Würth

The Würth Group is a worldwide, primarily in the wholesale working with products of fastening and assembly technology company group. They evolved from the Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG, based in Künzelsau.

In the 500 largest family of the journal Economic Journal ranking, the company occupies the 14th place.

History

Würth was founded by Adolf Würth (1909-1954) for the purpose of trading with screws 1945 in Künzelsau (hence the company logo, which consists of the family name and two screw heads with cylindrical and round head). After the death of Adolf Würth Reinhold Würth 's son took over in 1954 at the age of 19 with his mother Alma Würth Screw the plot, which was still a two-person company at that time.

Since then the company became the world's leading retail group with the main business share in the sale of fixing and assembly materials and tools with approximately 120,000 different products on. Among his more than 3 million customers are mainly companies from the construction industry, the wood and metal working crafts, automotive companies and, increasingly, industrial customers.

Today Würth Group operates worldwide and employs over 60,000 people (as of 2008 ). In the ranking of the top 500 daily Die Welt, the Würth Group took place in 2006 91 and is one of the largest non- listed companies in Germany.

Reinhold Würth withdrew on 1 January 1994 from the management and took over the chairmanship of the Würth Advisory Board. On 1 March 2006 he gave this office to his daughter Bettina Würth and has been Honorary Chairman of the Advisory Board and is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Group.

After five years of research, the group opened on 27 October 2006 in Schwäbisch Hall, a production plant for mass production of novel solar cells without silicon or copper, indium and selenium ( CIS solar cells ).

Unlike other trading company Würth operates a high expenditure for research and development. 2007 was achieved with more than 60 patents, a record high.

Corporate Structure

Besides the German parent company Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG, Künzelsau include more than 400 companies in 86 countries on the Group, which are divided into two lines:

  • The Würth Line ( companies with the company name Würth ), eg Würth AG Switzerland, divided into the divisions metal, car, timber, industry and construction
  • Allied Companies (over 260 companies ) - for the most part purchased companies that operate under their original name or have been integrated into another Allied Company. Examples of Allied Companies Unielektro ( Eschborn ), eiSos ( Waldenburg ) or Panorama Catering ( Künzelsau ).

The Würth company that specializes in sales through sales representatives. In addition, it operates in Germany and some other countries, a strong expansion of the sales office network.

The subsidiary of the Würth Group also includes, among other

  • Würth Industrie Service
  • Würth Leasing GmbH & Co KG
  • Waldburger Versicherung AG
  • Internationales Bankhaus Bodensee
  • Würth Logistics Germany GmbH, Bremen and domiciled in Switzerland Würth Logistics AG, Chur.
  • ITensis AG: ( Supervised the computer of the Würth Group, provides similar services for third parties )
  • Panorama Hotel - und Service GmbH (Hotels, Restaurants and Catering)
  • Wagener & Simon WASI GmbH & Co. KG, Wuppertal
  • Unielektro Fachgroßhandel GmbH & Co. KG
  • FEGA & Schmitt Elektrogroßhandel GmbH
  • Marbet Marion & Bettina Würth GmbH & Co. KG, an event agency
  • Reca Norm GmbH, copper cell
  • IVT Installation and connection GmbH & Co. KG
  • Hahn Kolb Group, Stuttgart
  • Modyf Würth GmbH & Co. KG, workwear, PPE, leisurewear
  • Normfest GmbH, Velbert
  • Würth International Advertising, Kissing
  • Würth Elektronik Group, et al with the greater part of companies: Würth Elektronik GmbH & Co. KG eiSos, Waldenburg (electronic and electromechanical components )
  • Würth Elektronik GmbH & Co. KG Circuit Board Technology, Lower Hall ( printed circuit boards)
  • Würth Elektronik ICS GmbH & Co. KG Intelligent Connecting Systems, Öhringen ( electronic connectivity )

Würth operates the airfield of Schwäbisch Hall Hessental which operates under the name Adolf Würth Airport.

Corporate Culture

At Würth, reps can earn bonuses by a differentiated reward system. The downside of the company's success lies in a relatively high turnover of field staff annually by nine percent. The problem was recognized by the company management, which had a strong promotion of work incentives result. The group companies and foreign sales companies are largely autonomous in their objectives, their implementation must make, however transparent. The confidence in the competence and autonomy of employees comes through an early introduction of flexitime without time recording devices to express and lots of offers for training and recreational activities. The quality of the celebrations, great value is placed as Würth is also true to his principle that only a strong commitment to its employees has a corresponding net profit result.

Würth has passed in the architectural implementation of foreign branches to a large extent to let his staff in the selection of architects and planning representative administration building free hand. In the company's headquarters in Künzelsau employees can visit an in-house art museum, with exhibits change three to four times a year. The art museum is also open to the public. Employees also have the option ( except for the highest price category) of the Würth collection in a company's own art library for six months to borrow pictures for a deposit.

Cultural and sports activities

The Würth Group is the owner of the charitable foundation Würth, which has in particular made ​​the promotion of art and culture, science and research as well as education to the task. In the administrative building of the headquarters in Künzelsau is the Museum Würth, Schwäbisch Hall in neighboring Kunsthalle Würth, with its annex, the medieval Johanniterhalle. The Würth Foundation awards several prizes in various artistic disciplines. In addition, the Würth Foundation engaged in school and university funding ( Fachhochschule Künzelsau and Vocational Academy Bad Mergentheim, Freie Schule Anne- Sophie in Künzelsau ). In 2005, the Künzelsauer Fachhochschule in Reinhold- Würth - University of the University of Heilbronn renamed (RWH - Künzelsau ) was. Würth is the organizer of the Würth Open -air festivals, one -annual, multi-day music festival in Künzelsau. Several foreign companies of the Würth Group is restricted to their home countries as a whole ( as of May 2010 ) 10 " art forums ", including the Musée Würth France Erstein in France and the Museo Würth La Rioja in Spain. In Chur, the Foundation maintains the Culture Forum Würth Chur.

In Switzerland Würth from 2005 to 2012 Main sponsor of the Tour de Suisse. From 2000 to 2006 Würth was a co - sponsor of the Spanish cycling team Astana - Würth and his predecessors teams. After the team had been excluded from participating in the 2006 Tour de France due to the doping scandal surrounding the Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, the company ended this engagement with immediate effect on 3 July 2006. Würth is partner of five Bundesliga clubs in football and Sponsor of the German Ski Association. In addition, Wuerth support in motorsport and the DTM was the "Official Supplier " of former Formula 1 team Toyota Racing. In addition, Würth is also a sponsor on the sports fields of the Hohenlohe region.

Tax investigations

Since autumn 2006, the Stuttgart public prosecutor was investigating Reinhold Würth and five other managers of the group on suspicion of tax evasion. End of March 2008, the investigations and negotiations were known by an indiscretion on the news magazine Spiegel. In May 2008, Würth agreed to the termination of the proceedings against a fine. The District Court Heilbronn imposed Würth an order of punishment of 700 daily rates. The entrepreneur is therefore considered a criminal record. Against two other officials of the Würth Group fines were also fixed. The control process is now complete, since all participants have accepted the penalty orders.

The prosecutor noted that all defendants have acquired a " no own benefits ". Dispute rather the allocation of costs between domestic and foreign parts of the group were. The tax legality of the tax-reducing reimbursement through the German parent company was the core of the dispute between Würth and the tax authority. Since the clarification of the legality would have taken several years and would have been so to expect a loss of reputation of the life's work of Würth inevitably, he took the lesser evil of tax payments, fines and criminal record approvingly.

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