The history of Kögel Trailer GmbH

Kögel will celebrate its 80th anniversary on 1st May 2014; after 80 years, the company has remained true to its motto of "tradition, experience and competence" in the trailer market. It should thus come as no surprise that this year will see the launch of some custom-made new utility vehicles to captivate our customers at the IAA.

Kögel buys the competence centre for sandwich panels in Duingen from European Van Company. The factory in Duingen was established in the 1970s by the Graaff coach-building company and quickly developed into a popular supplier for dry freight and chilled distribution body manufacturers. This also means that Kögel will be purely a manufacturer of box bodies in the future, with all the necessary skills in-house.

Kögel presents the new Kögel Mega, a mega-trailer with a total height of 4 m achieved by reducing the throat height by 35 mm Kögel is back in the construction vehicle market and sets a new standard with the Kögel 3-axle tipper trailer.

Kögel strategically positions itself in the market, with two main pillars in the Kögel product range: Construction and freight companies. In addition, Kögel extends its product range by adding the Kögel Port Multiplex.

Kögel is taken over by the Gersthofen entrepreneur and vehicle manufacturer Ulrich Humbaur and thus becomes a family-owned enterprise once again. In 2008/2009, the worldwide economic and financial crisis resulted in a noticeable drop in orders for the entire utility vehicle industry, including Kögel. Production capacity had to be scaled down. After the former Kögel Fahrzeugwerke GmbH was declared insolvent in 2009, the successful, medium-sized company Humbaur took over. Since then the production figures have risen, as have the turnover and the number of employees.

Turnover of € 450 million and annual production of 24,000 vehicles The company is now established as one of the world's ten largest trailer manufacturers.

Kögel Fahrzeugwerke GmbH has approximately 1,000 employees and produces some 12,000 vehicles per year. More than two thirds of them are supplied to other European countries.

Trailer Holding GmbH in Munich takes over parts of the insolvent Kögel Fahrzeugwerke AG. Establishment of "Kögel Fahrzeugwerke GmbH" Burtenbach becomes the new company headquarters. Some parts of the company, such as KAMAG and the factory in Werdau, are sold.

Kögel establishes two centres of competence in manufacturing: Burtenbach for open bodies (platform trailers, tippers), Werdau for closed bodies (dry freight and insulation box bodies). The refrigerated vehicle production is moved from Karlsdorf to Werdau, production at the Karlsdorf works is discontinued.

After considerable investment, the factory in Burtenbach became the most modern trailer factory in Europe.

Extension of the Burtenbach factory at a distance of a bout 50 kilometres from the Kögel headquarters in Ulm begins.

Incorporation of the holding company Orlican a.s. into the Kögel Group. Kögel a.s. is established in June in order to carry out simultaneous restructuring, as required.

The establishment of the "JINAN HONGQI-Kögel TRAILER MAKING Co. Ltd." as a joint venture results in the production of semi-trailers and dry freight bodies for general cargo transport in China. The same year sees the establishment of "JINAN SAF AXLE Co.Ltd.", with the participation of the Austrian company Kögel-Marz Ges.m.b.H., specialising in the production of trailer axles.

By taking over the utility vehicle activities of Karl Kässbohrer Fahrzeugwerke GmbH in Burtenbach (Bavaria), Kögel becomes a leading company in the field of utility vehicle bodies and vehicles for the agricultural industry.

Successful production under licence results in the establishment of the JINAN KÖGEL SPECIAL AUTOMOBILE CO. LTD. joint venture in 1992.

A licence agreement for the production of refrigerated bodies is concluded with the Czech company Orlican in Chocen. In addition to producing large-scale assemblies for the German production companies, the factory will also become a major supplier of complete vehicles for the Czech market.

By listing on the stock exchange, Kögel becomes the first company in the trailer- and body-producing industry functioning as a public limited company.

The former steel construction company is incorporated as an investment by the Kögel Group and manufactures vehicle components for the German factories.

In Werdau (Saxony) Kögel takes over a large part of the former nationalised motor vehicle factory "Ernst Grube" and extends it to establish a modern, high-efficiency production site.

A licence agreement is concluded with JINAN AUTO REFITTING FACTORY to produce refrigerated bodies. The company's many years of experience in vehicle construction results in the Kögel modular system. This completes the step from individual production to standardised serial production.

Kögel takes over a vehicle construction company in Marz, Burgenland and extends it to form its Austrian branch "Kögel-Marz Ges.m.b.H."

The establishment of KAMAG Corporation of America gives the company a foothold in Florida to serve the US market.

Kögel buys FAKA (Fahrzeugwerke Kannenberg) in Bückeburg/Lower Saxony.

"Factory 3" is established when the company Fahrzeugbau Wilhelm Seibel in Hanau (Hesse) is taken over.

The first self-supporting aluminium round trough was developed by Kögel.

Kögel develops special vehicles for concrete components and invents the first demountable platform trailer with supports.

Kögel establishes "Factory 2" for the production of insulated bodies and trailers in Karlsdorf near Bruchsal.

The transition from a tradesmen's business to an industrial concern was completed when production started at the newly built, large manufacturing site in the Donautal industrial area.

Kögel builds up a new production site at the former army depot building.

During the war, the production site in Blaubeurer Street is almost completely destroyed.

Kögel moves to Blaubeurer Street in Ulm.