The history of the family-owned EDUARD KRONENBERG company began in 1867. Over a period of what is now 155 years, we look back on a variety of innovations and inventions in our company. We were always inspired by an inquisitive look at the world – join us in amazement at all the things that have taken place in over 15 decades.
Business leader Karl Eduard Kronenberg founds the company in Solingen to manufacture steel springs for pocket knives.
Oh, how beautiful is Canada! On July 1st, 1867, the British provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia joined together to become the confederation of Canada. This political act is considered the official founding of Canada. Canada’s head of state is still Queen Elizabeth II.
One blob too many is a fondly recounted reason for the invention of the first fountain pen. Lewis E. Waterman drills wafer-thin channels into the grip section between an ink reservoir and the nib, which allows the ink to flow more evenly. In 1884, Waterman receives the patent for his writing instrument.
Vive Eiffel! On March 31, 1889, French engineer Gustave Eiffel raised the French flag on the steel structure he had designed. It had taken two years to erect what was then the world’s tallest structure on the occasion of the Paris World’s Fair in the fashionable 7th arrondissement.
The production facility is equipped with steam engines. Other areas now include the cutting tool industry and tool production industry.
Around we go: around 1902, the German Karl Louis Krauß was the first to develop a mechanical washing machine with a perforated washing drum. Beginning in 1907, mechanical washing machines fitted with electric drives are manufactured in the USA. The US engineer Alva J. Fisher is often named as the inventor.
In the Dingshauser Strreet in Solingen a new Plant is built.
Fasten your seat belts: John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown fly from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Ireland near Clifden in 16 hours and 12 minutes on June 14th, 1919, covering around 1,980 nautical miles, or about 3,667 kilometers, at an average speed of 225 km/h.
Adults love them as well! Confectioner Hans Riegel founded the Haribo company in 1920 - Hans Riegel Bonn - with little more than a sack of sugar and a copper kettle, according to the company! Just two years later, he invented the ‘Dancing bears’, the forerunner of the famous 'Haribo Goldbären'.
With business leader Carl Kronenberg the area of the file industry is now included in the portfolio.
“What do you eat to satisfy your appetite? A currywurst!” A fried sausage, topped with a chili and ketchup sauce - in short, the invention of the currywurst, a popular street food throughout Germany, claims Berlin food stand owner Herta Heuwer. It made its first appearance on September 4th, 1949 at her food stand on the corner of Kantstrasse and 'Kaiser-Friedrich-Strasse'!
Who invented it? The screw-in stud myth suggests it was Adi Dassler. The Adidas founder filed his patent on November 28th, 1952. Others claim it was the shoemaker Alexander Salot from Bremen who invented the “soccer boots or the like with replaceable anti-skid studs” and applied for a patent as early as August 30th, 1949.
Automotive- and electrical industry are new clients.
Click! Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin combined the lap belt and shoulder belt - the manufacturer applied for a patent for his design in 1958 as the ‘three-point safety belt’. As early as 1959, Volvo launched two car models fitted with the new safety system - and immediately makes the invention generally available.
The brothers Hans-J. and Max Kronenberg take over the management and expand the business areas in the coming years.
Click! From the early 1970s to the late 1990s, the compact cassette and the associated recorder were used by all and sundry. Both were developed from 1960 onwards by a team of developers led by engineer and inventor Lou Ottens at the Dutch company Philips and introduced in August 1963 as a pocket recorder.
Dial up envy! In 1973, Motorola brings out the first prototype of a cell phone developed by electrical engineer Martin Cooper. The inventor of the modern mobile phone immediately makes his first call - to his rival at Bell Labs. Motorola does not market the DynaTAC 8000X until 1983. (Picture)
The insulating glass industry completes the strategic business areas.
Too early on the market! Manuel “Manny” Fernandez is the founder of Gavilan Computer Corporation and pioneers the development of one of the first truly portable laptops, the Gavilan SC, in 1983. Complete with floppy drive, MS-DOS operating system and a 5 MHz Intel 8088 processor. The device meets with only moderate interest.
IBM launches ’Simon’, in retrospect the world’s first smartphone, at the COMDEX trade fair in Las Vegas on November 16th, 1992. Manufactured by Mitsubishi and marketed by South Bell, ‘Simon’ is capable not only of telephony, but also of sending fax messages and e-mails - and weighs over 500 grams.
I can see you! At the CeBit 1993, the Aachen-based DATUS AG, a manufacturer of solutions in the field of communications networks, debuts the first video conferencing system. During the first transmission, as a result of improved compression techniques, speech is compressed by a factor of 10.
The new production facility plant 2 is put into operation just in walking distance to plant 1.
In 1999, Japanese interface designer Shigetaka Kurita designed 176 pictograms within a grid of 12 x 12 pixels - and in doing so invented emojis, with the ‘e’ in Japanese standing for picture, ‘mo’ for write, and ‘ji’ for character. His original emoji set is on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
The cousins Ralf M. and Frank Kronenberg take over the management.
EK is TÜV certificated according to ISO TS 16949.
EK enters into a strategic partnership and is now the only producer worldwide who produces connectors for the glass frame assembly in the insulating glass industry out of steel AND plastic.
“This changes everything:’ With this promise, Steve Jobs introduces the first iPhone generation at the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco on January 9th, 2007. Development began as early as 2004 under the code name “Project Purple. In Germany at the time, the iPhone cost ‘only’ 399 euros.
The two plants in Solingen are merged to one new factory in the Technologiepark Haan | NRW.
Installation of our own injection molding machines for the manufacture of nylon parts.
What has began in 1867 will be continued in ther 5th generation. 150 years of quality – "made in Germany".
EK has been an environmentally conscious company from an early stage. Now it also receives certification according to the environmental management standard.
Quality and precision Made in Germany not only outlast every crisis, but are more in demand at EK than ever before. We are proud of that.
The EK success story, which began in 1867, continues today through our day-to-day activities.
