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Company History •
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| 1925 The
Paul und Bruno Gräfendorf cordage and net manufacturing
company is founded. The product range of manufactured
goods includes a broad variety of cordage articles such
as packthreads, ropes, nets and rope swings. |
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| 1938
The name of the company is changed to Bruno Gräfendorf
Seilerwaren-, Netz- und Basttaschenfabrik (cordage, net
and bast bag manufacturers). |
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| 1946
The director's role is passed to Hilmar Gräfendorf,
the son, who founds an OHG (partnership). At this time
items like cordage, sports equipment, nets and bags of
all kinds are manufactured. |
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1955
The focus is moved to bag manufacturing and the company
is renamed Grädo
Taschenfabrik (bag manufacturers). |
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| 1958 The
first link to car making is established via application
of the HF soldering process in bag manufacturing. |
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| 1960
The first research and development tasks are performed
for the Wartburg and Trabant brands. |
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| 1965
The current CEO Joachim Kümmel joins the company
as technical manager. |
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| 1970
With polyutherane becoming available
in former East Germany, the PUR foam production can be
launched. The first foam-padded armrest is developed. |
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| 1972 The
company is expropriated and nationalised to form the VEB
Plastverarbeitung (cooperative for plastics processing)
Schlotheim. |
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| 1990
Reprivatisation is applied for. |
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| 1991 In
parallel, the company is relaunched as Kümmel Fahrzeugteile
(vehicle parts). With the first door coating parts for
the Volkswagen Golf III, real leather moulding is included
in the product range. |
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| 1999
The company is reformed as Kümmel
Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG and the sons Stefan and
Christian Kümmel join the company management. |
