OUR HISTORY – CONTINUOUS INNOVATION, HIGH QUALITY, CONSTANT GROWTH

Inquiring minds, entrepreneurial foresight, and belief in their own abilities were the capital on which Walter Pepperl and Ludwig Fuchs founded a small radio repair workshop in Mannheim in 1945. The experience they gained was transformed into new ideas, their joy in further developments for clients continued, and ultimately led to the invention of the proximity switch. This innovation was what sparked a success story.

Today, Pepperl+Fuchs is known to customers throughout the world as a pioneer and innovator in electrical explosion protection and sensor technology.
Join us on an excursion along the most important events of our long company history.

PEPPERL+FUCHS - a success story

1970

The radio technician Walter Pepperl and the banker Ludwig Fuchs found a radio repair shop in Mannheim Sandhofen in November. Very early the founders start the production of transformers. In subsequent years Pepperl+Fuchs becomes a major supplier for industries based in Mannheim.

1970

A small repair shop became a company with more than 40 employees. Pepperl+Fuchs moves into a new building.

1970

The development of the first proximity switch is a milestone for Pepperl+Fuchs, which marks the first steps in the field of electronics.

1970

For the first time, Pepperl+Fuchs participates in an important industrial fair, the Achema in Frankfurt, with an own fair stand.

1970

Pepperl+Fuchs exhibits at the HMI Hannover Messe for the first time.

1970

The building in Sandhofen bursts at all seams - time to move again for Pepperl + Fuchs. A new company building is erected in Mannheim-Schönau, a modern factory with 10,000 sq. The manufacturing of transformers is shut down.

1972

In England the first foreign sales organization is founded. From 1980 special units for the English market are produced there.

1975

The legal form of the company changes from OHG (general partnership) to GmbH (private limited company) + Co. KG (limited partnership).

1976

The floor space is doubled by an extension taking into account the special requirements for physically handicapped people.

1978

In Singapore the first non-European affiliated company with production facilities is founded in order to gain access to the Asian market and also to remain competitive in Europe. The first step in globalization is taken.

1982

Across the pond: A new distribution site in North America opened in Twinsburg/Ohio. Today more than 200 employees work here.

1987

The company is taken over by Michael Fuchs, the son of Ludwig Fuchs, and Claus Michael, the son-in-law of Walter Pepperl. The legal form changes to a GmbH (private limited company).

1989

The company building in Mannheim-Schönau is extended again.

1990

The Divisions FACTORY AUTOMATION and PROCESS AUTOMATION are set up.

1990

Pepperl+Fuchs acquires the company RUF in Mannheim and thus adds level control to their product range.

1992

Pepperl+Fuchs is certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001 for the first time.

1993

The Pepperl+Fuchs Systems GmbH is sold to Honeywell and the field of fail-safe controls is thus given up in order to concentrate on the core business.

1995

Pepperl+Fuchs acquires the company Hohner in Tuttlingen and round off the product range with rotary encoders.

1996

PLAMET Kft. is founded in Hungary to supply plastic and metal parts.

1999

The product range is extended and the market position is strengthened by the acquisition of Visolux GmbH in Berlin (optoelectronic components for automation), the Honeywell/USA divisions of Microswitch proximity sensors and Photoswitch to better serve the American market and finally Elcon Instruments in Italy for a new strategic orientation of the Process Automation Division.

1999

The manufacturing starts in Bintan/Indonesia.

2002

Pepperl+Fuchs purchases the purge and pressurization systems from Bebco industries EPS in the USA.

2003

New Data Matrix Code product range obtained through the acquisition of Omnitron AG and Position Encoding System, also due to an acquisition.

2004

The Systems & Solutions business area expands within the Process Automation division with display and operating systems of Extec Oesterle GmbH.

2005

Pepperl+Fuchs enlarges its PA range by the purchase of the intrinsic safety business from Cooper Crouse-Hinds GmbH and of the SAS (separator alarm systems) business from OJ Electronics. It takes over VMT Vision Machine Technic Bildverarbeitungssysteme GmbH and is integrated into the Factory Automation division.

2005

Takeover of VMT Vision Machine Technic Bildverarbeitungssysteme GmbH and integration into the Factory Automation Division.

2006

In April the construction of the new administration building is started.

2007

Pepperl+Fuchs celebrates "50 years proximity switch". In May 2008 175 employees are moving in the new and modern building which offers space for approx. 240 employees on 4 floors with a surface of more than 7.000 sq.

2009

Pepperl+Fuchs acquires proximity sensor business of Siemens. Herewith, Pepperl+Fuchs increase its product portfolio in the field of inductive proximity sensors and photoelectric sensors, and at the same time strengthen its position in the market for ultrasonic sensor technology for factory automation.

2011

Our European Distribution Center is inaugurated in Mannheim.

2011

Pepperl+Fuchs takes over GOVAN Industries in Melbourne/Australia.

2012

Pepperl+Fuchs acquires distribution partner Sensonor Oy in Finland.

2013

Our Solution Engineering Centers are launched worldwide. Tailor made solutions for explosion control are being developed and supplied ready for installation.

2014

The company is taken over by the next generation, Monika Müller-Michael and Michael Fuchs Jr.

2014

Acquisition of Petroleum Safety Products Ind. in Chennai/India and MACtek Corporation in Twinsburg/Ohio.

2014

A new distribution site opened in South Africa.

2015

Our Global Distribution Center is officially inaugurated in Singapore. All goods produced at sites in Asia are stored here and distributed to destinations around the world.

2016

With the takeover of ecom instruments, Pepperl+Fuchs complements the portfolio and the know-how in explosion protection with mobile solutions.

2018

Pepperl+Fuchs changes its legal form into a stock corporation (AG). This is the first step to undertake an incremental conversion into a European Company (Societas Europaea) by 2020.

2020

Pepperl+Fuchs changes its legal form into a European Company (Societas Europaea).

2020

Today Pepperl+Fuchs employs approximately 6,850 people in various locations in Germany, USA, Singapore, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Czech Republic. With more than 80 subsidiaries, the company is a market leader in the development and manufacturing of electronic sensors and components for the global automation market.