Grundig

The Grundig AG was a company set up by the radio dealer Max Grundig German company for consumer electronics based in Fürth and Nuremberg later. It became a symbol of the West German economic miracle and was long considered a traditional company. In April 2003, the company went bankrupt. From Grundig et al were Grundig Intermedia and the Grundig Business Systems forth that use the brand name to this day

History

Rise from Heinzelmann for the most broadcast equipment manufacturer in Europe

The history of the company began in 1930 in Fürth with the establishment of the radio sales Fuerth, Grundig & Wurzer ( RVF ). After the war in 1945 Max Grundig recognized the market for radio and directed the production of the device kit " Heinzelmann " one.

1947, the foundation stone was laid for a factory and administration building at the Fürth Kurgartenstraße, which acted after a short construction period as the main production site. A visible sign of the connection with the city of Fürth was the inclusion of the Fürth coat of arms with the cloverleaf in the company logo. The work stations in the administration building at the Fürth Kurgartenstraße (now Radio Museum Fürth ) sent in September and October 1951, the first regular German television after the war.

1951, the first television receivers were made ​​in a new factory building - the location and the company grew rapidly. Grundig was the largest at that time Europe's broadcasting equipment manufacturers. Companies from Nuremberg, Frankfurt and Karlsruhe were bought, including the Adlerwerke and triumph. Both works merged in 1956 for Triumph- Adler AG and produced since then only office machines but not under the name of Grundig, but with its own name.

In 1960 the first Grundig work abroad - in Belfast (Northern Ireland) were made ​​tape recorders. Followed in 1965 a factory for car radios in Braga (Portugal). Also on the hardware level and Fürth Nuremberg - long water created new production halls. 1968 sold the Grundig -Werke GmbH Triumph -Adler AG in the U.S. Group and Litton was continued from 1972 as Grundig AG.

Sales slump and entry of Philips

At the beginning of the 1980s, sales of Grundig AG broke the first time. The reasons were varied. Furthermore, came at this time increased Japanese consumer electronics on the European markets. 1983 was the participation of the Dutch electronics company Philips on the Grundig AG at 24.5 %. In December 1983, the Board reported a group turnover of 3.06 billion DM remitted to the Max - Grundig -Stiftung profit was 44 million DM in April 1984, the Philips Group increased its stake to 31.6 % and took over the management of the Grundig AG. The former managing director and co-founder Max Grundig resigned from the company management. In April 1984, the Federal Cartel Office approved the merger between Philips and Grundig under the condition that Grundig had to sell his voice recorders sales.

Decline and bankruptcy

The Philips Group in 1998 were due to unsatisfactory development of the company from Grundig to a Bavarian consortium led by Anton Kathrein ( general partner of Kathrein Werke KG ). End of June 2000, the corporate headquarters was moved to the neighboring Fürth Nuremberg. The company in 2001 reached a turnover amounting to 1.281 billion euros, but it made ​​150 million euro loss. Therefore, the banks did not extend in the fall of 2002, the loans and the Grundig company had on 14 April 2003 Join insolvency.

In the late 1980s Grundig AG had over 28,000 employees. In 2003, the company only about 3,500 people employed. The high cost of occupational fuses presented in the negotiations for a potential investor represents a crucial problem

Shareholders of Grundig AG were the BEB (Bayerische electronics Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG ), consisting of Kathrein, Bayerische Landesbank Girozentrale, Bavarian Savings Banks and Giro Association, Hypo Vereinsbank AG and Bayerische Landesbank for construction financing.

Remains and spin-offs

In January 2004, the area Home InterMedia System (HIS ) of the Turkish electronics manufacturer Beko Elektronik, a subsidiary of Koç Holding was, and adopted the British company Alba radio at a purchase price of approximately EUR 80 million. After trying, with products "designed and developed in Germany" again to become a leading brand in Germany and Europe, the development were closed in Nuremberg and released another 450 employees at Grundig electronics in Istanbul at the end of 2008. The production of those remaining in Nuremberg Grundig Intermedia done since then in Istanbul at Beko and partly in Asia over foreign companies. In October 2006 and January 2007, two separate production lines for LCD TVs of the brand Grundig were taken at Beko Elektronik in Istanbul in operation. For December 18, 2007 took over the Turkish Beko Elektronik also the 50 % of the shares of Alba Radio Grundig Multimedia BV at, the parent company, based in Nuremberg Grundig Intermedia. Beko Elektronik changed its name in 2008 by Grundig electronics, but was completely taken over in 2009 by the well belonging to the Koç Group sister company Arçelik, which holds the trademark ever since. Revenue from the sale of products of the brand " Grundig " in German-speaking countries has since grown steadily in the range medium -priced televisions, the brand has established itself in Germany again.

The range of office equipment is independently continued by Grundig Business Systems. The former division Grundig Car InterMedia System, was acquired by the Delphi Corporation on 17 November 2003. In addition to the fields of car radio and on-board units count for toll collection systems on the range (Toll Collect). On 1 May 2004, the Grundig SAT Systems (GSS ) GmbH was founded as a management buy -out. She took over the activities of the former Grundig area ' headends and satellite systems. "

Products

The core products of Grundig AG were among devices in the consumer electronics (such as radios, televisions, tape recorders, video recorders, audio systems ), video surveillance and intrusion detection systems (formerly Grundig electronics GmbH ), metrology, car radio, satellite receiver, etc., later also small electrical appliances ( eg razors, hair clippers, hair dryers ) and office electronics (eg dictating machines).

Radio - television combination magic mirror 348 (1957)

TK-1 Portable Grundig tape recorder (1960 )

Tape case TK 42 ( around 1962 )

C 100 for DC International cassettes ( 1965)

Portable radio " melody boy 400 " ( around 1971 )

Portable radio " elite- boy" ( around 1972 )

Cassette recorder " C350 Automatic " (1979)

Surround HIFI Space Fidelity PO3 ( left) PA6 ( right) ( 1995)

Millivolt meter for AC voltage

Wobbler WS 3