Otto Kuhmann celebrates its 90th birthday

The electrical wholesaler Otto Kuhmann, a subsidiary of Sonepar Deutschland, celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the company invited some 500 guests, customers, suppliers and staff, to a birthday party in Düsseldorf.
Some weeks previously, in September, the electrical wholesaler had already demonstrated its competitiveness in its anniversary year at a company exhibition. For this event, Otto Kuhmann’s branch at Frechen was converted into a vast tent city: more than 120 manufacturers presented their wares at Infotreff 2006, this time under the slogan “Bleiben Sie anspruchsvoll” (Go on demanding the best).

A total of some 3,000 visitors came to Frechen for the two-day event. Alongside the interesting manufacturers’ stands, Otto Kuhmann also presented its own special and service departments. On the more theoretical side, short seminars were provided on the subject of radio systems, heat pumps, over-voltage protection and door intercommunication systems.

These were precisely the business sectors where Otto Kuhmann saw growth opportunities together with its customers, explained André Thönes, Managing Director of Otto Kuhmann GmbH & Co. KG, in his speech at the birthday celebration in mid-October. He assured his customers that Otto Kuhmann will continue to expand its portfolio of services and actively support the opening up of new markets in future, with trained and motivated staff, tailored seminars and strong brands. “Otto Kuhmann stands for tradition, passion and the future,” he told the customers. “If you go on demanding the best, and keep us on our toes every day, then I can optimistically look forward to our joint future.”

The company Otto Kuhmann was founded by Mr Otto Kuhmann senior in 1916. Its first branches in the Lower Rhine region were already established in the 1920s. After the Second World War, Otto Kuhmann, the son of the founder and still a shareholder in the company today, took over more and more responsibility for the business. His actions and foresight made him into a personality with a decisive influence on the development of electrical wholesaling in Germany and Europe. In 1973 he sold the majority shareholding in Otto Kuhmann to Technische Unie Deutschland and took over the management of the new company, thus laying the foundations for today’s Sonepar Deutschland GmbH.

Today, Otto Kuhmann is present in the region at 16 locations, and operates a 12,000 m² central warehouse at Bedburg, supplying its branches and customers 24 hours  a day. Customers profit from the Sonepar Online ordering and information system, and continue to enjoy the constant traditional dependability of this famous company.

From left to right :
Reinhold Lausch, Frank Lakerveld,
Otto Kuhmann, Lothar Hellmann, André Thönes,
Manfred Horst.

Reinhold Lausch, André Thönes and Manfred Horst are MD of Otto Kuhmann.
Frank Lakerveld is the Sonepar Deutschland's President.
Mr. Hellmann is Board member of the ZVEH (Zentralverband der deutschen Elektro- und Informationstechnischen Handwerke - Association of the German electrical installers).