ZF Sachs

From Wikicompany

ZF Sachs Fahrzeug- und Motorentechnik GmbH is a German manufacturer of motorcycles, mopeds, power-assited bicycles and ATVs.

In 2003, ZF Sachs had 16,511 employees in 19 countries, and a sales volume of about 2,1 million €.

History

• 1895 - the Schweinfurter Präcisions-Kugellagerwerke Fichtel & Sachs oHG was founded in Schweinfurt by the inventor Ernst Sachs and the investor Karl Fichtel. At the beginning it produced ball bearings and bicycle hub.

• 1911 - the year Fichtel died - the company had approximately 7,000 employees.

• 1923 - the oHG was changed to a stock corporation, the ball bearing division was sold to the Swedish concern SKF with the condition that the production had to stay forever in Schweinfurt.

• 1929 F&S starts production of components for cars, mainly couplings and shock absorbers.

• From 1929 until 1996 F&S also produced motors, first for bicycles, later also for motorbikes and even for very small cars, e.g. Messerschmitt Kabinenroller.

• Ernst Sachs died in 1932, in 1936 his son Willy Sachs donatad the sport arena Willy-Sachs-Stadion to Schweinfurt. This present is still contentious because of Willy Sachs's membership of Nazi party.

• 1987 - the German Mannesmann AG got the majority of F&S stocks.

• 1997 - F&S was renamed to Mannesmann Sachs AG.

• 2001 -
  • Sachs was sold to ZF Friedrichshafen AG and renamed to ZF Sachs AG.
  • The bycicle division was sold to the US based company SRAM, so the Sachs group of ZF now concentrates on the production of car components for drive and chassis.

Wikipedia article about ZF Sachs (search). This article uses material from that article.

ZF Sachs ZF Friedrichshafen Bicycle manufacturing Motorcycle manufacturing ATV manufacturing Nürnberg Germany World 10.000-50.000 employees 1885