Company History
History of the Company Lechler GmbH
1879 - Formation of the Lechler company by Paul Lechler on June 16 as a trading house for technical products. The sales program contains machine oils, asbestos products and wood preservatives.
1888 - Sealing rings and gaskets based on copper asbestos for steam engines and locomotives are added to the program.
1893 - Lechler acquires a patent for spray nozzles and later includes this product into its product line.
1901 - Paul Lechler receives the exclusive sales rights for Inertol which is a protective coating.
1915-1919 - Lechler starts its own production at the following locations: Stuttgart-Berg, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt and Stuttgart-Stammheim.
1933 - Relocation of the nozzle production to Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt into a building extension of the gasket plant.
1950 - From 1950 on Lechler intensifies the development and the sale of nozzles for dust cleaning applications in mining, for roll cooling and descaling in the steel industry.
1958 - Relocation of the factory from Bad Cannstatt to a recently acquired building located in Stuttgart-Feuerbach.
1961 - The different product lines of Paul Lechler are separated into independent companies.
• Chemical products: Lechler Bautenschutz Chemie KG, today
Sika Chemie which is part of the Sika Group.
• Gaskets: Lechler Dichtungswerke KG, today
ElringKlinger AG.
• Spraying technology: Lechler Apparatebau KG, today
Lechler GmbH.
1962 - Opening of a sales office in Gelsenkirchen, later on also in Hamburg and Mannheim.
1967 - Acquisition and extension of the plant of the former textile factory Joh. Braun in Metzingen and relocation of the production from Feuerbach.
1972 - Acquisition of Kershaw, Hughes & Partners Ltd. in Sheffield/England, today’s Lechler Ltd.
1973 - All Lechler companies are moving their sales and administrative activities in the recently built Lechler-House in Fellbach.
1975 - Lechler acquires 25 % interest in Spray Engineering Co. in Burlington, Mass./USA.
1977 - Purchase of Vollet in Paris, today's Lechler France S.A.
1978/1979 - Move of Spray Engineering to Nashua, N.H./USA, take-over of the remaining shares by Lechler. The name is changed to Spraco Inc.
1983 - Lechler first acquires 80 % of Beil Klimatechnik GmbH + Co KG in Radolfzell, a manufacturer of air washers. In 1985, Beil becomes a 100 % subsidiary.
1986 - Relocation of Spraco Inc. to St. Charles, Ill. At the same time its name is changed to Lechler Inc.
1988 - Increase of the sales program by adding pollution control and desulphurate technology. Later on droplet separator profiles and complete separator systems are included which are manufactured in Nideggen from 1991 onwards.
1992 - Formation of Lechler AB in Sweden.
1993 - Start of Lechler India (Pvt.) Ltd. in Thane, near Bombay, a 100 % affiliate, to serve the Indian market. Also formation of Lechler Kft. in Kecskemét/Hungary, as a production extension for the production department in Metzingen.
1995 - In the course of 1995 the sales and administrative departments move into a newly built office building in Metzingen. For the first time in the company's history all functions are united in one location.
1996 - Acquisition of R.E.I. SA in Wavre/Belgium, the former sales representation, as distribution company.
1998 - Liquidation of Beil Klimatechnik GmbH + Co KG.
1999 - Foundation of Lechler S.A in San Sebastian de los Reyes, Madrid Spain
2000 - Inauguration of new AKL
2001 - Change of name from R.E.I. S.A., Belgium, to Lechler S.A. N.V.
2002 - Change of Name from Lechler GmbH + Co KG to Lechler GmbH
2003 - Foundation of Lechler Oy Finland in Tuusula
2004 - Foundation of Lechler (Tianjin) International Trading Co., Ltd. in Beijing
Today, the Lechler group of companies achieves a total turnover of over € 60
Mio. with nearly 500 employees world-wide. It owns 10 foreign subsidiaries, 4 of
them have their own production facilities. - The global activities are regrouped
under the roof of Lechler International GmbH.
1879 - Formation of the Lechler company by Paul Lechler on June 16 as a trading house for technical products. The sales program contains machine oils, asbestos products and wood preservatives.
1888 - Sealing rings and gaskets based on copper asbestos for steam engines and locomotives are added to the program.
1893 - Lechler acquires a patent for spray nozzles and later includes this product into its product line.
1901 - Paul Lechler receives the exclusive sales rights for Inertol which is a protective coating.
1915-1919 - Lechler starts its own production at the following locations: Stuttgart-Berg, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt and Stuttgart-Stammheim.
1933 - Relocation of the nozzle production to Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt into a building extension of the gasket plant.
1950 - From 1950 on Lechler intensifies the development and the sale of nozzles for dust cleaning applications in mining, for roll cooling and descaling in the steel industry.
1958 - Relocation of the factory from Bad Cannstatt to a recently acquired building located in Stuttgart-Feuerbach.
1961 - The different product lines of Paul Lechler are separated into independent companies.
• Chemical products: Lechler Bautenschutz Chemie KG, today
Sika Chemie which is part of the Sika Group.
• Gaskets: Lechler Dichtungswerke KG, today
ElringKlinger AG.
• Spraying technology: Lechler Apparatebau KG, today
Lechler GmbH.
1962 - Opening of a sales office in Gelsenkirchen, later on also in Hamburg and Mannheim.
1967 - Acquisition and extension of the plant of the former textile factory Joh. Braun in Metzingen and relocation of the production from Feuerbach.
1972 - Acquisition of Kershaw, Hughes & Partners Ltd. in Sheffield/England, today’s Lechler Ltd.
1973 - All Lechler companies are moving their sales and administrative activities in the recently built Lechler-House in Fellbach.
1975 - Lechler acquires 25 % interest in Spray Engineering Co. in Burlington, Mass./USA.
1977 - Purchase of Vollet in Paris, today's Lechler France S.A.
1978/1979 - Move of Spray Engineering to Nashua, N.H./USA, take-over of the remaining shares by Lechler. The name is changed to Spraco Inc.
1983 - Lechler first acquires 80 % of Beil Klimatechnik GmbH + Co KG in Radolfzell, a manufacturer of air washers. In 1985, Beil becomes a 100 % subsidiary.
1986 - Relocation of Spraco Inc. to St. Charles, Ill. At the same time its name is changed to Lechler Inc.
1988 - Increase of the sales program by adding pollution control and desulphurate technology. Later on droplet separator profiles and complete separator systems are included which are manufactured in Nideggen from 1991 onwards.
1992 - Formation of Lechler AB in Sweden.
1993 - Start of Lechler India (Pvt.) Ltd. in Thane, near Bombay, a 100 % affiliate, to serve the Indian market. Also formation of Lechler Kft. in Kecskemét/Hungary, as a production extension for the production department in Metzingen.
1995 - In the course of 1995 the sales and administrative departments move into a newly built office building in Metzingen. For the first time in the company's history all functions are united in one location.
1996 - Acquisition of R.E.I. SA in Wavre/Belgium, the former sales representation, as distribution company.
1998 - Liquidation of Beil Klimatechnik GmbH + Co KG.
1999 - Foundation of Lechler S.A in San Sebastian de los Reyes, Madrid Spain
2000 - Inauguration of new AKL
2001 - Change of name from R.E.I. S.A., Belgium, to Lechler S.A. N.V.
2002 - Change of Name from Lechler GmbH + Co KG to Lechler GmbH
2003 - Foundation of Lechler Oy Finland in Tuusula
2004 - Foundation of Lechler (Tianjin) International Trading Co., Ltd. in Beijing
Today, the Lechler group of companies achieves a total turnover of over € 60
Mio. with nearly 500 employees world-wide. It owns 10 foreign subsidiaries, 4 of
them have their own production facilities. - The global activities are regrouped
under the roof of Lechler International GmbH.