Obeta

Obeta is the brand name of Oskar Böttcher GmbH & Co. KG, a German wholesale company founded in Berlin in 1901 by factory owner Oskar Böttcher and his son-in-law, the Freiberg bank clerk Richard Helbig. The company has always been headquartered in Berlin and is active in the specialist wholesale trade for electrical articles and installation materials. The brand name Obeta is derived from the initials of the company's original name: Oskar Böttcher Elektro Technische Artikel. In its home market, Obeta is a regional market leader in the electrical and installation wholesale sector. Together with its subsidiaries, the company employs more than 1,000 people at more than 60 locations across Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Thuringia, Hesse, Hamburg, the Ruhr area and Bavaria. Obeta is a member of the Zentralverband der Deutschen Elektro- und Informationstechnischen Handwerke (Central Association of German Electrical and Information Technology Trades) and the Bundesverband des Elektro-Großhandels e. V. (Federal Association of the German Electrical Wholesale Trade). The company's history spans more than a century. It survived the destruction of the Second World War, rebuilt with 40 remaining employees, and later introduced self-service retail concepts inspired by a 1961 study trip to the United States. In the 1980s, installation materials became a stronger focus of the product range as the consumer-goods electrical wholesale business declined. After German reunification, Obeta expanded beyond West Berlin, acquiring Nord Elektro GmbH in Neubrandenburg in 1993. By 1997 the company had 400 employees and revenue of 215 million Deutsche Mark. Today Obeta operates through a network of branches and subsidiaries. The subsidiary Technilog, founded in 1996, handles all logistics from its central warehouse in Ludwigsfelde, supplying all branches and customers of Obeta, Eldis and Häusler. The Eldis electro distributor GmbH, with locations in Hamburg, the Ruhr area and Hesse, and Heinrich Häusler GmbH in Munich and Ingolstadt, complement the branch network. In 2019 the company put a self-learning picking robot into operation in logistics.

Oskar Böttcher GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1901 by factory owner Oskar Böttcher and his son-in-law, the Freiberg bank clerk Richard Helbig. The company was headquartered in Berlin from the start. In 1911 it participated for the first time as an exhibitor at the Leipzig Trade Fair. Many products were assembled or manufactured to order by Oskar Böttcher KG. During this period the current brand name Obeta emerged. By the beginning of the First World War in 1914, more than 100 employees worked at Oskar Böttcher KG. By the end of the war in 1918 only a few employees remained, almost exclusively women. After the war the number of employees rose again; in 1925 there were 155, of whom 14 were representatives. In 1922 Richard Helbig acquired a stake in the Berlin fan factory Linke. In 1926 Richard Helbig's son Heinrich joined the firm. That same year Richard Helbig founded the "Pensionsverein" (pension association), which was intended to guarantee all Obeta employees a supplement to their state pension. In 1927 the company took over representation for the firm Mende (Dresden), for which it also took over regional representation in Silesia, Pomerania and Stettin after the 1935 radio exhibition. After the Second World War all buildings of the Obeta company were destroyed, but the remaining 40 employees began rebuilding the company. Until his death in 1950, Richard Helbig led the company together with his son Heinrich. After a study trip to the United States in 1961, Heinrich Helbig decided to apply the self-service principle to Obeta as well. Thus the first self-service stores were opened in 1964. That year Werner Helbig, the second-youngest son of Heinrich Helbig, also joined the company. The current headquarters in the Berlin district of Marienfelde was built in 1969/70. In 1976 the long-standing business relationship with the firm Nordmende ended abruptly. In the 1980s installation materials gained a stronger place in Obeta's product range, connected with the emerging declining importance of electrical wholesale in the consumer goods sector. In 1989 Heinrich Helbig died, like his father Richard in his 81st year. At that time Obeta had 70 employees. With German reunification and the opening of borders, Obeta's sales territory extended beyond West Berlin. In 1993 Obeta took over Nord Elektro GmbH in Neubrandenburg. The number of employees rose. By 1997 there were already 400 employees, and revenue at that time was 215 million Deutsche Mark. In 2004 the sales territory was extended to Hamburg through the subsidiary Eldis electro distributor GmbH. With the subsidiary Eldis electro distributor Rhein-Ruhr GmbH, expansion to the Ruhr area followed in 2006. Since 2020 both subsidiaries operate under the name Eldis electro distributor GmbH with headquarters in Berlin. Since 2015 Heinrich Häusler GmbH has complemented the joint branch network and extended the sales territory to the Munich and Ingolstadt areas. In 1996 the subsidiary Technilog was founded, which to this day handles all logistical processes of the company. From its central warehouse in Ludwigsfelde, Technilog supplies all branches and customers of the companies Obeta, Eldis and Häusler. Only in 2015 was the central warehouse expanded with an investment of 21 million euros and since then has featured a fully automatic shuttle warehouse with a picking robot and a cable and drum warehouse covering an area of 5,000 m². In 2019 the company put a self-learning picking robot into operation in logistics.

• 2020

  Both Eldis subsidiaries operate under Eldis electro distributor GmbH with headquarters in Berlin.

• 2019

  Self-learning picking robot put into operation in logistics.

• 2015

  Heinrich Häusler GmbH complements the branch network; central warehouse expanded with 21 million euro investment.

• 2006

  Expansion to the Ruhr area via Eldis electro distributor Rhein-Ruhr GmbH.

• 2004

  Expansion to Hamburg via Eldis electro distributor GmbH.

• 1997

  400 employees; revenue of 215 million Deutsche Mark.

• 1996

  Subsidiary Technilog founded for logistics.

• 1993

  Obeta takes over Nord Elektro GmbH in Neubrandenburg.

• 1989

  Heinrich Helbig dies; Obeta has 70 employees.

• 1976

  Long-standing business relationship with Nordmende ends abruptly.

• 1969

  Construction of current headquarters in Berlin-Marienfelde (1969/70).

• 1964

  First self-service stores opened; Werner Helbig joins the company.

• 1950

  Richard Helbig dies; Heinrich Helbig continues to lead the company.

• 1927

  Company takes over representation for Mende (Dresden).

• 1926

  Heinrich Helbig joins the firm; Richard Helbig founds the pension association.

• 1925

  155 employees, including 14 representatives.

• 1914

  More than 100 employees before the First World War.

• 1911

  First participation as exhibitor at the Leipzig Trade Fair.

• 1901

  Oskar Böttcher KG founded in Berlin by Oskar Böttcher and Richard Helbig.

Regional market leader in electrical and installation wholesale in its home market.

• Electrical articles

• Installation materials

1. 1Obeta - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
2. 2Obeta - Wikidatawikidata.org