{"id":4542,"date":"2019-11-15T07:45:55","date_gmt":"2019-11-15T05:45:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.febi.com\/?p=4542"},"modified":"2019-11-15T08:57:01","modified_gmt":"2019-11-15T06:57:01","slug":"from-the-file-to-the-spring-pin-175-years-of-ferdinand-bilstein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.febi.com\/en\/from-the-file-to-the-spring-pin-175-years-of-ferdinand-bilstein\/","title":{"rendered":"From the File to the Spring Pin: 175 Years of Ferdinand Bilstein"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ennepetal 1844: There is\nstill no sign of cars. Horses are the preferred means of transport – also for\nFerdinand Daniel Bilstein. He has just founded a new company named after him in\ncollaboration with his father. That 175 years later this would become a global company<\/a>\nwith over 2,000 employees was something he probably never even dreamed of at\nthe time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today’s Ferdinand Bilstein\nGmbH + Co KG and the small company of 1844 have one thing in common: the\nlocation of Ennepetal. The company still has its headquarters here and is\nfirmly rooted in the region. It was not until 2017 that a new production site\nwas built in the immediate vicinity of the headquarters. Now, replacement parts\nfor passenger cars and commercial vehicles come off the assembly line every day\nand are delivered all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It All Began with Files and Pocket Knives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The workforce at the turn of the century <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

175 years ago, the product\nportfolio was a whole different story. Files, chisels, drills, pocket knives:\nFerdinand Bilstein dealt in these and other metal goods. They were partially\nproduced in the two hammer mills of his father, Johann Daniel, or by local\nblacksmiths. They were transported by horse and cart to customers all over\nGermany, as well as to Switzerland and Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was not until the 20th\ncentury that the company’s focus shifted to the up-and-coming automotive\nindustry. At that time, the company was managed by Hans Carl Ferdinand Bilstein\nand his brother, Paul Julius Bilstein. As early as 1921, they acquired a patent\nfor a spring pin, which went into series production under the name “febi\nspring pin” in 1925. With the success of the pin, the new company\nabbreviation “febi” quickly became the company’s own brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In-House and Purchased Products<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Little by little, additional\nin-house produced articles were added to the range. From the 1970s onwards the\ncompany was no longer able to satisfy the great demand with its own products\nalone – commercial goods then joined the range. Today, more than 60,000\ndifferent replacement parts are offered. Nevertheless, the in-house production\nis still an important pillar of the company – many things do not change in 175\nyears.<\/p>\n