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The today's Sulzer AG, a technology company in Winterthur, Switzerland, is after the crisis of the 80. and 90. Years from its predecessor, long decades flourishing machine-builder, developed.
1834 Johann Jacob Sulzer with the "building put the foundation-stone to the original exempt private company of "brothers Sulzer, foundry in Winterthur" 1834" at the inhabitant of zurich route in Winterthur. His sons Johann Jakob and Salomon - the "brothers Sulzer" - removal production. One century long, up to the economic crisis of the 30. , The enterprise with progress the technology grew years. Numerous production plants spread from southeast the old part of town of Winterthur, later also into other accomodation.
During the second bloom time after that 2. World war developed also for at the beginning of the 60. Years the Sulzer multistoried building, the head office of the enterprise and a landmark of Winterthur. The of the 70. /80. Slow-acting the large-scale enterprise become could master years not promptly, since end of the 80. Years shrank the company dramatically.
The multistoried building, like also a large part of the former production plants, of it a part in the today's city centre, were located after the Sulzer crisis longer time empty. Only me the upswing slowly beginning to Begin 21. Century find they gradually new uses.
Today the Sulzer company is a world-wide active industrial's group. It consists of four core divisions, which rank in each case among the three most successful enterprises in their industry:
- Sulzer Pumps - pumps and associated service
- Sulzer Metco - surface technologies and - services
- Sulzer Chemtech - components and service for separating columns and static mixing
- Sulzer turbo services - repairs and service for thermal turbomachines
History
Establishment and growth
- 1834 - Johann Jacob Sulzer provided on a property at the inhabitant of zurich route the "building 1834", his sons Johann Jakob and Salomon produce cast iron, build "mechanical devices" (fire syringe, pumps, apparatuses for the textile industry), later begin it also with the installation of heaters
- 1836 - which grows staff on approximately forty associates, helpers and Lehrbuben
- 1839 - Extension by a newly created foundry, in the original building is furnished mechanical workshop, the first steam engine holds introduction in Winterthur
- 1845 - in-house of "patient benevolent society for factory hands" based
- 1859 - first contract" between brothers the Sulzer, new products, among other things first steam engines, later also ships, new organization and production methods imported
- around 1860 - first foreign sales office in Turin
- 1867 - Participation in the world exhibition in Paris, the staff on over 1000 workers grown, Erweiterugsbauten
- 1870 - first company-owned vocational school of Switzerland with training workshops based
- 1872 - 24 worker's dwellings in Veltheim provided, "society for the production of cheap houses" based, further houses also homes of one's own follow in other parts of Winterthur
- 1873 - Participation in the world exhibition in Vienna
- 1880 - above all steam engines contribute about 2000 persons employed to growth,
- 1881 - Branch enterprise in Ludwigshafen based
- 1890 - first "worker commission "of Switzerland based
- 1898 - first Sulzer diesel engine in co-operation with Rudolf Diesel
- around 1900 - over 3000 coworkers, sales offices in Milan, Paris, Cairo, London, Moscow, Bucharest
- 1914 - three corporations instead of the original family company, of it one superordinately of today's getting things), sales office in Kobe
- 1919 - first appearing regular newspaper for the staff in Switzerland, company magazine "technical one round-look Sulzer" based
Crisis of the 30. Years
- 30. Years - world economic crisis, production sinks around 2/3, substantial personnel reduction
- 1937 - Strike (a threatening second national strike) also with Sulzer scarcely prevented, signs the "peace agreement"
- 40. Years - 2. World war, subsidiary company in Ludwigshafen sells, superordinate society ("getting thing") dissolved, new foreign markets searched
Growth
- 50. Years - rising production, immigrant worker (v.a. south Europe), extension v.a. in the work upper Winterthur, new divisions (energy, equipment technology, textile machines), improves conditions of work, development of the social security benefits, woman's work for "easier factory work", housing promotion also in surrounding municipalities
- 1961 - Winterthur taken over Swiss Lokomotiv and engine works (SLM), large diesel engine as the presenting product of Sulzer world-wide
- 1966 - Participation in engine works of E Wyss AG Zurich (53%), over 30 ' 000 coworkers
- 1968 - Reorganization, Sulzer gives itself a "Konzernstruktur*, with a line
- 1969 - complete assumption of E Wyss AG Zurich, becomes Sulzer of E Wyss AG
Crisis
- 70. Years - oil crisis, new orientation to the technology company, structure announced by material technologies
- 80. Years - reorganization with so-called and slowly concerned decentralization, on world-wide decrease of the capital goods in the 70. Years has Sulzer only in the second half of the 80. Years to react after losses, begun
- 1982 - Engine works taken over, domestic production and weaving loom business world-wide are developed (a rough business false estimate)
Losses, reorganizations
- 1984 - "150 years Sulzer" are celebrated, for Sulzer make losses (gives losses too), substantial restructuring
- 1988 - further reorganization, task of unprofitable product lines (rationalisation), Umorientuierung, Medizinaltechnik is developed (among other things purchase of US Intermedics group for over a billion Franconia)
- 1990 - Winterthurer engine works dissolved, "establishment area" in Winterthur clearing, for the first time more coworker abroad than in Switzerland, Diesel activities nearly completely sells
- 1992 - non-Swiss shareholders for the first time certified
- 1993 - Foundry upper Winterthur closed
Reorganizations, new beginnings
- 1996 - Technology center of the Sulzer AG in the industrial estate upper Winterthur open, environmental range of Sulzer Chemtech at Austrian Energy and Environment AG sells, electronics AG, finance company "fund for the creation and preservation of jobs" for separated (given up) firm ranges created stock exchange course of the ELMA
- 1997 - Stock exchange course of the Sulzer Medica, Sulzer Thermtec (equipments and valves for power stations) to the British IMI sells
- 1998 - Sulzer Medica takes over the American Spine Tech (spinal column sold at Adtranz Switzerland AG, Sulzer introduces parts of Swiss Lokomotiv and engine works SLM new weaving loom (multi-phaseweave)
- 1999 - renewed reorganization, Sulzer Industries and Sulzer Medica independently, sold Sulzer hydraulic (water power) to Sulzer Pumps in Jointventure with the Chinese Dalian Pumps in the industrial part are to be diminished until 2001 world-wide 1900 places, to the Austrian VA TECH, Sulzer Medica shift to Sulzer Biologics in Austin, Texas (the USA).
- 2000 - Sulzer Pumps takes over the Finnish Ahlstrom Pumps, several divisions is to be pushed off, when first Sulzer sells turbo to the group of one
- 2001 - Problems with contaminated hip joint implants by Sulzer Medica, collecting complaints, spin off of Sulzer Medica, Sulzer Infra at Fabricom sold, to Sulzer textile to the Italian Promatech sells
- 2002 - new board of directors, only the president remains, Sulzer Burckhardt at management sold, Sulzer Medica agrees with the US plaintiffs on a comparison, Sulzer AG pays to USD 75 millions, their share quotation sinks approximately
Costs lower, world-wide
- 2003 - easy recovery of the world economy, Sulzer Pumps wants to double world-wide the margins to 2006, in all divisions a "culture program" is started, for the increase of the efficiency
- 2004 - in accordance with published Sulzer report "the operational efficiency shows first successes in the year result 2004: The core divisions grow profitable and increase the operating as well as net success over over 50%"
- 2005 - Sulzer announces "continuous positive trend in the order entrance"
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