What began in 1924 as a small craft business has developed into a forward-looking family company with an international focus. Security expert ABUS celebrates its 100th anniversary and looks back with gratitude on an entire century.
100 years ago, the locksmith August Bremicker and some of his sons founded August Bremicker und Söhne KG – or ABUS for short – in Volmarstein on the Ruhr. Now the security expert is 100 years old and offers a glimpse into the eventful history of the company.
Under simple conditions and with a great deal of faith in God, the Bremickers produced padlocks made of sheet metal and steel with the distinctive name "The Iron Rock" in a cellar forge near Wetter on the river Ruhr from 1924. Daily hard work from early in the morning until deep into the night characterised the arduous early days, which yielded only meagre wages for everyone involved. Every helping hand was welcome. Emma Bremicker, the founder's wife, not only took care of commercial tasks, but also travelled to the Ruhr region by bicycle with a sample case to present and sell various padlocks to hardware dealers. Perseverance and the gradual development of foreign markets paid off. By the end of the 1930s, ABUS already employed almost 300 people and had an export share of 80 per cent. The company founder August Bremicker still lived to see this success before he died in 1938. The company was continued by his sons – above all Werner Bremicker, the company's first full-time employee.
Bold new start and innovative spirit ensure upswing
With the beginning of the Second World War, a large part of the previously successfully established foreign business collapsed and production was eventually stopped completely. The Bremicker family was not discouraged by these events and, from 1947, initiated a comprehensive new start with 79 employees, setting the trend for the company's success right up to the present day. It developed new products such as the internationally renowned Diskus lock, opened further locations in Germany, including the branch factory in Rehe in the Westerwald (1957), and founded subsidiaries abroad, which extended as far as Hong Kong. The number of employees, locations and products grew steadily – not least thanks to various successful acquisitions and visionary decisions. In addition to the well-known home security products, the range now also includes mobile safety and security articles such as high-quality bike locks and helmets as well as video and alarm systems from the commercial security sector.
Digitally at the cutting edge and with worldwide representation
In order to meet customer requirements in the age of digitalisation, the development of smart security products is constantly being driven forward. Various locks can be opened conveniently via smartphone or fingerprint and users can assign permissions via an app. This wide range of products and the development of new sales markets has made the company more crisis-proof. Today, the ABUS Group is a multiple award-winning market leader in a number of product areas and is active in over 100 countries worldwide with around 4,000 employees.
Anniversary year under the banner of gratitude
The owner family feels a deep sense of gratitude for the development that the company has experienced in 100 years. "We look back on the hard beginnings with respect and gratitude and look to the future with confidence and trust in God. We also see it as our responsibility to actively preserve and further develop the legacy of our ancestors, all based on the corporate principle of 'God's blessing gained, all is obtained'. And so today, descendants of August Bremicker from the fourth and fifth generation of the family are also involved in leading positions in the company." ABUS is therefore celebrating the year 2024 with a grand ceremony in June and various other festivities to ensure that the "good feeling of security" continues into the third millennium.
To the press compartment of ABUS August Bremicker Söhne & KG
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