Pioneers for over 90 years

HILGER & KERN GROUP from Mannheim celebrates its 90th anniversary and sets its course for the future

Keeping up the traditions while actively designing the future – The HILGER & KERN GROUP has now been a renowned supplier, it is a development and service partner for industrial enterprises across various market segments for 90 years and employs more than 300 people around the globe. With its two business segments "Metering and Mixing Technology" as well as "Industrial Technology", the company has been a reliable partner for middle-sized companies as well as leading global players for many decades. 

During the past few years, the company has significantly evolved and set its course for the future. As part of this evolution, the activities of the Mannheim-based company, which was founded in 1927, were pooled under the HILGER & KERN GROUP. This includes the brands DOPAG and METER MIX in the field of metering and mixing technology as well as Hilger u. Kern Industrial Technology. Today all three brands present themselves with a completely redesigned brand presence, new homepages, revamped brochures and trade fair presentations.

"Our goal is to further strengthen these three brands and place ourselves in an optimal position for the years to come", says CEO Steffen Knaus. "This is true in particular on an international scale since we definitely want to push global expansion of our brands. A clear brand image will naturally help us achieve this." Through new subsidiaries and distributors, the company is currently expanding its sales activities. At present, the company is represented in more than 30 countries.

Metering and mixing technology – the leading business segment

In nearly all industrial segments, such as automotive engineering and the aerospace industry, fewer components are joined by means of bolts or rivets. DOPAG has been developing and producing the metering and mixing technology required for this kind of development for more than 40 years – these systems usually prepare the required adhesives with fully automated processes and then apply them to the respective components. DOPAG manufactures similar technologies for the highly automated application of grease or oil in automotive production, the potting of electronic components or the manufacturing of fiber composite components for the aerospace industry. All in all, DOPAG supplies more than ten key industries around the globe with metering and mixing technology.

History of the HILGER & KERN GROUP

Walter J. Hilger founded the company in 1927 in Heidelberg-Ziegelhausen. During the first few years, he sold V-belts, spark plugs and paint spray equipment imported from the US. The fact that he started an automotive spare parts business during the automotive boom proved that he had a good sense for business. In 1928, Wilhelm Kern joined the company and became CEO, after the death of Walter J. Hilger in 1936 he turned the small company into Hilger u. Kern GmbH. Wilhelm Kern quickly recognized the potential of the V-belts and significantly contributed to the introduction of these drive belts in the industry. In 1976, his son Reiner Kern participated in the founding of DOPAG in Cham (Switzerland), which marked the starting point of the activities in metering and mixing technology. Since then, DOPAG has constantly been developing innovative dispensing technology, filing various patents and introducing new plant technology to the market. In 1989, the group started its first foreign subsidiary with DOPAG France and is now running a total of eight subsidiaries around the globe. In 2014, the HILGER & KERN GROUP took over the business activities of METER MIX Systems Ltd in Great Britain and thus rounded out its existing portfolio of metering and mixing systems. Today, the HILGER & KERN GROUP is a globally operated family-owned business which has preserved its pioneering spirit since the early years.