Kago Wärmesysteme GmbH
German manufacturer of tiled stoves, fireplace inserts, chimney systems and pellet heating, active from 1972 until its 2016 insolvency.
Last updated September 28, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Kago Wärmesysteme GmbH was a German heating-appliance company based in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Bavaria. Its roots go back to 1972, when Karl-Heinz Gonschorowski, a bricklayer who had fled East Germany in 1968, founded a small stove-building business in West Germany. He soon adopted the company name "Kago" as his own family name. Over the following decades Kago became one of Germany's best-known stove and fireplace brands, producing tiled stoves (Kachelöfen), fireplace inserts, chimney systems, solar systems, pellet stoves and pellet heating units. The company grew through a series of product and manufacturing firsts: in 1979 it developed a do-it-yourself kit for tiled stoves, becoming the first German kit manufacturer in that product group; in 1982 it opened its own fireplace factory; in 1984 it added a dedicated stove-tile factory in Schwarzenfeld near Amberg. In 1986 Kago built what was described as the world's largest tiled stove, earning an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. After German reunification in 1991 the company expanded into the new federal states and grew to roughly 1,200 employees. In 1997 it was listed in "Europe's 500", and in 1999 it delivered its 100,000th Kago stove. From 2002 it expanded into DIY-store chains and into European export markets, and in 2005 it opened what was then Germany's largest firewood factory. A 2006 GfK study named Kago the best-known stove builder in Germany, and in the same year the Bavarian state government honoured it with the "Bayerns Best 50" award. By 2007 Kago employed about 1,500 people across five plants, operated 80 showrooms and 70 specialist exhibitions, and sold through more than 200 resellers and around 1,000 agencies. It had produced and sold roughly 250,000 living-room fireplaces, stove and tiled stoves, and had built or fully renovated some 250,000 chimneys. However, poor business performance in 2007 led to about 120 redundancies and the discontinuation of the loss-making heating business. In 2010 the Kago group filed for insolvency; the Kago-Röhl Ofenkachelfabrik in Schwarzenfeld had already entered insolvency that year. On 1 July 2010 the KAGO brand was bought by Carsten Micheel-Sprenger and Peter Leibold, who continued the business under the new name Kago Wärmesysteme GmbH while keeping the Kago brand. The new company focused on pellet heating alongside classic stoves, opened "Kago Wärmewelten" showrooms (Augsburg in 2011, Mülheim-Kärlich in 2012) and operated 23 sales houses across Germany by August 2012. It was certified as a pellet-heating specialist by the German Pellet Institute (DEPI). Despite this relaunch, the company again ran into difficulty. On 22 January 2016 a preliminary insolvency proceeding was opened at the Nuremberg district court, and on 29 January 2016 the insolvency administrator Volker Böhm announced that business operations could not be resumed. Production had already been stopped in 2016. Today the website kago.de is maintained by Ursula Fouquet's "Wohnen & Wärme Live" business at Kago-Platz 2 in Postbauer-Heng, which continues to supply original Kago spare parts for all Kago stoves.
History
Kago's history began in 1968, when bricklayer Karl-Heinz Gonschorowski fled East Germany for West Germany. In 1972 he founded a company there with a workforce of just himself and one other person; he soon adopted the company name "Kago" as his family name. In 1979 the company developed a kit for tiled stoves, making it the first German kit manufacturer in that product group. A dedicated fireplace factory followed in 1982, and in 1984 a factory for stove tiles was added in Schwarzenfeld near Amberg. In 1986 Kago built what was described as the world's largest tiled stove, earning an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. After German reunification, Kago expanded into the new federal states in 1991 and increased its workforce to around 1,200. In 1997 it received an entry in the "Europe's 500" list, which ranks European companies by the David Birch Employee Growth Index. In 1999 the 100,000th Kago stove was delivered. From 2002 the company expanded sales to DIY-store chains and began expansion into other European countries. In 2005 it opened its own firewood factory, which at its opening was the largest in Germany. According to a March 2006 study by the Society for Consumer Research (GfK), Kago was at that time the best-known stove builder in Germany. In 2006 Kago began its own production of cast-iron heating inserts, received the Bavarian state government's "Bayerns Best 50" award for above-average employee and revenue growth, and 30-year-old lawyer Pierre Kago joined the management. By 2007 the company had produced and sold around 250,000 living-room fireplaces, stove and tiled stoves, and had built or fully renovated about 250,000 chimneys. It employed about 1,500 people in five plants, had 80 of its own exhibition centres and 70 separate specialist exhibitions, and sold through more than 200 resellers and about 1,000 agencies. Poor business performance in 2007 led to about 120 redundancies and the discontinuation of the loss-making heating business. In 2008 Kago invested at the Postbauer-Heng site and created 10% new jobs, and it launched the "Vier-Jahreszeiten-Energiekonzept" (four-seasons energy concept), which combined a water-carrying heating fireplace, a pellet heating system and a thermal solar system with the heating. The Kago-Röhl Ofenkachelfabrik GmbH in Schwarzenfeld near Schwandorf, part of the Kago group, entered insolvency in 2010. On 15 February 2010 the entire group filed for insolvency, and on 28 April 2010 insolvency proceedings were opened, with Volker Böhm of Schultze & Braun appointed as administrator. On 1 July 2010 the KAGO brand was bought by Carsten Micheel-Sprenger and Peter Leibold and continued under a changed company name while retaining the Kago brand. Leibold was at that time managing director of German Pellets, described as one of Europe's largest wood-pellet producers; he cited the brand's presence and the traditional stove-builder's know-how as decisive for the purchase, with the aim of pushing pellet-fired heating. Micheel-Sprenger initially served as managing director of the newly founded Kago Wärmesysteme GmbH, leaving in December 2010. Peter Beyer was sole managing director as of March 2014. In September 2011 the first "new generation" sales house opened in Augsburg, followed in 2012 by the second "Kago Wärmewelten" in Mülheim-Kärlich. As of August 2012 the Kago Wärmesysteme GmbH operated 23 sales houses across Germany. Alongside classic stove and tiled stoves, pellet stoves and pellet heating were added to the product range, and the company was certified as a pellet-heating specialist by the German Pellet Institute (DEPI). In summer 2012 Kago moved its headquarters, including sales and order management, to Dr.-Otto-Schedl-Straße in Neumarkt; the customer centre, production and spare-parts service & online shop remained in Postbauer-Heng. On 22 January 2016 a preliminary insolvency proceeding was opened at the Nuremberg district court. On 29 January 2016 insolvency administrator Volker Böhm announced that business operations could not be resumed. Production had been stopped in 2016. The kago.de website is now run by Ursula Fouquet's "Wohnen & Wärme Live" at Kago-Platz 2 in Postbauer-Heng, which continues to supply original Kago spare parts for all Kago stoves.
- 2016
Preliminary insolvency opened 22 January; on 29 January administrator announces operations cannot resume; production stopped
- 2012
Second "Kago Wärmewelten" opens in Mülheim-Kärlich; 23 sales houses across Germany as of August; headquarters moves to Neumarkt
- 2011
First "new generation" sales house opens in Augsburg
- 2010
Kago-Röhl Ofenkachelfabrik enters insolvency; group files for insolvency on 15 February; proceedings opened 28 April; KAGO brand bought on 1 July and continued as Kago Wärmesysteme GmbH
- 2008
Invests at Postbauer-Heng, creates 10% new jobs; launches the Vier-Jahreszeiten-Energiekonzept
- 2007
About 120 redundancies; loss-making heating business discontinued
- 2006
GfK study names Kago the best-known stove builder in Germany; receives "Bayerns Best 50"; begins own production of cast-iron heating inserts; Pierre Kago joins management
- 2005
Opens its own firewood factory, then the largest in Germany
- 2002
Expands sales to DIY-store chains and begins European expansion
- 1999
Delivers the 100,000th Kago stove
Products and positioning
Traditional German stove and fireplace manufacturer, later repositioned around pellet heating and energy concepts; known for German-made production and a broad showroom network.
Tiled stoves (Kachelöfen)
Fireplace inserts
Chimney systems
Pellet stoves
Pellet heating systems
Solar thermal systems
Firewood
Stove tiles
Cast-iron heating inserts
Vier-Jahreszeiten-Energiekonzept (four-seasons energy concept)
Sources3 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/kago-wärmesysteme-gmbh · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled