History of Elektror

1924 The Elektror–Motoren–Handelsgesellschaft is founded by Karl W. Müller in Esslingen am Neckar. The first investment is the purchase of a typewriter for the one-man operation. The business is difficult and the available funds are depleted due to rampant inflation.

1925 Despite inflation, Karl W. Müller dares to build his own first motor manufacture facility. The company Likra Motoren– und Apparatebau is acquired, leading to Elektror's own motor production facility in the face of a dawning global economic crisis. Elektror overcomes the crisis.

1935 After the years of the global economic crisis, which the young operation overcomes thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and prudence of its founder, additional premises are acquired in Ottilienstraße 12 (now known as Richard-Hirschmann-Straße) in Esslingen. The focus is on the manufacture of single electrical motors. The first extraction and ventilation blowers that would later lead to the present-day radial ventilators and side channel blowers are developed in parallel. This is what laid the foundation for today's Elektror.

1942 A part of the production facilities is relocated from Esslingen to an abandoned cigar factory in Waghäusel (Kirrlach district) in Baden. As it is close to the motorway, it is easily accessible to traffic. During the war, there is great demand for Elektror's air-raid sirens and bunker ventilator systems, renowned for their reliability.

1945 The company contributes its motor construction expertise during the post-war reconstruction by facilitating the repair of motors using debris and scrap metal. After the currency reform, the robust squirrel-cage motors form the basis for a revival of the company.

1948/49 The company founds its own aluminium sand foundry in Mühlacker. This helps to make Elektror independent of the material acquisition process, which continues to be difficult.

1949 The company also achieves success in the air technology sector. A new series of radial ventilators made of cast aluminium alloy is developed. This represents significant progress from the heavy cast iron ventilators.

1954 A new, generous plant is built at the Kirrlach site (Waghäusel) due to lack of space. This is the first metal-processing operation in town. During this time, Elektror's ventilators receive awards at the permanent displays of the Hannover Trade Fair.

1956 Elektror adds a factory building and an administration building at the Kirrlach site. During this expansion, modern inspection procedures and test facilities are integrated, making the transition to mass production possible for Elektror.

1959 Karl W. Müller, the founder of the company, dies unexpectedly on July 6. His wife, Mrs Margarete Müller-Bull, takes over the company group. Under her leadership, Elektror develops into an international leader in ventilation technology.

1962 The increase in production output makes it necessary to enlarge the company once again. Acquisition of the adjacent site with production space in Esslingen. The main building in Esslingen is renovated and doubled in size until 1966.

1969 The 500,000th Elektror device is completed at the Kirrlach site on December 4. Elektror begins with the development and production of side channel blowers.

1970 The aluminium alloy foundry in Mühlacker is converted and an additional factory building with a modern sand-processing facility is built.

1973 The anniversary year: Elektror with its head office in Esslingen celebrates its 50th anniversary and can look back on a number of successes: around 300 employees now work here. The foundry has an output of approx. 40 tons of cast aluminium per month. A total of more than 2 million units have been manufactured by the Elektror plants.

1974/75 The company's first own die-casting foundry is built on the premises of the existing Waghäusel plant in Kirrlach, as is an additional factory building with 760 square meters floorspace. Elektror's sirens receive awards at the presentations at the Hannover Trade Fair.

1979 In the years that follow, the range of ventilators is expanded: The RD medium-pressure series is created, followed three years later by the series of HRD high-pressure ventilators. Conveying fans are developed a year later.

1984 In the following years, more building and facilities are added at the sites in Waghäusel and Esslingen.

1992 50th anniversary of the Waghäusel site. More than 1.3 million devices have been manufactured in Waghäusel at this time.

1995 The product range of side channel condensers is expanded with a series with open impellers.

1996 The Elektror quality management system is certified in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001 for the first time. The first CAD workstations are installed, starting an era of digital development.

1999 In France, the former licensed dealer becomes Elektror's own national representative. The following year, the same principle is applied in Switzerland.

2002 Mrs Margarete Müller-Bull dies on March 17. After her death, her shares of the business are donated to the Margarete Müller-Bull-Stiftung (Margarete Müller-Bull Foundation).

2003 The new production centre in Waghäusel is built, and the entire production is relocated to this site. This makes it possible to implement the “Batch size 1” project, i.e. the economic production of small batches, literally down to a “batch size of 1”.

2006 On June 18, “Elektror Karl W. Müller GmbH & Co. KG” is renamed “Elektror airsystems gmbh”.

2008 A distribution company was founded in Austria, while a distribution company and a production company commence operation in Poland. This is where the new, high-volume, radial and axial steel industrial ventilators are built. In August, the entire Elektror headquarters, complete with development, management and test labs is relocated from Esslingen to the newly built headquarters in Ostfildern.

2009 Another distribution company is added: Elektror airsystems bv in the Netherlands.

2012 The production site in Poland is relocated from Zabrze to Chorzów. During the relocation, the production area is quadrupled to 3,200 square meters.

2013 Elektror celebrates its 90th anniversary. In addition, the first non-European sales company has been founded in China.

2014 The size of the production site in Waghäusel has been expanded to 10,200 square meters. Furthermore, a new sales office has been opened for the UK and Ireland, led by our contact partner Nigel Grainger.

2016 Two other sales companies have been founded in France (Elektror airsystems SARL) as well as Switzerland (Elektror airsystems AG).

2019 Elektror takes over Promet Metallbearbeitungs GmbH from the Swabian town of Plüderhausen as Elektror metalsystems gmbh.

2023 Elektror opens a production plant in China with Elektror airsystems (Changzhou) Co. Ltd.