ABUS

Coordinates: 51°21′25.128″N 7°22′58.944″E / 51.35698000°N 7.38304000°E / 51.35698000; 7.38304000
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ABUS August Bremicker Söhne KG
Company typeKommanditgesellschaft
IndustrySecurity
Founded1924; 100 years ago (1924)
HeadquartersWetter, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Key people
Christian Bremicker (CEO)
Number of employees
Around 3,500
Websitewww.abus.com Edit this at Wikidata
An ABUS 165/40 padlock

ABUS August Bremicker Söhne KG, commonly known as ABUS, is a German manufacturer of security solutions, primarily preventative security technology. The company had remained headquartered in Wetter, North Rhine-Westphalia since its founding.[1] Its name is an acronym of its original name, August Bremicker und Söhne ("August Bremicker and Sons").[2]

The company offers a range of products designed to enhance home, mobile and property security. Some of their commonly known offerings include locks, smoke detectors, video surveillance systems,[3] alarm systems, locking systems, access control systems[4] and smart home solutions for both private and commercial customers.

Its operations span Europe, Asia, and the United States of America, and the family-owned company employs approximately 4000 individuals across its various facilities.[1]

History[edit]

Company foundation: early years to 1946[edit]

The company traces its origins back to 1924, when the then 63-year-old August Bremicker (186-1938) along with several of his sons, established the business.[5][6] Production operations were initially located in a basement forge in Volmarstein.[6][7] Initially, ABUS was limited to the manufacture of padlocks. One of the first products to emerge from the forge was the "Iron Rock" padlock.[5] Five years after its foundation, the family business acquired a new 6,000 m² building in Volmarstein, to expand its procution capacity.[8] By the end of the 1920s, ABUS had grown its workforce to over 30 employees.[9]

In 1931, ABUS introduced its inaugural bicycle lock to the market, labelled No. 1000.[10] ABUS managed its growth trajectory by procuring additional facilities, culminating in the acquisition of an unoccupied factory. Further expansion took place in 1936 with the construction of a new building.[8]

At the end of the 1930s, ABUS employed around 300 people, with 80% of its revenue stemming from exports. During the National Socialist regime, like many enterprises of the era, the company resorted to employing forced labourers from a civilian labour camp in Hagen. Among these labourers was Pierre Roustan,[11] whose name was associated with the company in a corresponding register with the business listed as 'Bremicker Soehne, August, Volmarstein'.[12]

In the aftermath of the Second World War, ABUS was required to suspend production operations entirely.[8] Despite this, it is reported that cordial relations between the workers at the time and representatives of the company continued beyond the end of the war.[13]

Post war revival and further developments (1947-1999)[edit]

It is family-owned and "shaped by Christian principles".[14] Over the years, its product range has expanded to include smoke alarms,[15] video surveillance systems,[16] motorbike, bicycle[17] and boat security products, alarm systems and locking systems.

Modern history (from 2000)[edit]

Throughout the 2000s, ABUS acquired several companies or parts of companies. These acquisitions encompassed new sectors including integrated alarm systems, video surveillance systems, extended functions for locking systems, locking systems, and switching devices - expanding the ABUS portfolio.

The following acquisitions were made:

  • SCA Security-Centre (alarm systems and video surveillance systems), founded in June 1999 and acquired by ABUS in June 2001.
  • Schließanlagen GmbH Pfaffenhain (locking systems), acquired in January 2003.
  • In October 2003, the product area of escutcheon plate products was taken over by the door hinge manufacturer Dr Hahn, in Mönchengladbach.
  • SECCOR high security GmbH (electronic locking systems and switching devices) was bought in September 2010.
  • In January 2020, ABUS took over the cylinder budiness of Metafa Holland B.V.
  • Maxi Studio S.R.L., an Italian helmet manufacturer with whichb the company had been working since 2016, was fully acquired in 2021.

In tandem with these aquisitions, ABUS implemented organisational changes including renaming the subsidiaries to reflect a closer alignment with the parent company. The subsidiaries were renamed ABUS Security Center GmbH & Co. KG (based in Wetter (Ruhr) with a branch office in Affing near Augsburg), ABUS Pfaffenahin GmbH (based in Pfaffenhain) and ABUS Seccor GmbH (based in Ottobrunn). Sector high security GmbH was merged into ABUS Sector GmbH on 1 January 2017.

In addition to several production facilities in Germany, the ABUS Group operates around 20 foreign branches in Europe, the United States and China. It is the world market leader in bike locks and padlocks.[18] In November 2012, it received the "Brand of the Century" Award for security technology.[19][20]

In 2024, ABUS celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Structure[edit]

ABUS is headquartered in Wetter, North Rhine-Westphalia, and has manufacturing facilities across Germany and in China. It has around 3,500 employees worldwide.[21][22]

Family ownership[edit]

The company continues to be owned by the Bremicker family. In the 2013 list of the 500 richest Germans, published annually by According to the Manager Magazin's annual list of the 500 wealthiest Germans in 2013, the family ranked 422nd position, with their assets valued at approximately €300 million.

The family belongs to the Kelly-Lowe-Continental wing of the Plymouth Brethren (Brüderbewegung), a church movement that originated in the 19th century. The family's religious orientation also affects the company, whose mission statement is shaped by the Brethren church's principles.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "ABUS". www.deutsche-standards.de. Retrieved 2022-12-22.[dead link]
  2. ^ Langenscheidt (Hrsg), Florian (2011). ABUS. In: Deutsches Markenlexikon (in German). Köln: Gabler Verlag. p. 23.
  3. ^ Schraeder, Daniel (2019-11-02). "Abus Lichtkamera mit WLAN, App und Alarm im Test". TechStage (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  4. ^ "ABUS and Wina classic security solutions unveiled in Kenya". biznakenya.com. 2023-11-20. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  5. ^ a b Kalscheuer, Britta (2016-04-28). "Vom Klassiker zum Innovator" [From classic to innovator]. www.protector.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  6. ^ a b Gerber, Steffen (2024-02-04). "100 Jahre Abus in Wetter und ein Mann, der das Erbe bewahrt" [100 years of Abus in weather and a man who preserves the heritage]. www.wp.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  7. ^ Unternehmensporträt: ABUS – Das Sicherheitsschloss - Marken des Jahrhunderts - Handelsblatt [Brands of the Century]. Deutsche Standards EDITIONEN GmbH. 2012-12-18. ISBN 978-3-86936-449-0. Archived from the original on 2015-01-10. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  8. ^ a b c "Tradition und Fortschritt ABUS - mit Sicherheit erfolgreich" [Tradition and progress ABUS - certainly successful]. Eisenwarenzeitung (in German). Vol. 10, no. 99. Eisenwaren-Zeitung GmbH (Hrsg.). 1999-09-25. p. 18.
  9. ^ ABUS. "Über ABUS | Security Tech Germany". www.abus.com (in German). Retrieved 2022-09-12.
  10. ^ "ABUS: Über ABUS | Historie". www.abus.com. Retrieved 2022-04-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "Franz. Gefangener sieht Volmarstein wieder. Treffen nach 34 Jahren mit dem "Brötchengeber" aus der Schlösserfabrik" [French prisoner sees Volmarstein again. Meeting after 34 years with the “bread giver” from the lock factory]. Westfalenpost (in German). No. 178. 1976-08-13.
  12. ^ Weinmann, Martin; Krause-Schmitt, Ursula (1990). Catalogue of camps and prisons in Germany and German-occupied territories, Sept. 1st, 1939-May 8th, 1945. Zweitausendeins.
  13. ^ S+B Schloss-und Beschlagmarkt: Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft unter einem Dach [S+B lock and fittings market: past, present and future under one roof] (in German). Rudolf Müller. October 2022. p. 17.
  14. ^ "About ABUS: Core Values". Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  15. ^ Kletschke, Thomas (2016-05-02). "Digital Signage & Corporate: Digital Signage und AV in der ABUS Security World | invidis". invidis.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  16. ^ Klein, Ulrich (9 December 2018). "ABUS Smart Security World WLAN Lichtkamera PPIC36520 im Test - Test: ABUS Außen-Überwachungskamera mit Gegensprechfunktion". www.homeandsmart.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  17. ^ Emma Silversides (2023-10-12). "Abus 6206K Goose Lock review - exceptionally easy to transport and use". cyclingweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  18. ^ Florian Langenscheidt, Bernd Venohr (Hrsg.): Lexikon der deutschen Weltmarktführer. Die Königsklasse deutscher Unternehmen in Wort und Bild. Deutsche Standards Editionen, Köln 2010, ISBN 978-3-86936-221-2.
  19. ^ Abus mit dem deutschen Markenpreis ausgezeichnet Archived August 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Recalled on January 21, 2013.
  20. ^ "Locksmith Help". Monday, 28 October 2019
  21. ^ "ABOUT ABUS". ABUS AUGUST BREMICKER SÖHNE KG. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  22. ^ "PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT". ABUS AUGUST BREMICKER SÖHNE KG. Retrieved 6 March 2021.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to ABUS.

51°21′25.128″N 7°22′58.944″E / 51.35698000°N 7.38304000°E / 51.35698000; 7.38304000


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