Prym

The William Prym GmbH & Co. KG is the oldest industrial companies in Germany. The holding company has its headquarters in Stolberg ( Rhineland) in North Rhine -Westphalia.

History

The company was founded in 1530 by goldsmith William Prym ( 1490-1561 ) in Aachen founded as a family business for the manufacture of brass and copper. 1642 Protestant family was withdrawn in the Catholic Aachen in the time of Aachen religious unrest the guild law, which is why Christian Prym ( 1614-1683 ), as well as the renowned copper masters families amya, Hoesch, Peltzer, Schleicher, Lynen, of Asten and others, according to Stolberg relocated where until today the leadership of the developed later Prym Group has its headquarters. Worked first as copper champion on the Kupferhof Roderburg mill, acquired Christian's grandson of the same (1676-1747) shares in the Dollard hammer, which was extended by his descendants to the hammer mills salt hull and Derichs Berger mills. Thus, the Dollard Hammer became the cradle of the later large-scale enterprise.

At the beginning of the 19th century Prym developed the first finished products made ​​of brass, iron and steel, which were soon being produced by machine. 1859 extended William Prym ( 1811-1883 ) and his son Gustav Wilhelm ( 1839-1916 ) to the product range haberdashery, which became the focus of production, the by Heribert Bauer in 1885 invented push button 1903 by Hans Friedrich Prym ( 1875-1965 was ) improved by an inserted in the header of spring ( crown spring push button).

From the last third of the 19th century both the technical equipment on site as well as the sales organization abroad were expanded, including the Austro- Hungarian monarchy for. So kick in the sky # 1, a branch office was in Vienna I, built - but the import of articles still manually produced in Austria was occupied with high, the goods verteuernden duties. Prym therefore saw itself compelled to begin in Austria with its own production.

1887 were the purchase negotiations for a Weissenbach an der Triesting, Lower Austria, performed resting rolling mill for four years. On March 30, 1888, the foundation of an open society was as a branch of Stolberg. The trade official authorization to factory Moderate production of goods Nadler has been issued by the District Commission Baden the second youngest son of the late 1883 William Prym, Prym Julius ( 1857-1928 ), in April, 1888. Began in the same year in the only existing brick, about 20 by 30 meters building the production of pins and Hafteln and, 1889, of chains. Machines and masters came from Stolberg.

The First World War, the Austrian branch lost most of its markets.

After the Second World War, the Austrian government took over in 1955 with the conclusion of the Austrian State Treaty with a high transfer fee which had been run by the Soviet occupying power by the USIA Group companies, anxious to sell this preisgünstigst again. Following the repurchase of the company Prym, the company was on 13 August 1955, two public trustee [note 2 ] is passed.

With around 400 people, the highest number of employees in 1970 was achieved. - The unexpected closure of the Austrian operation was carried out at still full employment, good order situation and a positive balance on 1 July 1981.

In 2004, the company by the European Commission imposed a fine in the amount of 30 million euros for cartel formation in the region joining and fastening systems. Prym was part of a group of companies that hit illegal collusion on prices and markets between 1994 and 1999, which were considered by the court as four individual cartels. Has benefited contents Prym that the requirement was not disputed, though not full cooperation took place. As severe was considered that the Supervisory Board and Executive Board, the illegal operations were fully aware. The amount of the penalty that has been assessed by the company to be disproportionate, was established by the Commission with the severity of the offense and the duration of the cartel effect. The fine was reduced by 25 million euros in April 2011.

Prymetall GmbH & Co. KG

Prymetall is a cold rolling mill and a foundry at the Zweifaller road at the southern end of Upper Stolberg near the Vicht creek. It employs around 400 people and produces tapes, profiles and wires - so-called semi-finished products - copper and copper alloy products.

In 1993 she became separated from the group of the Prym -Werke and sold in 2002 to the then NA group with the 50 percent participation of Stolberg also heavy Halbzeugwerk GmbH & Co. KG. In early 2005 EIP Metals was Prymetall GmbH & Co. KG called in the British subsidiary of Smethwick to Prymetall, and April 2009 in Aurubis Stolberg GmbH & Co. KG to - as well as the NA group since called Aurubis.

Another subsidiary is located in the northen Dolny Kubin.

Production

Today, the remaining company produces about 15 million pushbuttons daily. In addition to short goods such as push buttons and knitting needles Prym is now gone also contact elements for electrical connections and electronic components. The company is now represented with 40 production and sales locations worldwide.

Under the William Prym GmbH & Co. KG for the individual divisions three independent subsidiaries in charge:

• Consumer: sewing and handwork products, accessories
• Fashion: fasteners for clothing and textiles
• Inovan: Material and surface technology, contact elements

2006, the annual turnover of the Prym Group amounted to 352 million euros and the number of employees was 3800th [note 3] The company is still 100 % family owned and held by currently 41 family shareholders. Until October 2005 Prym was continuously performed by members of the Prym family.

Others

On the financial commitment of the entrepreneur Prym family founded the city library and the swimming pool in Stolberg goes back and social housing and one of the first German, now merged into the Actimonda BKK company health insurance.

While itself was the work in Weissenbach, were the workers' houses on the other side of the Further creek. These workers houses still exist today as part of a settlement, which bears the name Prymhäuser.