Dräxlmaier Group

1958-1967

In May 1958, Lisa and Fritz Dräxlmaier Sr. entered the growing automotive market. The production of 50,000 wiring harnesses for the Goggomobil manufactured by Glas in Dingolfing was the first order for the Lower Bavarian company. Shortly afterwards, the second product division was established: Dräxlmaier supplied the entire vehicle interior for the small car, which was built until 1969, including the instrument panel, door trim, seat covers and rear shelf.Due to the growth in orders, Dräxlmaier installed the first systems for welding door panels forming thermoplastic films for the production of instrument panels in 1960. As a result, the first company-owned factory hall was built in Vilsbiburg in 1964. BMW was acquired as a customer in 1966. The first order for BMW was to equip the 1600 GT.

1968-1977

The continuing increase in orders encouraged Dräxlmaier to expand its site in Vislbiburg in 1968. This led to the creation of its own mold-and-tool shop and the first computer system. In the same year, construction began on a new production and administration building. Audi and Volkswagen AG were supplied with products starting 1969 and 1971, respectively. International expansion began in 1974 with production in Tunisia. In the following years, further international locations were opened, including a production plant for wiring harnesses and interior components in Ontario, Canada (1976).

1978-1987

The workforce grew to just under 2,000 employees during the 1980s. A production site was established in Braunau am Inn, Austria, (1978). In 1982, the company manufactured components for Daimler-Benz for the first time. In 1983, Dräxlmaier used a mainframe computer for the first time and converted 100 workstations to electronic data processing. The construction of the automated high-bay warehouse and the parts-picking warehouse in 1987 laid the foundation for supply chain management. Since then, the material flow and all essential JIT/JIS processes have been controlled from there.

1988-1997

In 1993, Dräxlmaier opened production sites in Czechia and Romania. With the contract to develop, manufacture and deliver the complete cockpit for the Mercedes-Benz CLK, the company took the step of becoming a system supplier in the interior segment in 1994. In 1996, the production network was expanded with new production sites in the USA and Mexico. The "Group of Companies Dräxlmaier " was renamed the "Dräxlmaier Group" in 1997. In November 1997, it purchased the subsidiary Holzindustrie Bruchsal GmbH from the then Daimler-Benz AG..

1998-2007

In 1998, the company moved into a new technology center in Vilsbiburg. In 1999, the Dräxlmaier Group became the first system supplier to produce a full leather interior for the Mercedes-Benz CL Coupé. This was followed in 2000 by the production of the entire interior for the BMW Z8. The company also developed and supplied the wiring harness for both models. In 2002, it developed, produced and supplied the complete wiring harness system and interior for the Maybach limousine. In addition to a second location in Landau an der Isar (Germany), a plant was established in Shenyang, China, in 2003. At the same time, Porsche and Jaguar Land Rover became part of the company´s customer base. Between 2005 and 2007, further locations were opened in South Africa (2005); Thailand, Spain and Mexico (2006); and Bălți in Moldova (2007).

2008-2017

In 2008, the Dräxlmaier Group introduced natural fiber composite material for vehicle interiors. The door trim developed for the BMW 7 Series consists of biocomposite material. With the production plant in Serbia, another location followed in 2008, initially employing 800 workers on three assembly lines. The company developed the interior and wiring system for the Porsche Panamera, which was launched in 2009. In 2011, Dräxlmaier developed the world´s first door trim with visible natural fiber. This was first installed in the BMW i3 in 2013. The company expanded its existing production facilities in Shenyang, China, in 2012. At the same time, the company built a full-scale production plant in Kavardaci, North Macedonia. In 2013 another location opened in Leipzig, Germany. In the same year, a new business area was developed with Dräxlmaier Aviation GmbH. Until 2017, the company developed and produced interiors for private and business aircraft.

In 2014, the company´s logistics network was expanded with the Zwickau location in Germany. Qestronic Advanced Technologies GmbH from Geisenhausen was integrated into the Dräxlmaier Group in 2015. The supplier opened a new production site for interior components in Langfang, China. A production site for interior components was opened in Livermore, California (USA).

2018-present

In 2018, the Dräxlmaier Group entered into a research partnership with the Technical University of Munich in Garching. There, the company's developers work together with TUM professors on topics related to the automotive industry. The automotive supplier built its first highly automated battery production facility in Sachsenheim near Stuttgart.

As an automotive supplier, the Dräxlmaier Group manufactures wiring systems, central electrical and electronic components, interiors,

and low- and high-voltage storage systems for electromobility.

Interior systems: The Dräxlmaier Group manufactures instrument panels, center consoles and door panels for automobiles. It also produces door and cockpit modules that are adapted to the special equipment of the respective vehicle through system integration. In addition, the company manufactures RGB ambient lighting for vehicle interiors.

Vehicle electrical systems: The product range includes all elements of the electrical system. The company is considered the inventor of the customer-specific wiring harness.