Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt AG

Agosi AG, originally Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt, is a German precious-metals refinery and materials manufacturer headquartered in Pforzheim, the historic centre of the German jewellery and watch industry. It was founded on 20 January 1891 as a joint-stock company by Pforzheim jewellery and watch manufacturers, who needed a reliable way to recover precious metals from their production waste. One of the founders was the entrepreneur and politician Andreas Odenwald; Ferdinand Kiehnle became the first chairman of the supervisory board, while Heinrich Witzenmann and Julius Maurer served on the management board. The company was entered in the commercial register a month after its founding. Over more than a century Agosi expanded from pure precious-metal refining into the production of semi-finished products and a broad range of precious-metal services. Today it describes itself as one of Europe's leading circular-economy providers for precious metals and precious-metal services. Its business covers the recovery of gold, silver and other precious metals from industrial residues and scrap, the refining and trading of these metals, and the manufacture of standard and special semi-finished products from fine metals and precious-metal alloys. It also trades and processes non-ferrous metals. Agosi serves companies in jewellery and watches, the coin industry, and industrial applications in electrical engineering, automotive manufacturing, the chemical industry and medical technology. Its product and service portfolio is organised into Agosi Lifestyle (jewellery, watches, decorative items), Agosi Industrie (electronics, chemicals, industry), Agosi Refining (recovery and precious-metal cycle), Agosi Investment (round blanks, bars, investment products) and Agosi Edelmetall (trading, management, accounts), alongside Agosi NE-Metall for non-ferrous semi-finished products, scrap and steel. The company operates an online shop and publishes precious-metal prices. In 1993, when Degussa closed its Pforzheim site, Agosi took over and integrated Degussa's jewellery-metal business. In 2003 the Belgian materials group Umicore acquired the majority of Agosi's shares, and Agosi has since been part of the Umicore Group. Agosi has or had subsidiaries including Schoene Edelmetaal B.V. in Amsterdam, Ögussa Ges.m.b.H. in Vienna, Allgemeine Suisse S.A. in Yverdon, Umicore Precious Metals (Thailand) Ltd. in Bangkok and Umicore Galvanotechnik GmbH in Schwäbisch Gmünd; the Umicore Jewellery Materials Processing Ltd. in Foshan, China, was closed in July 2012. Agosi is a member of the German federal association for jewellery, watches, silverware and related industries, is regularly audited by independent audit firms and holds the certifications required for its business scope.

The Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt was founded on 20 January 1891 as a joint-stock company (Aktiengesellschaft) by Pforzheim jewellery manufacturers, who needed a dedicated facility to recover precious metals from their production waste. It was entered in the commercial register one month later. Among the founders was the entrepreneur and politician Andreas Odenwald. Ferdinand Kiehnle became the first chairman of the supervisory board, while Heinrich Witzenmann and Julius Maurer sat on the management board. The company is based in Pforzheim, the traditional centre of the German jewellery and watch industry, and is known in short form as Agosi (historically also simply "Allgemeine"). In 1938 the company added a base-metals facility at the Pforzheim main goods station. During the Second World War the refinery was heavily damaged and was rebuilt after the war at its present location. Over the decades Agosi broadened its activities from pure precious-metal refining to the manufacture of semi-finished products and a wide range of precious-metal services, growing with the requirements of its customers. A major step came in 1993, when Degussa closed its Pforzheim site and Agosi took over and integrated Degussa's jewellery-metal business. In 2003 the Belgian materials technology group Umicore acquired the majority of Agosi's shares, making Agosi part of the Umicore Group. Agosi has since operated as a Umicore subsidiary while retaining its own brand and Pforzheim base. Agosi has held or holds stakes in several sister and subsidiary companies, including Schoene Edelmetaal B.V. in Amsterdam, Ögussa Ges.m.b.H. in Vienna, Allgemeine Suisse S.A. in Yverdon, Umicore Precious Metals (Thailand) Ltd. in Bangkok and Umicore Galvanotechnik GmbH in Schwäbisch Gmünd. The Umicore Jewellery Materials Processing Ltd. in Foshan, China, was closed in July 2012. Agosi is a member of the German federal association for jewellery, watches, silverware and related industries (Bundesverband Schmuck, Uhren, Silberwaren und verwandte Industrien). It is regularly audited by independent audit firms and holds the certifications required for its business scope. A company history, "125 Jahre Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt AG", by Matthias Georgi, Tobias Birken and Anna Pezold, was published in Munich in 2016.

• Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt founded as a joint-stock company by Pforzheim jewellery and watch manufacturers.

• Entered in the commercial register one month after founding.

• Base-metals facility added at the Pforzheim main goods station.

• After heavy wartime damage, the refinery is rebuilt at its present location.

• Degussa closes its Pforzheim site; Agosi takes over and integrates Degussa's jewellery-metal business.

• Belgian group Umicore acquires the majority of Agosi shares.

• Umicore Jewellery Materials Processing Ltd. in Foshan, China, is closed.

• Company history "125 Jahre Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt AG" published in Munich.

One of Europe's leading circular-economy providers for precious metals and precious-metal services, combining refining, semi-finished product manufacturing and trading for jewellery, coin and industrial customers.

• Agosi Refining

  Recovery of precious metals from suitable residues and their return to diverse applications — the precious-metal cycle.

• Agosi Investment

  Round blanks, bars and investment products.

• Agosi Lifestyle

  Products and materials for jewellery, watches and decorative items.

• Agosi Industrie

  Semi-finished products and services for electronics, chemicals and industry.

• Agosi Edelmetall

  Precious-metal trading, management and accounts.

• Agosi NE-Metall

  Non-ferrous metal semi-finished products, scrap and steel.

1. 1Agosi – Agosi AGagosi.de
2. 2Über Uns – Agosiagosi.de
3. 3Produkte und Services – Agosiagosi.de
4. 4Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt – Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Agosi AG – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org