History of KME Germany AG

The first plant of KME Germany (until 1st of May 2007 known as KME Europa Metal AG) dates back to 1873, one of the oldest of the Group, except for the first nucleus of activity of the plant of Stolberg, dating back to the fifteenth century .

1873

The company Witte und Kämper is founded in Osnabrück. By the end of the 1880s the company is manufacturing copper wires and sheets. 

1890

Conversion into the public limited company Osnabrücker Kupfer- und Drahtwerk AG

1912/18

Considerable expansion and modernisation of machine equipment, installation of a new large-scale copper sheet mill, replacement of the energy source steam by electricity and a tenfold increase in real estate holdings to 220,000 m2

1919

Gutehoffnungshütte AG raised its share of capital, combined with shares acquired on the market, it thereby became the majority shareholder with a 55% holding in the OKD

1923

OKD celebrates its 50th anniversary. Annual production of iron and non-ferrous metals was approx. 34,000 tonnes, the workforce had grown to over 2,000 employees.

1925

The long-planned addition of a cable factory as the third part of the works was begun in September. Weak-current cables were produced and starting in 1926 power current cables were added to the product range.

1945

The air raid of 25th March destroyed two-thirds of the manufacturing facilities and half of the buildings, making further production impossible.
On 3rd April, at 9 a.m., the OKD was occupied by British troops.
Reconstruction work begins in a factory that is more than 50% destroyed.

1948

Coin production by minting 1-pfennig-pieces for the new currency started on 1st September

1951

The workforce grew constantly to 3,168 from 306 at the end of 1945. The turnover increased from approx. DM 17.6 million in 1947 to DM 140.5 million in 1951.

1962

From this year on metal cylinders up to 10 meters long, with diameters of up to 1.5 meters and weighing up to 30 tonnes are made in the new large continuous casting facilities.

1963

With the acquisition of Elmore's metall AG, the product range of the Special products division was expanded considerably.

1967

All the copper processing companies (Hackethal, Neumeyer, Elmore, OKD) belonging to the Gutehoffnungshütte AG Group merge to form Kabel- und Metallwerke Gutehoffnungshütte AG.

1970

kabelmetal acquires 49% of the Stolberger Metallwerke, which belong to the oldest metal works in the German and European bronze industries

A new copper strip rolling mill was erected at the plant in Osnabrück.

1974

The wire rolling mill was closed.

1975

Mould production was expanded.

1976

On July the 1st Kable- und Metallwerke Gutehoffnungshütte Berlin GmbH was founded and in 1978 it took control of the brass manufacturing in Nürnberg, the former Neumeyer works.

1978

Construction of a new continuous casting facility began

1981

The cable and wire production of Kabel- und Metallwerke Gutehoffnungshütte AG, Hannover, is spun off into the newly founded subsidiary kabelmetal electro GmbH, Hannover.

1982

kabelmetal electro GmbH Hannover, is sold to the French Les Câbles de Lyon.

Osnabrück became headquarters of the KM-kabelmatal AG

1984

The increasing demand of copper production in the building industry motivated kabelmetal to acquire the company Fricke GmbH & Co. KG in Greven-Reckenfeld, which produced roof and facade products. At the beginning KME held 60% of the shares and took the last 40% in 1989.

1987

KM-kabelmetal took over 100% of the Stolberger Metallwerke, renamed in 1988 as Stolberger Metallwerke GmbH & Co. KG.

1988

Foundation of the kabelmetal Messing GmbH & Co. KG in Berlin. Today this operation is known as KME Berlin, plant of the Corporate Division Brass Rods.

1989

The company name Kabel- und Metallwerke Gutehoffnungshütte AG is abbreviated to KM-kabelmetal Aktiengesellschaft. Acquisition of the company R. & G. Schmöle Metallwerke GmbH & Co. KG in Menden, founded in 1853, fabricating tubes, strips and ripped tubes and industrial special products such as oil coolers, evaporators and condensers for heat pumps and refrigerating plants as well as condensers for refrigerators.

1990

The Italian SMI-Società Metallurgica Italiana SpA, Florence, acquires a majority shareholding in KM.  To strengthen the activities in southern Europe, shares of the S.I.A. (Sociedad Industrial Asturiana Santa Barbara S.A in Oviedo, Spain, were acquired. The newly installed large tube mill at the Osnabrück plant started up.

1995

On 14th June , the shareholders' meeting of KM-kabelmetal AG approved the merger of KM-kabelemtal, Europa metalli-LMI S.p.A. and Tréfimetaux S.A. and created a new European company under the name KM Europa Metal.

2007

Pursuant to KME Group's decision to adopt the single brand name of KME® to identify all its subsidiary companies, KM Europa Metal AG changes its corporate name to KME Germany AG and KME Brass GmbH to KME Brass Germany GmbH.

2008

As from 1 April KME Germany AG transfers its operational business to the new subsidiary KME Germany AG & Co. KG.