Friwo Gerätebau GmbH

Friwo Gerätebau GmbH is a German company headquartered in Ostbevern, Germany that traces his establishment to 1884.[1][2] Since the development of the first power supply unit in 1971,[3] the company manufactures battery chargers, battery packs, power supplies and LED drivers. The company also provides electronic design and manufacturing services (E²MS) in Europe.

FRIWO Gerätebau GmbH
GmbH
IndustryElectronics
Founded1971
HeadquartersOstbevern,
Germany
Key people
Rolf Schwirz
Products
OwnerFRIWO AG
Websitewww.friwo.com

Business

The Friwo equipment manufacturing GmbH, a subsidiary of the General Standard listed Friwo AG, develops, manufactures and sells drivers, power supplies and chargers under the brand name Friwo LED. Other products include LED lighting technology, electric mobility, power tools, consumer equipment, medical devices, and industrial automation machinery. The principal shareholder of Friwo AG is a subsidiary of VTC Industry Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Munich.[4]

History

In 1884, Carl Wolf founded the company Friemann & Wolf in the West Saxon town of Zwickau to take advantage of his 1881 patent for the gasoline safety miner's lamp (Wolf lamp) for the coal industry.[1] It started electric battery production in 1903.[1] During World War II it was a leading electric battery supplier for the Wehrmacht, and after the war it was confiscated by the Allies.[1]

The company split into two entities during the subsequent Cold War.

East Germany: Zwickau

Zwickau was located in the Soviet occupation zone. In 1945 Friemann & Wolf was reformed as Zwickau Sowjetische Staatliche AG (SAG Kabel), and then around 1950 as VEB Grubenlampenwerk Zwickau (GLZ), and focused on battery production. By the mid-1960s, the company was the largest producer of starter batteries in the Eastern Bloc. In 1984 the company became Grubenlampen- und Akkumulatorenwerke Zwickau (GAZ). In 1991, it was taken over by VARTA.[1]

West Germany: Duisburg

In 1947, Friemann & Wolf establishes West German headquarters in Duisburg, separate from the Zwickau operation. They again begin production of safety lamps.[2]

In 1981, the company reached total sales since inception of 20 million plug-in power supplies and battery chargers with a market share of 60 percent.[5]

In 1983, the company was purchased by CEAG. In 1990, Friwo continued expanding overseas by establishing Friwo North America in the United States and Friwo Far East Ltd. with manufacturing facilities in Shenzhen, China. In 2001, it opened offices in Tokyo, Japan and São Paulo, Brazil.

Annual sales increased from around 48 million DM in 1986 to 100 million DM in 1992. In 1993, Friwo introduced the first charger for its NiMH line of batteries.[6]

In 2002, Friwo equipment manufacturing GmbH was divided into two divisions: Friwo Mobile Power (FMP) and Friwo Power Solutions (FPS). The Friwo Mobile Power division was sold in 2008, then the company acquired Cardea Holding GmbH, a subsidiary of VTC Industry Holding GmbH.[7]

Standards and guidelines
  • DIN EN ISO 9001
  • DIN EN ISO 14001
  • DIN DIN EN ISO 13485
  • ISO / TS 16949[8]

References
  1. "History of the manufacturer Friemann & Wolf, Zwickau (FRIWO)" (in German). Radiomuseum.org. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  2. "FRIWO company history". FRIWO. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  3. Friemann & Wolf, Zwickau (FRIWO). "Friemann & Wolf, Zwickau manufacturer in D, Model types from". Radiomuseum.org. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  4. "Der fast schon unheimliche Kursanstieg der Friwo-Aktie". Boersengefluester.de. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  5. "Weltmarktfhrer: "Die grten Globalisierungsgewinner" - manager magazin". manager magazin. 13 November 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  6. Hidden Champions des 21. Jahrhunderts. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  7. "CEAG verkauft Geschäftseinheit Friwo Mobile Power". Finance-magazin.de. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  8. "About Friwo GmbH". LED Drivers & Power Supplies. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
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