Just when you think you have achieved a lot, it is time to take the next step.

 

1911 Building foundation by company founder Franz Bettermann. His own sheetmetal factory for fastening technology results.

 

1932 From here on, metal and plastics are the hallmark of the expanded product range, with the start of duroplastic and thermoplastic production.

1944 Total destruction of the plant – reconstruction by members of the company.

 

1952 OBO BETTERMANN is derived from “ohne bohren”, meaning without drilling. The OBO brand is born.

 

1957 Takeover of the Bösperde New Rolling Mill, founded in 1827. Expansion into rolled profiles and special wires. Expansion of cable support systems to the market leader begins.

 

1959 The little OBO man, symbol of a successful brand, travels around the world as a symbol for installation technology.

 

1972 The OBO V-15 sets new, for its time, standards in surge voltage protection, and is the start of countless innovations in this sector.

 

1986 Continued expansion of OBO’s subsidiary companies and branch offices from Philadelphia to Peking, and from Helsinki to Sao Paulo.

 

1992 Foundation of OBO BETTERMANN Hungary Kft. near Budapest, which, today, is OBO’s central production and logistics site for South-East Europe.

 

1993 Michail S. Gorbachev, Henry A. Kissinger and Hans-Dietrich Genscher are the first guests of the Menden Forum, organised by U. L. Bettermann.

 

1996 The new BET research centre, with one of the largest surge current generators in Europe and countless testing units, is opened.

 

2000 At the first Light+Building in Frankfurt, award as the most innovative manufacturer in many countries. The company is managed by the third and fourth Bettermann generations.

 

2003 New standards of flexibility and speed are set by the commissioning of the world’s most modern galvanisation plant.

 

2004 After 40 years on the market as DAHL-KANAL, OBO BETTERMANN continues the brand as its own product range. DAHL-KANAL is market leader in the field of wiring ducts.

 

2006 OBO continues the production and brand of the company founded in 1919 by Albert Ackermann and which bears his name. This means that OBO is the market leader in the field of underfloor systems and Europe’s leading systems provider for cable management.

 

2008 Start of work: OBO is expanding its production capacities. On an area of 30.000 square meters OBO invests 40 Mio. Euro in a new production with an integrated fire-zincation. The completition is planned for 2011, for the 100. Birthday of OBO Bettermann.

 

2008 OBO takes over GAMI, one of the leading cable tray manufacturers to Italian standard. Thus OBO extends its position as a strategic partner in European Cable management.

 

Today The business group has over 30 subsidiary companies and international production locations with a presence in more than 50 countries. An annual turnover of more than 300 million euros is achieved with 2,000 employees. The product range comprises nearly 30,000 items in seven product units.