The Würth Group (, ) is a worldwide wholesaler of fasteners, screws and screw accessories, dowels, chemicals, electronic and electromechanical components, furniture and construction fittings, tools, machines, installation material, automotive hardware, inventory management, storage and retrieval systems. The group of over 400 companies across 80+ countries has been servicing the Automotive, Woodworking, Metalworking, Industrial and Construction industries with a strong presence across Europe.
Würth was founded in 1945 by Adolf Würth in Künzelsau, Germany. The company has been run by his son Reinhold Würth since 1954.
History
Würth was founded by Adolf Würth (1909–1954), established for the purpose of selling screws in 1945 in Künzelsau (hence the company logo, which consists of the family name and a W of two screw heads with cylindrical and round heads). After the death of Adolf Würth, his son Reinhold Würth took over in 1954 at the age of 19 with his mother Alma Würth, making it a two-person company.
Since then, the company has been active in the distribution of fasteners and tools with approximately 125,000 different products in these lines. Its more than 3,9 million customers include companies from the construction industry, wood and metal crafting, automotive companies, and, increasingly, industrial customers.
Today the Würth Group operates worldwide and employs over 81,000 people, making it one of the largest non-listed companies in Germany. The German newspaper Die Welt listed it as 91 on its list of top 500 companies.
On 1 January 1994, Reinhold Würth withdrew from management and took over as Chairman of the Würth Advisory Board. On March 1, 2006, he passed on this office to his daughter Bettina Würth and became Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Group.
On 27 October 2006, after five years of research, the group opened a production plant in Schwäbisch Hall for new types of solar cells using copper, indium, and selenium instead of silicon.
Unlike other trading companies, Würth spends much on research and development. It set a record in 2007 with more than 60 patents.
Corporate structure
Besides the German parent company Adolf Würth GmbH & Co, Würth includes more than 400 companies in 86 countries, which are divided into two lines:
The Würth Line (die Würth-Linie), whose companies carry the Würth name
206 allied companies, which are usually purchased companies that operate under their original name or have been integrated into another allied company
The Würth Group specializes in sales through its representatives. It operates globally, with continuous expansions due to sales. In Germany, the number of employees amounts to 24,971. Around the world, the Würth Group employs more than 33,000 sales representatives in the field.
Cultural ties
The Würth Group supports the Würth Foundation (Stiftung Würth), established by Carmen and Reinhold Würth in 1987 to promote art and culture, science and research, education and integration. The organization gives many types of awards, including the Würth Prize for European Literature (Würth-Preis für Europäische Literatur), the Würth Prize of Jeunesses Musicales Germany (Würth-Preis der Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland). Since 1993, Würth has awarded the Robert Jacobsen Prize to contemporary visual artists. In addition, the Würth Foundation engages in school and university funding. In 2005, the Künzelsau College of Applied Sciences of the University of Heilbronn was renamed Reinhold Würth University.
The Würth Collection comprises over 18,000 works from the 15th century to modern and contemporary art, primarily paintings and sculptures. It ranks among the greatest European private art collections. The works of art are regularly displayed to the public in five museums in Germany and ten associated galleries of the Würth Group across Europe, including Kunsthalle Würth and Johanniterkirche in Schwäbisch Hall in Germany, Museum Würth and Museum Würth 2 in Künzelsau in Germany, the Art Forum Würth Capena in Italy, the Musée Würth France Erstein in France and the Museo Würth La Rioja in Spain. In Switzerland, Würth maintains Forum Würth Arlesheim, Forum Würth Chur and Würth Haus Rorschach. Admission is free.
Würth is the organizer of the Würth Open-Air Festival, an annual music festival in Künzelsau. The Würth Philharmoniker orchestra was founded in Künzelsau in 2017 by Reinhold Würth Musikstiftung.