History of the Böllhoff Group

• Wilhelm Böllhoff (1848-1924) founds a wholesale hardware business in Herdecke, Germany, supplying blacksmiths, metalworks and industrial customers

• Opening of a branch in Bielefeld following occupation of the Ruhr area by the French after the 1st World War
• Start of specialisation in screws, nuts and threaded fasteners under the direction of Wilhelm's son, Josef Böllhoff (1894-1984)

• First sales branch in Stuttgart-Fellbach, Germany (photo)
• Concentration on products for machinery, motors, the automobile industry, the building trade and shipbuilding

1952

• Award of USA license for HELICOIL® thread inserts
• Opening of the first production facility at Bielefeld, Germany (photo)

1959

• Gerhard Böllhoff and Dr. Wolfgang W. Böllhoff, the third generation of the family, join the company
  

• Opening of production facilities and sales branches in Mexico and Brazil (photo)

1971

• Production facility and sales branches in France (photo)
  

1980

• Opening of branch in Italy
  

1985

• Opening of branches in UK and Spain
  

1989

• Building of a new central storage facility with space for 40,000 items
• Building of second German production facility at Sonnewalde, Brandenburg, Germany (photo)

1990

• Opening of a branch in Belgium
  

1991

• Opening of a branch in Hungary and Czech Republic
  

1992

• Opening of a branch in USA
• Building of the "Joseph Böllhoff" training center for further and continuing education in Brazil (photo)

1994

• Opening of a branch, a joint-venture, in Poland
  

1995

• Wilhelm A. Böllhoff, a fourth generation member of the family, joins the company
  

• 120-year anniversary with official opening of "House of the Customer" permanent exhibition (photo)
• Opening of a branch in Rumania

1998

• Michael W. Böllhoff enters the company
• Building of new logistics center in Bielefeld, Germany

1999

• Expansion of production facility at Sonnewalde
• Joint-venture with Neumayer in Brazil for the production of nuts, screws and fasteners
• Building of a new branch at Prague in the Czech Republic (photo)

• Foundation of the Böllhoff Systems Technology division for the joining and fastener business area
• Acquisition of RIVNUT® production facility in USA (photo)

• Expansion of production facilities in France and at Sonnewalde, Germany (photo)

2002

• 125-year anniversary of Böllhoff foundation
• Building of Logistics Centre South in Bavaria (photo)

2003

• Opening of a branch in China
  

2004

• Fifty-year anniversary of HELICOIL production at Bielefeld
• Foundation of new subsidiaries in Canada and South Africa
• Building of production facility in Wuxi, near Shanghai, China

• Foundation of subsidiaries in Russia and Turkey
• Official opening of production facility at Wuxi, Shanghai, China (photo)

• Böllhoff Turkey moves into its own building complete with storage facility (photo)

• Construction of new logistics centre for south-eastern Europe in Senec, near Bratislava in Slovakia (photo)
• Construction begins on the "World of Fastener Technology" at Bielefeld
• Foundation of new subsidiaries in Japan and India

• Finishing the "World of Joining Together" Bielefeld (photo)
• Expansion of production facility at Wuxi/China
• Expansion of production facility at Bielefeld, Germany

• Completion of the expanded production facility in Bielefeld
• Inaugration of the production facilities in Italy and India (photo)

• Taking over of "Armstrong Precision Components" (APC) in Hull, United Kingdom
• 11. edition of the "Blue Pages" will appear
• Inauguration of the new building complex in Mexico