60 years: KAUP celebrates round number anniversary

Aschaffenburg, 7 February 2022 - This year KAUP GmbH & Co. KG (KAUP) celebrates the 60th anniversary of its founding. Started in 1962 with five employees, the medium-sized family business from Aschaffenburg now employs around 900 people worldwide. The worldwide leading independent producer of Forklift truck attachments is active on all continents with its own sales structures and continues to be managed by the Kaup family. "Of course, we are very proud of KAUP's development," comments Managing Director Holger Kaup on the special event, which will be celebrated with a variety of activities during 2022.

Challenges for the future: digitalisation and automation

"However, the market environment for attachments has changed considerably over the past six decades," says Holger Kaup. "It is more competitive than ever." In addition, there are external trends and developments that have an impact on KAUP: "Digitalisation and automation of logistics processes present challenges for the entire industry", says Holger Kaup. "Not to mention, a more unstable global economy meets demographic change and a shortage of skilled workers in Germany. But I am convinced that we can add many more chapters to our successful company history", the Managing Director sums up. What fuels this optimism? KAUP has prepared itself for the future over the past few years. In addition to new structures and increased investments in research and development, the focus was on the expansion and ongoing modernization of production capacities. Today, for example, in-house robots take over the 24/7 production of preliminary products for KAUP attachments in some areas.

Nevertheless, KAUP continues to count on committed, loyal and well-trained employees. "We are proud to have so many experienced, long-standing and motivated employees who stand by KAUP even in turbulent times," explains the Managing Director. To ensure that this remains the case in the future, the company continues to have confidence in its own young talent, as it has done in past decades. That is why around 60 young people are currently completing industrial or commercial training at KAUP.

Guarantees of success: innovation and internationalisation

Kaup has been known for innovation since its founding. While in the past new and further developments were often about better visibility through the attachment or increased residual capacities, additional requirements are made today. Sensors, cameras, electronic drives: these and other trends are becoming increasingly important. And KAUP is following this path, whether by developing and marketing its own electronically controlled attachments or integrating its products into driverless transport systems. Not to forget: 'Smart Load Control' – the innovative autonomous system developed by KAUP for flexible definition of the clamping force. "These and other recent innovations are important", comments Holger Kaup on the new developments, "and show that we are also equipped for these trends".

No longer a trend, but a strategy: identifying and exploiting international growth potential for KAUP. The machine manufacturer has intensified its sales activities at home and abroad to achieve this. And in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC), for example, the KAUP structure has been expanded - with its own branch office on the 5th continent and new, powerful representatives. KAUP will follow this example in other regions in the near future.