About the Company
From Then to Now
1905
Our company’s history begins in 1905 with the founding of a small blacksmith and wagon-making workshop in Düsseldorf-Eller by Karl Hildebrand Sr. At that time, fittings were still crafted entirely by hand. Tools such as hammers, anvils, and bellows were primarily used to shape and process various metals. In addition to shoeing horses, Karl Hildebrand Sr. specialized in building and repairing farm wagons and trailers. The small forge quickly developed into a renowned master craftsman’s business.
Until 1947, there were interruptions in operations due to the war, but the forge expanded significantly in the following years, especially with its in-house development and production of locks for agricultural vehicles. From around 1955, the first cast parts made of malleable iron were manufactured, and toggle locks like the H 110, H 109, and H 108 were developed, patented under the Rapid/Record brand, and produced in series.
1963
Due to the increase in manufacturing activities and the associated noise pollution, the geographical location of the business became increasingly problematic, as it was located in the middle of a residential area.
A new location with a sufficiently large property was sought and finally found in 1963 in Erkrath-Hochdahl, which at the time was still a very small industrial area.
1972
In 1972, an additional large warehouse was built.
In 1988, Siegfried Hildebrand (born 1947) took over the company from his father, Karl Hildebrand Jr. The product range was continuously expanded, and in addition to standard locks for various truck side panels, more and more special parts from different industrial sectors were manufactured and delivered according to customer requirements. The office, production, and warehouse facilities were “bursting at the seams,” making it necessary to enlarge the halls and construct a new office building.
1995
In 1995, the extension was finally completed, and a topping-out ceremony was celebrated.
With the addition of Cyril Hildebrand (born 1972) in 2001, the company entered a new chapter. From the beginning, Cyril worked with great personal passion on the development of ROTACHAIN, an automatic snow chain system for commercial vehicles, enriching the company’s product portfolio with another brand. Today, this system represents a very significant segment of our product range.
2005
The company’s 100th anniversary in 2005 was undoubtedly a joyful occasion for a grand celebration, which we fittingly hosted at the historic Lokschuppen Erkrath-Hochdahl at Hopmann’s Olive. In addition to culinary delights and stage-worthy anecdotes, there was plenty of laughter and dancing to musical entertainment. This day remains unforgettable!
To enhance our company’s performance on all levels and document the quality of our delivered products, a quality management system according to DIN EN ISO 9001 was introduced in 2016, and the company was certified for the first time.
2018
Since 2018, the Karl Hildebrand GmbH has been jointly managed by Siegfried Hildebrand and his son Cyril Hildebrand, now in its fourth generation.
