Hectronic HISTORY

It all began with Kienzle, the mother, shall we say, of today's company more than seven decades ago. The name "Kienzle" first appeared in the Register of Companies in 1928 after Dr. Herbert Kienzle founded "Kienzle Apparate" in Villingen, Switzerland. This company originated from 'Kienzle Uhren', established in the neighbouring town of Schwenningen by his father Dr. Jakob Kienzle. The earliest production was of travel fare indicators for Droschgen - referred to as taximeters and tachographs, which is when the company began to flourish. Full order books thanks to outstanding products and an excellent location infrastructure have bound Kienzle and Villingen together for almost seven decades.

In the early years, Kienzle further refined its measuring technology and assumed a leading position in the manufacture of technological equipment. Milestones include the volume meter for tankers (1930) and the Holland coin counter with arithmetic unit (1938) for calculating prices.

During the war, production at Kienzle, like so many other companies, was extensively converted to war materials. At the end of 1944, Herbert Kienzle was instructed by the War Ministry and Air Force to shift important production departments to the Allgäu. The new location was established at Isny in March 1945. Moving the technical office of Kienzle Apparate from Villingen gave rise to the emergence of Kienzle Feinbau KG in Isny. The first part of the journey from Villingen to the Allgäu was made in two freight wagons and then onwards to the new site by horse-drawn carriage.

May '45 was a completely new starting point for Kienzle in Isny. Without machines, which had been dismantled by the French occupation as reparations, without financial means or business contacts, the workers stood alongside their boss Werner Rixmann with nothing left.

But their entrepreneurial, pioneering spirit paid off. Small orders gradually started to come in. Karl Vögtlin, manager of the Design and Transport Department recalls. "Working conditions were in keeping with the time. We couldn't obtain spare parts, so we had to manufacture them ourselves. There was no fuel, so the entire team that including the boss, had to chop wood and cut peat. We even planted vegetables in a garden for the works kitchen."

The orders grew in size and the original plant in Villingen flourished. Despite establishing a number of partnerships, the demand for tractor power lifts could no longer be met. The patents and the entire division were sold to Teves, a business based in Frankfurt.

The product range was consistently expanded. Kienzle blossomed into a forerunner in the petrol station sector. The first standard production of litre counters combined with price calculator started right back in 1950. The company was turning out to be a real hive of new ideas. This innovative momentum inevitably resulted in an expansion of the sector.

The car started its triumphant march in post-war Germany, and was slowly but surely set for mass-production. Especially in the urban centres, the growing number of motorised vehicles caused bottlenecks on and around the roads. The organisation of the scarce parking areas gained importance. A new market had developed and Kienzle was ready and waiting. 1955 and all go. Kienzle started to produce parking meters under licence. The company makes a dramatic turnround. Economic miracle in Germany. Economic miracle at Kienzle. There are no better terms to describe the 50's than these. Ten years after the war is lost, everything seems possible. And there's only one way to go - upwards.

People talked about two kinds of miracle in this era. 1954 saw the "Miracle of Berne" when Sepp Herbergers' young team (albeit only just) defeated the unbeatable Hungarians in the city's Wankdorf Stadium to become football world champions. Another miraculous moment, which perhaps moved Germans even more, occurred in 1955 when the last German soldier returned to his homeland from Russian captivity. Kienzle moved from Isny to Bonndorf and during the course of the year successfully developed, manufactured and distributed its products all over the world. A textbook career in post-war Germany.

While one of the company's mainstays in the mid-sixties was firmly anchored in the world of finance, other markets began to emerge. In 1964, H. Ernst and Cie. Aarwangen established Hectronic AG in Brugg, Switzerland. These founders too enjoyed rapid success when its refuelling system caused a furore on the market. Hectronic was established.

Hectronic attaches great importance to technological progress. As early as 1966, Hectronic was building electro-optical limit sensors for heating oil and petrol tanks in combination with tank and tanker controls. This heralded an impressive success story that continues today. On the back of equipping more than 2,000 tankers and 300,000 storage tanks with refuelling safety devices, Hectronic assumed an undisputed leading position in Switzerland.

In the mid-seventies, the field of electronics became more prominent at Kienzle too. The electronic telecounter and electronic price calculator are two of the forerunner products. 1981 saw a change of ownership. Kienzle Apparate took over Kienzle Feinbau KG and at the same time, Mannesmann AG acquired shares in Kienzle Apparate.

Hectronic's quality and technical orientation were not only renowned in Switzerland. There was a demand for made by Hectronic products in other countries too, which was to a large degree been generated by the development of OPTILEVEL. This filling level measuring system essentially heralded the European breakthrough. The range of applications for Hectronic products continued to grow.

While HECTRONIC was consolidating its position, Mannesmann-Kienzle fell prey to turbulent times. The economic slump didn't spare this long-established company. A change of ownership halted the downward spiral. Although on different courses, the two companies were to cross paths. 1996 and ready to go. At the start of the year, Hectronic AG in Brugg took over the "refuelling" and "parking" divisions from VDO Kienzle, formerly Mannemann-Kienzle. At the same time, HECTRONIC GmbH was founded in Bonndorf. Ernst Forster was appointed Managing Director of the whole company, which in the years that followed continued to enhance its position within the industry.

Sealed with a handshake. Ernst Forster hands the Hectronic reins to his son Stefan.

HECTRONIC keeps its successful hold on the market. In terms of quality and innovation, its equipment occupies a top position!

In the parking sector, Hectronic ranks among the market leaders with its auto ticket terminals. Product quality is highly regarded worldwide, as evidenced by the Company's export successes to countries such as Italy, Belgium, Austria and Portugal. New markets in Columbia, Brazil and Australia show that the strategy works.

(More information on parking machines are to be found here (in german) Museum ).

Hectronic also boasts a wide and complete product range in the fuelling sector. This includes several variants of the auto fuel terminal for public as well as company fuelling stations, forecourt control concepts, pulse generators, electronic price calculators, modern PC-based petrol station management system (check-out desk, backoffice and control) and also tanker management systems. The range is consistently expanded by control systems for tank farms, tankers, electro-optical and capacitive filling level and limit sensors.

At the end of 2005, company boss Ernst Forster, who remains actively involved with the company as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Hectronic AG, passed the management reins to his son Stefan. Stefan Forster had been managing the Swiss unit in Brugg for the previous eight years.

Today, the name HECTRONIC KIENZLE is synonymous with decades of quality work, innovative strength and reliability.

In January 2006, Hectronic celebrated its 10-year anniversary with an evening of festivities at its Bonndorf site.

The first Hectronic unit in India (Bangalore) opened one year later. This was followed in quick succession by others in Mumbai, Chennai and finally Dehli. In the meantime the production area at the company’s main site in Bonndorf was increased by 650 sq m to a total of nearly 7,000 sq m. A necessary step for pleasing reasons. Record turnover and excellent forecasts, in particular a major order from India, made an increase in Hectronic’s production capacity essential.

EDV-SOS and Hectronic

The companies Hectronic and EDV-SOS are going to join forces in future. For this purpose, Hectronic takes over the majority of shares in the Austrian specialist company for checkout systems and autofuel terminals. EDV-SOS, however, will retain its company seat in Linz and continue to do business as usual. But from now on under strategic guidance from Hectronic.

EDV-SOS is based in Linz and employs twelve members of staff. A modern checkout system as well as adaptable autofuel systems are the main products of the company managed by Managing Director Franz Lettner. Additionally, the company also offers various services including a 24 hour hotline and software updates. EDV-SOS concentrates on the German speaking territories with a focus on Austria.