On December 1, 1894, the Bamberg master builder and master locksmith Jakob Kachelmann set up his own business and registered in the trade book of the city of Bamberg. With this he lays the foundation for a company history that continues over four generations until today.
The workshop is located on Bamberg's Jakobsberg, where Jakob Kachelmann leased the well-known castle locksmith's shop at Jakobsplatz 2 on the walls of the cathedral castle from 1896. As a building and art locksmith, he produces a wide range of grilles, fittings, brackets, door knobs and locks.
In 1906 Jakob Kachelmann opened up a new field of activity with the repair and maintenance of tower clocks. He repaired the clocks of St. Michael's Church, Bamberg City Hall, St. Martin's Church, St. Jacob's Church, St. Stephen's Church and numerous factory clocks, among others
At about the same time as specializing in tower clock construction, Jakob Kachelmann moved his company from Jakobsplatz to the ice pit. In 1909 he receives a spectacular order to repair the cathedral clock from 1562. Since then he is allowed to call himself "Domkapitelscher Turmuhrmeister".
With the move to Geyerswörthstraße in 1912, Jakob Kachelmann was able to use the constant driving force of the water in the area of the upper mills. Jakob Kachelmann establishes himself as a supplier and service provider for Bamberg's industry by manufacturing gear wheels.
In 1919 Jakob Kachelmann's eldest son Andreas joined his father's company after studying engineering and working in Munich. Since then the company has been known as "J. KACHELMANN & SOHN". With Andreas the orientation towards modern gearwheel and transmission systems is completed.
In order to utilize the capacities in the Geyerswörthstraße, the company in its Golden Twenties once again opens up a completely new business segment with the maintenance and repair of cars as well as the production of automotive spare parts.
The preserved business books show that in the early 1930s KACHELMANN not only produced regional suppliers for Bamberg companies, but also far beyond that, gearboxes and gears for customers all over Germany. The main focus is on the Ruhr area and the Munich region.
After the death of their father in 1935, Andreas Kachelmann and his 17 years younger brother Jakob, Jr. take over the management of the company. Jakob has successfully completed his training as a master mechanic in his father's company and is in charge of the commercial department.
Despite the acquisition of further production areas in Bamberg's Mühlenviertel, the space situation in the city center remains tense. Due to a lack of suitable facilities in the city, the construction of a branch plant in nearby Strullendorf begins in 1940.
During the Second World War, the company is involved in the arms industry. The production is partly outsourced to bomb-proof tunnels.
In the immediate post-war period, repair work is carried out on signal boxes for the railroad. Then it is again motor vehicle parts that ensure the company's capacity utilization before, after the currency and economic reform, gears are produced on a large scale for the reconstruction of German industry.
The 1950s are extremely successful. Work is done around the clock. The almost 400 employees manufacture KACHELMANN gearboxes not only for German companies, but for customers all over the world, from aluminium plants in Norway to cellulose factories in Brazil and New Zealand.
At the beginning of the 1960s, due to shutdowns, almost all the mills in the area of the Upper Mills were successfully acquired. However, these are mainly used to generate electricity for the hardening shop. The relocation of the entire company to Strullendorf is already clearly visible.
After successfully completing his mechanical engineering studies, Karlheinz Kachelmann, graduate engineer, joined the company on April 1, 1965. He assumes responsibility for the production area, but also takes care of the completion of the Strullendorf plant for the move in 1966.
In its 75th year of existence, KACHELMANN gearboxes are running in more than 60 countries. In particular the accomplishment of difficult special tasks has made KACHELMANN the "tailor of mechanical engineering". On the occasion of the anniversary the station square in Strullendorf is renamed "Kachelmannplatz".
Andreas Kachelmann died in August 1972, four months after his 80th birthday. The development and orientation of the company towards special gear manufacturing is largely due to his efforts. For Andreas and his brother Jakob, the well-being of the company has always been at the forefront.
Jakob Kachelmann buys an assembly hall with locksmith's workshop in Rietz, Austria, for reasons of sales strategy. This workshop is used for export to the Eastern Bloc and is set up and expanded as a production facility for transmission parts and housings for KACHELMANN Germany.
After the oil crisis of 1973, KACHELMANN experiences a massive slump in orders and economic activity. Due to the lack of a shareholders' agreement since Andreas' death, banks and the state refuse financial aid. The Strullendorf plant is sold to WEILER Getriebebau.
For 10 years, KACHELMANN's gearwheel and transmission production was run exclusively through the Austrian plant, until in October 1988 WEILER Getriebebau had to file for bankruptcy and Karlheinz Kachelmann's family succeeded in reacquiring the Strullendorf plant.
A large order for huge bottom drives for agitators enables KACHELMANN to return to the world market after the acquisition of the Strullendorf plant. Turning year 1989 and the following years bring an enormous order intake at KACHELMANN. Numerous motivated workers from the new German states are hired.
The very good order situation leads to the construction of a new hall with modern gear wheel and transmission production in Rietz/Tyrol. To expand business activities in Austria, the traditional but insolvent gearwheel and transmission manufacturer NORICUM CLESS in Graz is acquired.
In 1992 and 1993, the Strullendorf factory made large investments in machinery and built two new halls. With 35 employees in Rietz, 65 in Graz and 160 in Strullendorf, the workforce of the KACHELMANN Group totals 255 people.
After the turnaround boom, there is a serious economic slump in 1993/94 with a 60 % drop in orders. Personnel and machinery can no longer be utilized to full capacity.
Andrea von Wartenberg, née Kachelmann, founds KACHELMANN Vertriebs- und Konstruktions-GmbH, returning to the core competencies in special gear manufacturing. The Austrian KACHELMANN companies are dissolved and their activities are bundled in Strullendorf.
In 2006 KACHELMANN moves into the plant in the Siemensstraße in Strullendorf. Since 1995, administration, technical office and production are again under one roof. Alexander Kachelmann von Colberg joins his sister Andrea von Wartenberg as authorized signatory, later as managing director.
In the 120th year of its existence, KACHELMANN is the 4th generation to manufacture special gear units up to 20 t for all industrial sectors - worldwide.
