Geared up for future, born out of tradition

1910

Entering ‘Metall- und Armaturenwerke Meinerzhagen GmbH’ in the commercial register on 2nd May 1910, Otto Fuchs laid the foundation for today’s OTTO FUCHS KG.

1920ies

The company site was expanded with the acquisition of neighbouring land. OTTO FUCHS employed approx. 400 members of staff. Operating a multi-shift system, it was mainly brass mouldings along with brass weights that were produced to supply the electronics, automotive and motorcycle industries.

1930ies

OTTO FUCHS was one of the first small-medium sized companies in Germany to work with a key material of the future: aluminium. Initially, simple aluminium mouldings were manufactured on existing spindle presses. These were also supplied to the rapidly growing aviation industry.

1940ies

The range of materials was added to by including magnesium and its alloys. At the beginning of 1948, the company’s operations covered the following sectors: non-ferrous metal 31 %, aluminium alloys 43 %, railway carriage construction 10 % and household articles 16 %.

In 1941, a subsidiary factory was set up in Dülken which was later to become OTTO FUCHS Dülken GmbH & Co. KG.

1950ies

Resourceful engineers had the idea of producing ??metal skis. Skiing experienced a real boom in the 1950s and metal skis were a real sensation.

In the area of early jet aircraft, the usual riveted plates were no longer seen as efficient. OTTO FUCHS made forgings out of aluminium and titanium alloys which found their way into the aviation and aerospace industries.

An ongoing success to this day has been the production of synchroniser rings, used from 1952 onwards  for the second to fourth gear of the Volkswagen export model, the VW Beetle.

1960ies

Confident in the strength of our company and based on continued positive economic development in the European and transatlantic markets, the shareholders decided to commission a large press to exceed the existing scope of the company's mechanical equipment. With a pressing capacity of 30,000 tons it is the largest privately financed drop forging press in Europe.

In 1962, OTTO FUCHS started producing forged car wheels made of aluminium. When Porsche was developing its 911 during this period, they were also looking for a very particular wheel. The Fuchsfelge was born.

On 1st January 1964, with the acquisition of Heinz Schurmann & Co, OTTO FUCHS laid the foundation for the success of today’s SCHÜCO International KG.

1970ies

OTTO FUCHS set new standards in the automotive industry. We were the first company in Europe to manufacture forged aluminium parts, synchroniser rings and alloy wheels for serial production passenger cars, thereby opening up new opportunities for lightweight construction in the automotive industry.

On 30 September 1978 OTTO FUCHS acquired the American company ‘Weber Metals & Supply Company’ on 30 September 1978 based in Paramount, Los Angeles, California, USA so as to be able to put its forged products on the North American aviation market.

1980ies

There was increasing interest in weight reduction in the automotive sector. The then expensive metal  aluminium found its way into car chassis. Structural adjustment of our presses enabled the production of chassis components at competitive prices.

With the ultra high-strength alloy AZ86, in the 1980s, OTTO FUCHS brought an aluminium material onto the market which was twice as strong as structural steel and only a third of its weight.

1990ies

At the request of our customers, our products became increasingly specific. With semi-finished, ready-to-install components, finished products and complete systems, we responded to growing market needs.

Demand for alloy wheels rose sharply. Together with the US manufacturer of cast light alloy wheels, Superior Industries Inc., the 50:50 SUOFTEC Light Metal Products Kft. joint venture was created in Tatabánya, a small town 50 km north-west of the Hungarian capital Budapest.

2000ies

In 2006, with an investment volume of €17 million, work started on the construction of a new ring rolling mill. Since 2007 we have been a complete supplier of every size of seamless rolled rings for the compressor wheels of aircraft turbines.

The OTTO FUCHS Group expanded during this period. In 2006, the FOXTEC IKHWEZI (Pty) Ltd joint venture was formed in East London on the south eastern coast of South Africa (FUCHS 70% / 30% IKHWEZI). Together with the local partner IKHWEZI Investment Holding, Foxtec manufactures ready-to-install transverse links for the automotive industry.

In 2009, the subsidiary plant in Dülken became independent: OTTO FUCHS Dülken GmbH & Co. KG was founded. In April of the same year, OTTO FUCHS took over the operative business of the paintshop Bothner GmbH & Co. KG in Leonberg including its 91 employees. Today the 100% subsidiary trades under the name OTTO FUCHS Oberflächentechnik GmbH.

2010s

New processes and materials mean an ever greater range of new products, such as coated synchroniser rings for vehicle transmissions. The first forged wheel direct from OTTO FUCHS for the end user: The 19" Fuchsfelge. To celebrate 100 years its 100th anniversary, OTTO FUCHS boldly steps into the retrofit market with a new edition of the legendary Fuchsfelge for modern Porsche vehicles.

In June 2010, OTTO FUCHS acquired the 50% share held in the Hungarian company SUOFTEC from SUPERIOR Inc. The company was then re-registered as OTTO FUCHS Hungary Kft. and the Hungarian wheel manufacturer thus became a 100% subsidiary of the OTTO FUCHS Group.

Founded in 2011, in 2012 our most recent subsidiary (OTTO FUCHS Technology (Shenyang) Co., Ltd.) will start production of forged cassis parts in China.