Our History

Who is interested in history? We are! Because our history is the foundation for our strengths, our expertise and our powers of innovation.

The history of the KOSTAL family company begins as far back as 1912 and we have been partners with the automobile industry since 1927. The development and manufacture of electrical plug connectors for automobiles, KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme's core business, started in 1938.

Many inventions and patents such as the 1.2 mm contact system have appeared on the path to the present day. With the increasing diversification of the KOSTAL Group, the contact systems division was created in 1993 and in 2004 this became the independent company "KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme GmbH & Co. KG".

Family
Growth

1993

Initial establishment

The contact systems business division is established. A start is made on bringing together the locations and organisations of all the business divisions
2004

The business divisions are split

The contact systems division is separated and becomes an independent company within the Group
2005

Hagen

The company moves into new premises in Hagen, Germany.
2009

The Czech Republic

KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme GmbH takes over the KOSTAL production plant in Čenkov near Prague in the Czech Republic
2010

USA

The US subsidiary company KOSTAL Kontakt Systeme, Inc. is established in Rochester Hills, Michigan

Timberg

A new plant is established at Timberg near Lüdenscheid, Germany, including significant extensions (including high-bay stores) and transfers from the Hagen plant.
2012

Dresden-Merbitz

The Dresden-Merbitz plant is established.

Centenary celebrations

KOSTAL's centenary is celebrated at the new plant in Timberg, Germany
2013

China

The Chinese subsidiary Kostal (Shanghai) Kontakt Systeme Co. Ltd. is established
2017

Expansion of the Timberg location

Further expansion of the Timberg plant near Lüdenscheid, Germany to accommodate all the operations previously located in the Wiesenstrasse premises in Lüdenscheid

Production plant in the Czech Republic

Expansion of the production plant at Jince in the Czech Republic
2018

Expansion in China

Expansion of production capacity in China