History
The Future Needs an Origin
For more than 70 years now, good quality has been a tradition at Fritz Winter. The conservation of our tradition motivates us to continuous changes in changing times. Changes mean chances – this is the basis of our success and this is what we are proud of. The milestones of the history of our company:
Our motto then and today – and we adhere to it!
The Milestones of Our Company History
Opening of our new training center
Finishing of our Technology Center Brakes
Opening of our new plant at Franklin, Kentucky (USA)
Foundation of a company in China
Start of operation of the ecoCasting-foundry
Installation of the first of three brake dynamometers
Start of operation of the biggest moulding line worldwide for cylinder castings
First fully automatic core shop for truck cylinder heads
Start of operation of the biggest horizontal moulding line worldwide with fully automatic core shop for brake discs
Development VARIFER®
Start of operation of the first fully automatic core shop worldwide for cylinder blocks
Pouring of first parts in CGI
Delivery of first castings to Asia
Pouring of first ventilated brake discs
Delivery of first products to the USA
Pouring of first cylinder blocks
Use of 100 % recycled steel scrap
Foundation of the company
About Our Company Founder Fritz Winter
In the course of history there have always been extraordinary personalities who have shaped current events by means of their life and work, recognized current problems, embodied current hopes and reflected ideals in a special way. Those who have personally known Fritz Winter will not hesitate to count him among this circle of people.
The way Fritz Winter was able to motivate and inspire people for his ideas, inside as well as outside of the company, is still today incentive and commitment at the same time to lead the company Fritz Winter to a safe future in his spirit.
The quality of the human relations, mutual respect and appreciation and with this the quality of the working atmosphere for him were the decisive precondition for the successful development of Fritz Winter Foundry.
How much the entrepreneurial blood was running in his veins and a creative vision determined his actions is shown by his lifework. At the age of 22 years only, he founded his first iron foundry in his hometown Arnstadt in Thuringia in 1932. He extended it to one of the most important foundries in the Middle German region with more than 600 employees but lost it after the end of war by means of expropriation. The abandonment of his homeland, the loss of his possessions and especially the separation from his family were a very hard stroke of fate for him but in no case a demoralisation.
One more time standing up rather than falling down. With audaciousness in his thoughts, a sense of reality and resolution he pushed on his plans in every free minute, until on January 8, 1951 the point in time finally arrived. Fritz Winter founded, together with his first employee, Mr. Wolfgang Larsen, the company Fritz Winter Foundry oHG at Stadtallendorf whose sole owner he was as of 1968 until his death in the year 1993.
Inventiveness, expertise and energy as well as an inflexible assertiveness associated with human greatness and a sense of social responsibility determined his very successful working life for 60 years at the end of which Fritz Winter left his lifework to the next generation which is today Europe’s biggest independent iron foundry whose quality standard enjoys highest reputation worldwide.
