History
HUEHOCO GROUP
HistoryJoin us on a short time travel through the history of the HUEHOCO GROUP. It all began in 1893 with the founding of a cold strip and panel coating plant in Wuppertal. Today, 130 years later, HUEHOCO GROUP is a global player in the finishing of metal products. And in between there are plenty of interesting events, further developments and innovations.
But what hasn’t changed in all that time is the mission with which we approach our work: As a family-run industrial company, we see ourselves as a partner to our customers. We confirm our responsibility for their success with our unconditional will to solve even complex problems.
Our history
1893
Foundation of the company C.Wiegand OHG – Kaltband- und Tafellackiererei (Eckstein, Wuppertal).
(Image: sample boards)
1910
First coil coating line in Germany for coating cold-rolled strip. Drying in the passage of a tunnel kiln heated with coal.
1927
Foundation of Hüsecken, Holzrichter & Co., takeover of C.Wiegand and establishment of a cold rolling mill (Mählersbeck, Wuppertal) for the mass business “sheet metal emballages”.
(Image: Mählersbeck)
1955
Construction of a modern, gas-fired circulating air coating plant.
1956
Death of the founding partner Heinz Becker.
(Image: Heinrich Becker senior)
1957
Entry of the Jordan family with 50 % and takeover of the management by Dr. Wolfgang Jordan. Substantial investments follow in the cold rolling mill: contour spiral pickling line, 3-high tandem mill stand, skin pass mill, material testing laboratory, roll grinding shop, annealing shop.
(Image: Spiral pickling)
1964
Construction of another coating line.
1964
Heinz Becker’s son, Heinrich Becker, joins the company and becomes a member of the management board on January 1, 1965.
The decision is made to move away from the mass business towards high-quality coatings for the production of roll-formed profiles and deep-drawn parts.
(Image: Heinrich Becker)
1966
First coatings on aluminum strip for the construction sector (roller shutter profiles, ceiling profiles).
1968
HUEHOCO becomes the first European manufacturer of adhesively coated tapes for metal bonding with PVC for co-extrusion.
Start of the first own coating development.
1971
First European manufacturer of adhesively coated tapes for metal bonding with rubber.
1972
Relocation of the painting facilities from Mählersbeck and Eckstein to Möddinghofe, Wuppertal – the present headquarters.
(Image: Möddinghofe 31)
1973
Continued strong expansion of capacities while moving away from the construction sector towards the automotive sector with adhesively coated belts for metal-reinforced rubber or plastic profiles of any kind.
(Image: Plastic profiles)
1988
Death of the Managing Director Dr. Wolfgang Jordan. J. Jordan joins the management team.
Development of the first usable adhesion promoter for a strong bond between metal and polypropylene.
(Image: Wolfgang Jordan)
1989
World’s first supplier of “endless” wound belts on own winding racks with up to 100,000 running meters.
(Image: coil comparison)
1991
Sale of the world’s first die-cutting part coated with adhesive using the coil coating process.
(Image: Punched part)
1991
Takeover of a cold rolling mill and paint shop in Bad Salzungen, Thuringia. Foundation of HFP Bandstahl GmbH.
(Image: Office building)
1992
Death of the managing director J. Jordan. Sole management by Mr. Heinrich Becker.
(Image: Jörn Jordan)
1992
Renovation, modernization and expansion of rolling mill and coating facilities in Bad Salzungen.
(Image: HFP)
1994
Sale of the world’s first adhesive-coated slotted sleeve for the use of vibration damping elements on vehicles.
(Image: Punched part)
1995
Further expansion of production of rubber and FPM coatings on metal strip for gaskets in automotive cylinder heads as well as for secondary seals in air-conditioning pumps and water pumps on vehicles.
(Image: Cylinder head)
1999
Development and application of a highly heat-resistant paint system for beam shields in automotive headlamps.
(Image: Ray Shutter)
2001
Acquisition of a metal coil coater in the USA – First American Resources Corporation, Atlanta.
(Image: First American Resources)
2001
Mr. André Bovenkamp and Mr. C. Koslowski into the management of HUEHOCO.
2002
Acquisition of the ACP (Advanced Carrier Products) group of companies – scaffolding tapes for reinforcing sealing profiles on vehicles – with locations in Canada, England and France. In addition, another ACP production facility is being set up at the Bad Salzungen site in Thuringia and in Sherbrooke, Canada.
Foundation of the first cross-group holding company under the name “Jordan Becker Familienholding”.
(Image: scaffolding tape)
2004
Construction of a new paint shop at the Bad Salzungen site in Thuringia.
2005
At the age of 65, Heinrich Becker is retiring from the operational management of the company and will continue to support the company in an advisory capacity with his 40 years of experience.
(Image: Heinrich Becker)
2006
A next consistent step is taken with the foundation of the own company for technical, individualized system solutions in surface coating. The “SIC – Solutions in Coatings”, which finds a home in the old location from 1927 – Mählersbeck.
(Image: Exterior view SIC)
2008
Foundation and development of the Brazilian location “HUEHOCO do Brasil”. Simultaneous takeover of the slitter and die-cutting strip production of “Stirofita”, Sao Paoulo, Brazil. The first plant in the Group with a coil coating line and slitting and die-cutting lines under one roof is built in Nova Odessa, Brazil.
(Image: Team HUEHOCO do Brasil)
2008
ACP is expanding its sites in a joint venture with a Chinese partner to include another in Wuxi, near Shanghai, China.
(Image: ACP China)
2010
Establishment of a further ACP site in Mexico.
Acquisition of the majority of shares by the Becker family as of December 31, 2010. Mr. André Bovenkamp becomes managing partner.
2010
Takeover of a stamping company in Bad Salzungen, Thuringia – “SIV – Schwinning Industrie Vertretungen”. This integrates the contract stamping business, which had been outside the group since 1991, into the HUEHOCO value chain.
(Image: Exterior view SIV)
2011
ACP USA founded and facilities set up at First American’s site in Atlanta, USA.
Mrs. Iris Bovenkamp, daughter of Mr. Heinrich Becker, joins the management.
2013
Founding of Batchwerk – a start-up company for the production of masterbatches in the plastics sector in Frankfurt.
Opening of the roof panel site in St. Louis, USA
(Image: Batchwerk)
2015
Relocation of ACP USA to Alabama, USA.
2015
Foundation and development of “HUEHOCO China” with a Chinese joint venture partner (worldwide leading manufacturer of brake pads). A new coil coating line will be built at the Dongying site in China (near Beijing).
(Pictures: HUEHOCO China)
2016
Acquisition of the toolmaker Hackbarth for the production of ACP’s tools. Establishment of the company’s own tool shop at the subsidiary in France. From there, the sites worldwide are now supplied with tools from the company’s own production.
2017
Award of a grant by the Ministry of the Environment for the construction of the world’s first rubber extrusion direct coating line with subsequent inline vulcanization in Wuppertal, Germany.
(Image: KFW Promotion)
2018
Relocation of the Brazil site to its own new hall with an expanded coating line.
Renaming of the holding company to “HUEHOCO GROUP Holding GmbH & Co KG”.
(Image: HUEHOCO ACP do Brasil)
2018
Groundbreaking ceremony for the new coating plant, Hölker Feld – next to the main plant in Wuppertal, Germany.
2019
Sale of a major part of the shares in Batchwerk GmbH to a strategic partner for the purpose of promoting the company’s market development.
2021
Foundation of the HUEHOCO INDIA GROUP. This is another step towards providing the best possible support for our customers, especially in the Indian region.
2021
Foundation of SI Coatings China with our Chinese joint venture partner Shenzen Borlin. Now technical support for coating materials and adhesion promoters with laboratory support can be offered throughout the Asian region.
(Image: SI Coatings China)
