How it started
History
The KRAH Group traces its origins to the foundation of M. KRAH Elektrotechnische Fabrik GmbH & Co. KG, established through a management buy-out by Theodor Hermann and Rainer Fiala. The company began with the production of wire-wound resistors for industrial applications, employing 20 people and generating a turnover of 600,000 DM in its early years.
In 1976, Eckhard Hermann joined as a managing partner, marking the beginning of a period of expansion. The company soon extended its operations to Italy, broadening its sales activities across Europe.
By 1980, KRAH entered the automotive sector, successfully completing its first development project for the Volkswagen Golf A1, followed by significant collaborations with Bosch for Holden Motors and the Golf A2. This diversification led to rapid growth in turnover.
The group continued its expansion in 1983 with the founding of Widap AG in Switzerland for the production and trade of resistors and resistor assemblies. That same year, KRAH acquired the wire resistor production of RWI (Rheinisch-Westfälische Isolatorenwerke) in Siegburg, leading to the foundation of RWI-Bauelemente GmbH + Co. KG, which later became KRAH-RWI Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH in Drolshagen. These developments laid the foundation for the modern KRAH Group.
The 1990s saw further growth, with approximately 250 employees and 1,000 home workers in Drolshagen, and the introduction of automated production lines. The company also founded WITEC Widerstandstechnik GmbH & Co. KG in Dömitz, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, expanding its resistor production capabilities.
From Wikipedia’s article on Krah, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2