff Automotive: Management. Retrieved August 24, 2017 .
  7. ↑ Homepage of the company, core competencies , accessed in February 2014
  8. ↑ LokalPlus: Kirchhoff Automotive opens new plant in Romania - Second location in Romania. Retrieved November 20, 2019 .
  9. ↑ Kirchhoff Automotive: locations worldwide. Retrieved August 24, 2017 .