Crest of the Vöster family

1901: Viktor Gretsch

The locksmith Viktor Gretsch becomes the third member of the team. With him, the Hinderer brothers establish „Gretsch & Co. GmbH“. The product range is continuously expanded. In addition to fittings for tramcars and railway carriages, the ideas factory celebrates lasting successes with the Augusta fanlight opener, the linear ball bearing guides Perkeo and Apoll and the floor spring STOP, in particular.

1898: Oskar and Hugo Hinderer

The two energetic pioneers of the emerging industrial sector, Oskar and Hugo Hinderer, take over the factory of their uncle, Friedrich Carl Bauer. Inventiveness and business acumen are combined. They strive for a utilisation of the company‘s capacity that is independent of the seasons: in the summer, the first version of our ski bindings is produced; in the winter, it is hardware.

1911: Reinhold Vöster

The mechanical engineer Reinhold Vöster - grandson of Georg Friedrich Vöster - founds the company „Vöster & Müller“ in Feuerbach. The product range of Vereinigte Baubeschlägfabrik Gretsch & Co. GmbH is extended by door closers and hold-open systems for doors and windows.

1908

Establishment of a factory in Vienna

Vöster & Müller, Feuerbach

The company moves into the building of Vöster & Müller in Feuerbach. At the same time, the building is expanded.

The first Apprentice Department is established with state-of-the-art machinery.

Walter Vöster

In the spirit of optimism of the 50s, the stage is set for growth. Production figures soar. An additional plant is established. With the support of his son Walter, also a graduate in engineering, Reinhold Vöster can concentrate on new developments and advancements again. The lifting door fitting Huba comes onto the market and is a successful model.

1970: Additional production site

Foundation of an additional production site. Business is going well, so well that space has to be created for production. In Boxberg-Schweigern near Würzburg, Ziegelei- und Apparatebau GmbH is up for sale with its buildings and land. A branch is set up here for the production of door closers and the Perkeo sliding door fitting.

Brigitte Vöster

Reinhold Vöster dies at the age of 84. Before his death, he passes on his life‘s work to his granddaughter Brigitte Vöster, who becomes the sole shareholder. She starts a process of growth which is characterised by new technologies and internationalisation to this day. GEZE experiences above average increases in turnover and income.

1980: Logo „G.C.“ becomes GEZE

A brand name becomes the company name. The logo „G.C.“ on the packing cases of „Gretsch & Co.“ – used in speech for years – provides the new name. Thus, „Vereinigte Baubeschlagfabriken Gretsch & Co. GmbH“ officially becomes „GEZE GmbH“. Since the 1980s, the product policy has been focussed on solutions for doors and windows.

Augusta opens fanlights

Augusta, the fanlight opener for opening a high window, is new in around 1901. The operation of Augusta with a drawstring makes easy operation possible even in tight spaces. A horizontal casement weighing up to 50 kg can be lifted out of its frame without any effort with Augusta as a "single cord system".

Perkeo - in the range to this day

The linear ball bearing guide Perkeo is characterised by its tiny dimensions and can stand up to heavy door leaves. Perkeo has been in the product range since 1901. The linear ball bearing guide gains a global reputation from 1928 when it takes over buses, trams, ships and even Zeppelin airships. It has continued to be developed to this day and is used as a complete unit on single and double leaf sliding door systems, whenever durable, extremely resilient and precise guides are required, e.g. in industrial systems or in vehicle construction.

1924

"Fax" fanlight opener

1899

The company relocates to the aspiring industrial location of Feuerbach.

Advertisement for "Perkeo" sliding door fitting in trams

1906

Victor Gretsch leaves the company. Two companies exist with an identical production programme: the Hinderer brothers merge the two companies Friedrich Carl Bauer and Gretsch & Co. GmbH. The result is „Vereinigte Baubeschlägfabrik Gretsch & Co. GmbH“.

Kandahar - successful binding

The innovative Kandahar cable binding becomes a best-seller in the 1930s. It guarantees the safe guidance of the ski. It is particularly suitable for downhill skiing, as Kandahar  affects a very high degree of heel pull and is adjustable. Using hooks, the cable tension can be adapted for the respective skiing discipline.

Advertisement for "Perkeo" sliding door fitting in trams

GC

The GC logo is used for the first time and leads to the current company name GEZE in 1980.

1936

Christel Cranz and Franz Pfnür win gold medals in the Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen with the ski binding Kandahar. Kandahar becomes the binding of choice on all ski slopes.

Lifting and tilting with HUBA

In the booming housing construction of the 1950s and '60s, it is not just in Germany that almost every balcony, patio door and sash window is opened or closed with the lifting fitting HUBA. Its particular benefit is complete air-tightness, combined with a ventilation function as a result of the door or window being bottom-hung. HUBA is easy to operate, as only a lever has to be used. The sales of HUBA are sometimes measured in tonnes, rather than numbers of items - that is how successful the product is.

1960: GEZE Olymp

At the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley in California, everyone is talking about GEZE ski bindings. The speed skier Heidi Biebl wins the gold medal with GEZE Olymp.

GEZE Olymp

In the 1950s, the winter sports products experience a boom. GEZE Olymp, the first toe release safety binding developed by Walter Vöster, is presented. He plays a decisive role in the strived for further development of the company, which makes a fundamental rationalisation and expansion of the production facilities necessary.

Topstar

"Topstar" safety control

1959-1963

The production facilities in Feuerbach can no longer stand up to the demand and the rapidly changing times in the long run. Sufficient space for putting new ideas into practice can be found in Leonberg. A new factory is built there between 1959 and 1963, according to the latest considerations of rational production.

Design & discrete technology: OL 100

When the manual fanlight opener OL 100, a masterpiece of modern product design comes onto the market at the start of the 1980s. The technology - hitherto openly visible - is now concealed. The aluminium housing is imperceptibly connected to the window profile, meaning that the OL 100 is particularly suited to the aluminium windows emerging at this time. With the multiple-scissor version, the area of application of fanlight openers can also be automated and extended to large and heavy windows.

"Open sesame" or TSA 10

The first automatic floor spring TSA 100 for swing doors is a technological quantum leap that rings in the era of automatic door opening in the 1960s. Whilst the action mechanism  of door closers was hitherto based solely on the hydraulic principle, the new floor spring TSA 100 is operated by an electric motor. The motor and the drives are housed together in a cement box in the floor. The door now opens automatically with the help of a floor contact mat.

1990: Automatic doors

In the middle of the 1990s, it is really possible to do business with automatic doors. Automatic sliding, swing and revolving doors have been part of the product range since then.

1983: In order to equip for the future

In order to equip the company for the future, Brigitte Vöster-Alber abandons the popular ski product line. A difficult decision - but GEZE can now concentrate fully on modern door closing systems. The export business is expanded further.

1972

„Gretsch & Co.“ equips all the buildings of the Olympic Village in Munich with the lifting door fitting Huba, which has achieved a market share of up to 95 per cent by now.

40 years of continuity

The Chief Executive Officer, Brigitte Vöster-Alber, celebrates her 40th jubilee with the company. With the expansion of its logistics and storage capacity, GEZE is responding to the excellent order situation and its growth worldwide. A subsidiary is established in Hungary.

GEZE China

With a subsidiary in the Chinese port of Tianjin as a sales and production site, GEZE is reacting to the ever growing demand in the Asian market and strengthening its competitive position. Today, almost 450 employees work there very successfully.

GEZE System TS 5000

The overhead door closer TS 5000 with guide rail sets standards in technical perfection. The closing force can be infinitely adjusted. The computer-calculated curved form of the pinion gear, the heat resistant closing speed and back check that can be adjusted from the front and the hydraulic latching action guarantee flexibility and the highest technical standards at the end of the 1980s.

2002: GEZE Service

GEZE Service shines with new lustre: due to continuous growth, GEZE Service GmbH occupies a newly constructed building on the company's premises.

GEZE IGG

The „integrated all-glass system“ GEZE IGG is introduced.

New technology centre

Official opening of the new technology centre. Innovative products and systems are developed in this ideas factory.

GEZE Austria

The subsidiary GEZE Austria is established in Salzburg.

GEZE Sonderkonstruktionen

The subsidiary GEZE Sonderkonstruktionen is established in Boxberg-Schweigern. Sophisticated sliding and revolving doors and all-glass solutions are created here.

GEZE Service GmbH

The subsidiary GEZE Service GmbH is established. Today, there are around 120 employees conducting training courses, installation and maintenance work.

1997: GEZE Slimdrive SL

A milestone of GEZE product design: with the Slimdrive SL, a sliding door drive with a drive height of only seven centimetres is presented for the first time. 

2002: Top 100

GEZE is granted the TOP 100 award and is one of the 100 outstanding medium-sized companies in Germany.

2006

After ten years of direct involvement in China, the subsidiary in Tianjin celebrates 10 successful years in business. In addition, the production site is extended by the business segment special constructions.

GEZE is continuously growing and is now also represented in Dubai, South Africa, Croatia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and  Slovakia.

TOP Employer award

It is through intelligent new products, in particular, that GEZE is able to maintain its position as one of the world's leading providers of systems for door, window and safety technology. This requires highly qualified and dedicated specialists. This is why GEZE supports its employees through a human resources management system that is continuously being scrutinised and optimised. GEZE has received a number of awards for this, including  a Top Employer award in Germany in 2008 and 2011.

GEZE India

GEZE establishes a subsidiary in India as one of the most important markets of the future. Dominant market positions are achieved with refined product lines, including design glass fittings, integrated all-glass systems and a new guide rail technology.

2010: Zrenjanin

GEZE intensifies its sales and service activities in Eastern Europe. In Zrenjanin in Serbia, an additional production site goes into operation. 

Smoke and heat extraction

If you are particularly interested in fire prevention and solutions in the area of smoke and heat extraction systems (RWA)? Then we hope you enjoy the demonstration of the functioning of the GEZE product solutions in our smoke and heat extraction film.

Award "TOP 100"

GEZE is granted the TOP 100 award again and is one of the 100 outstanding medium-sized companies in Germany.

GEZE distribution centre

The company expands into an ultramodern distribution centre in Leonberg.

2012: GEZE Worldwide

GEZE extends its local presence throughout the world by establishing two new subsidiaries in Turkey and Russia.

Leonberg

GEZE remains loyal to its headquarters in Leonberg. Due to increasing numbers of employees, it expands into a new administration building and a new facility management building.