GEDORE History

100 Years of Tool Competence

Under the motto "From tradition into the future", Remscheid-based tool manufacturer GEDORE celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2019 and looks back on an eventful and successful company history.

Since its foundation in 1919, the family-owned company has been dedicated to the production of high-quality tools, special tools and customised solutions for safe and professional use in industry and trade. With over 16,000 products, GEDORE today offers one of the widest ranges of any European tool manufacturer and is one of the world's leading suppliers in the premium sector.

Today, the company is a globally active group of companies with more than 2,000 employees in over 70 countries. Despite this enormous growth, the tool manufacturer is still family-owned: since 2000, Karen Dowidat, granddaughter of the company founder Otto Dowidat, has been managing partner.

With her son Christian Dowidat, who was appointed to the Management Board of GEDORE Holding GmbH by shareholders' resolution with effect from 12.02.2019, the Dowidat family is consistently pursuing the path of generational change.

Dr Christian Dowidat is gradually preparing to take over overall responsibility. He is responsible for the business area innovations "(B)usiness (I)nnovation (G)EDORE - BIG" and continues the long tradition of the company.

Highlightsof the GEDORE History

From a forge to a global company

The GEDORE success story began on 15.12.1919. In the tool town of Remscheid, the brothers Karl, Otto and Willi Dowidat set up a small forge with virtually no capital and manufactured adjustable spanners and other hand tools. They name their company GEDORE, an acronym of GEbrüder DOwidat REmscheid.

Move to Remscheid-Lüttringhausen

The high-quality hand tools soon find customers in the rapidly growing craft and industrial businesses, as well as in the early automotive industry. After only a short time the original forge becomes too small and so in 1926 the company moves to the Stursberger Höhe in Remscheid- Lüttringhausen - still the headquarters of the company today.

Expansion abroad

GEDORE grew dynamically in the 1960s. In order to keep up with the increasing demand, Otto Dowidat decided on a strategy that was almost revolutionary for his time and the industry, and expanded abroad. New production sites are established in Brazil, England, Austria and South Africa. During this period, GEDORE also pushed ahead with the development of innovations such as the DREMOMETER aluminium torque spanner. This competence is further expanded in 1980 with the first electronic torque spanner.

In family hands for generations

Today, the company is a globally active group of companies with more than 2,300 employees in over 70 countries. Despite this enormous growth, the tool manufacturer has remained in family hands: since 2000, Karen Dowidat, granddaughter of the company's founder Otto Dowidat, has been managing partner. With her son Christian Dowidat, who was appointed to the Management Board of GEDORE Holding GmbH by shareholder resolution with effect from 12.02.2019, the Dowidat family is consistently pursuing the path of generational change. Dr Christian Dowidat has now been with the company for five years and is gradually preparing to take over overall responsibility.

One strong brand - two lines

In order to provide each customer with a suitable and individual solution to their problem, GEDORE combines the competences of the entire group of companies. GEDORE has been operating on the market with two brands, the GEDORE brand and the OCHSENKOPF brand, since April 2018. The GEDORE brand is divided into two lines: GEDORE and GEDORE red.