As of 2023[update], the Marquardt Group employed approximately 10,000 people[7][8] in 20 locations across four continents.[9]
History
Early years
In 1925, businessman Johannes Marquardt (1885–1963) and technician Johannes Marquardt (1889–1942), who share the same name but are only distantly related, established a factory for electrical supplies and precision mechanics in Rietheim.[10]
In the mid-1930s, the company increased its workforce from 60 to 160 employees. During the Second World War, nearly all male employees were drafted into the Wehrmacht; its production was primarily maintained by women in the few final years of the war. After the war, all Marquardt offices were initially occupied by the staff of a French commander and were only released after six months. Nearly all machines were dismantled and taken to France. War damage to electrical installations caused supply shortages for plaster-mounted light switches in the French occupation zone and in France.
Marquardt later began producing toggle switches.[5] In 1953, Marquardt began producing snap-action switches. Two years later, in 1955, a new branch plant was constructed in Böttingen, and by 1959, the existing plant at the Rietheim headquarters was expanded.
1965–present
In 1968, Marquardt established an electronic laboratory. That same year, the first assemblies rolled off the production line in Rietheim. The following year, they built a training workshop in Rietheim. In 1981, Marquardt founded its first foreign subsidiary, Marquardt Switches Inc., in Cazenovia, New York, United States, and constructed a factory there in 1985.
In 1991, Marquardt acquired the device switch manufacturer Russenberger and added subsidiaries in France, Spain, and Tunisia. In 1996, Marquardt founded the subsidiary Marquardt Switches Shanghai in China, forming a joint venture with the Indian switch manufacturer RG Keswani.
The Automotive business unit develops drive authorisation systems (such as drive authorisation via smartphone, electronic keys, and electronic ignition start switches), operating components (such as seat adjustment switches and rotary light switches), and ultra-wideband communication. In May 2024, Marquardt showcased its battery management systems, sensors for hydrogen fuel cells, and components for digital vehicle communication. The company presented it to Bluetooth Low Energy and Ultra-Wideband technology positioning.[11][12]
The Mechatronic Devices business unit develops switching systems for systems and switches.
^ abHertenstein, Peter (2020). Multinationals, Global Value Chains and Governance: The Mechanics of Power in Inter-firm Relations. Routledge studies on the Chinese economy. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis (published August 16, 2019). ISBN9780429748929.
^ abBuchenau, Martin-W. (November 7, 2023). "Stresstest für die deutsche Autoindustrie" [Stress test for the German car industry]. Handelsblatt (in German). Retrieved May 21, 2024.
