C. Rob. Hammerstein

C. Rob. Hammerstein GmbH & Co. KG (CRH), also known as the CRH-Group, was a German automotive supplier headquartered in Solingen. Founded in 1849 by the merchant Carl Robert Hammerstein as an iron and steel goods trader, the company evolved through several industrial phases — from steel bag handles for the leather goods industry, to umbrella fittings, to steel tubes for bicycles and automobiles, and finally to automotive seat structures. By the late 20th century it had become a recognized specialist in complete seat structures, supplying premium and volume automakers including Bentley, Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, Audi, Ford, Daimler-Benz, Volkswagen AG, Land-Rover and Maserati. The company operated sales and production sites in Germany, Romania, Hungary, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Turkey, the United States, Mexico, China, Japan and South Korea. Around the turn of the millennium it was Solingen's largest private employer with about 1,500 staff. In January 2011, after antitrust approval, the group was sold to the U.S. automotive supplier Johnson Controls and integrated into that corporation. When Johnson Controls spun off its automotive seating business in 2016, the former CRH sites became part of Adient. Following substantial workforce reductions, by 2020 the Solingen-Merscheid development site employed around 250 people and the Solingen-Ohligs production site around 300.

The company traces its origins to 1849, when the merchant Carl Robert Hammerstein from Merscheid (today Solingen) entered the production of steel bag handles for the Offenbach leather goods industry as an iron and steel goods trader. Production began in the so-called Gewerbegehöft on today's Eschenweg, which is now a listed example of early industrialization. Bag handle production was a new branch of industry emerging in the Wald and Merscheid area in the 1840s, supplementing the previously dominant blade manufacturing. It was also bag handle production that, as the first branch in the Solingen area, transitioned to industrial manufacturing. In 1870 production was switched to umbrella fittings, for which a new production building was erected on today's Eschenweg. The switch to umbrella fittings, in strong demand in the second half of the 19th century, brought steady growth. Production capacity at Eschenweg was soon exhausted, requiring a move and new production buildings. In 1885 Hammerstein had a new plant built on the then Hauptstraße (today Merscheider Straße). The newly built administration building, a representative unplastered brick structure, bears the year 1849 as the company's founding year in its gable and is today also listed as a monument. Umbrella fitting production became a significant industry in the Solingen area alongside blade manufacturing; together with Bremshey and Kortenbach & Rauh, Hammerstein supplied three-quarters of the world market around the turn of the 20th century. By 1913 the company already employed 325 people, most of them women, due to the high degree of mechanization that required relatively few skilled workers. World War I cost Hammerstein its dominant world market position, and the company eventually switched production. From 1924 steel tubes were produced first for the bicycle industry and later for the growing automobile industry. A brief re-entry into umbrella production in the 1960s ended in 1972 with the final discontinuation of that product. Hammerstein focused on manufacturing accessory parts for the automotive industry and, through numerous innovations, specialized in automotive seats. Around 1969 the company developed electric seat height adjustment. Complete seat structures were produced in series from 1999. As early as 1994 a first foreign plant was opened in Hungary, employing 1,055 people. Further plants followed in the USA, Romania and China. Around the turn of the millennium the company was Solingen's largest private employer with 1,500 employees. In 2001 Hammerstein took over the former factory site of the insolvent Klopp foundry on Mühlenstraße in Ohligs and built a modern branch plant there for pre-production. At the end of 2010 it became known that the U.S. company Johnson Controls intended to acquire and integrate the Solingen company C. Rob. Hammerstein. The acquisition was completed in January 2011 after antitrust approval. As part of a restructuring and spin-off of the automotive division, the company Adient was created in 2016, to which the former CRH sites now belong. After extensive workforce reductions, in 2020 the development site in Solingen-Merscheid employed around 250 people and the production site in Solingen-Ohligs around 300.

• 2020

  After workforce reductions, Solingen-Merscheid development site employs around 250 and Solingen-Ohligs production site around 300.

• 2016

  Adient created from spin-off of Johnson Controls automotive division; former CRH sites become part of Adient.

• 2011

  Acquisition by Johnson Controls completed in January after antitrust approval.

• 2010

  Announcement that Johnson Controls intends to acquire C. Rob. Hammerstein.

• 2001

  Takeover of the former Klopp foundry site in Ohligs for a modern pre-production branch plant.

• 1999

  Series production of complete seat structures begins.

• 1994

  First foreign plant opened in Hungary, employing 1,055 people.

• 1972

  Final discontinuation of umbrella production.

• 1969

  Development of electric seat height adjustment.

• 1924

  Production of steel tubes begins, first for the bicycle industry, later for the automotive industry.

• 1913

  Company employed 325 people, most of them women.

• 1885

  New plant built on the then Hauptstraße (today Merscheider Straße).

• 1870

  Production switched to umbrella fittings; new production building erected on today's Eschenweg.

• 1849

  Carl Robert Hammerstein enters production of steel bag handles for the Offenbach leather goods industry.

Recognized specialist in automotive seat structures, supplying premium and volume OEMs; historically a leading Solingen industrial manufacturer.

• Complete seat structures

  Series production from 1999; supplied to premium automakers.

• Electric seat height adjustment

  Developed around 1969.

• Steel tubes

  Produced from 1924 for bicycle and automotive industries.

• Umbrella fittings

  Produced from 1870; briefly resumed in the 1960s and ended in 1972.

• Steel bag handles

  Original product from 1849 for the Offenbach leather goods industry.

1. 1C. Rob. Hammerstein – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2C. Rob. Hammerstein – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org