Company > History

History of our Company

ca. 1650 

Three signatures bearing the name Erbslöh are appended to a document in a place called Erbschloe, today a part of the town of Wuppertal.

1764-1834 

Johann Arnold Erbslöh, grandfather of the founder of our company, resident and engaged in trade in Wuppertal-Barmen. Entries in his diary for May 1800 record the purchase of whale oil, linseed oil and white lead.

1842

Carl Julius Erbslöh (1814-1880), third son of Johann Arnold founds the company of Julius and August Erblsöh (today Erbslöh Aluminium Ltd.) an aluminium foundry whose workforce today numbers over 1000 people.

1876

Carl Hugo Erbslöh, one of Carl Julius' six sons, at 26 years of age, founds the company C.H.Erbslöh in Düsseldorf. It is a wholesaling company trading in heavy chemicals: soda products, salts, calcium chloride and acids, starches and imported Italian sulphur.

1892

Carl Hugo Erbslöh buys Kaolin quarries at Geisenheim on the Rhine. One generation later Erbslöh Geisenheim would become a separate independent enterprise. Parts of this company operate today under the names: "Erbslöh Lohrheim", "Erbslöh Geisenheim Beverage Technology" and the "Erbslöh Vineyards Geisenheim" as well as "IKO-Erbslöh" in Marl.

1896

Only makeshift repairs were undertaken following a fire in 1889 at the original company premises in the old town of Düsseldorf. At the beginning of 1896 the headquaters of C.H.Erbslöh were moved to Kaistrasse in what was to become the Düsseldorf river port.

1921-1938 

1921 the Company is headed jointly by the brothers Otto and Carl Hugo II
1929 opening of the Hamburg branch
1931 Otto Erbslöh leaves the Company
1938 Opening of the Vienna branch.

1944-1953 

In Autumn 1944, 70% of the Düsseldorf office and warehouse buildings are destroyed. In 1948 Carl Hugo Erbslöh III is made partner in the company. 1950 the Hamburg branch is able to move out of its temporary emergency premises in the free port into the building on the Sprinkenhof. In 1953 "Westdeutschen Spritzputz GmbH" is founded in order to develop the market for raw vermiculite.

1961-1974 

During this time C.H.Erbslöh reorganises internally to take on the market-orientated structure and the focus on speciality chemicals which still characterise it today. Some important representations are acquired which are still operating e.g. the business in the Pluronic® and Synperonic® groups of surfactants which today are products of BASF Wyandotte and ICI Surfactants. In 1961 the representation of "Bevaloid" products is taken on board, produced at that time by R.H. Hodgsons and Sons Ltd., Beverly, Yorkshire, England (today Rhodia GmbH). In 1974 Carl Hugo IV becomes a partner in the company. Also in 1974 the company begins trading in the chemicals for the manufacture of printed circuits produced by Alfachimici, Italy .

1980-1986 

All possibilities of expanding the Company premises at Kaistraße in the Düsseldorf river port are exhausted. The city of Düsseldorf is unable to provide a suitable industrial site for expansion. The search for a new headquarters for the company is on.

1989-1990 

Towards the end of 1989, an industrial site in Krefeld of about 20000 m² with some existing buildings is acquired. The project begins with the reconstruction of a large warehouse building into a 3500 m² chemical warehousing facility equipped according to the very latest principles. The investment for environmental protection alone is 2.2 million Deutschmarks. In 1990, Carl Hugo Erbslöh IV becomes partner having personal liability for the company.

 

 

 

1990-1999   

Address:

C.H. Erbslöh GmbH & Co. KG
Düsseldorfer Straße 103
47809 Krefeld / Germany

Phone: +49 2151 525-00
Fax: +49 2151 525-106

Copyright: C.H.Erbslöh 2011