History

A Brand Conquers the World

A company that combines tradition with progress is best poised to meet the challenges of the future.

FUCHS is recognized around the world for its innovative lubricants and related specialty products for industry. As a Group with global reach, we have not forgotten our roots: our headquarters are located in Mannheim, where it all began.

In 1931, Rudolf Fuchs founded his import and sales company for high-quality refinery products. Just 20 years later he made his first deliveries to customers abroad. International business relationships became important early in the company’s history. In the 1960’s, the company increased its activities in international markets. Two main developments characterized the 70’s and 80’s: specialization and expansion. Product selection was expanded continuously and tailored to the special needs of our partners. Investment acquisitions, takeovers, and new business starts around the globe gave expression to our successful corporate strategy. In the early 90’s, all activities were focussed on the core business: lubricants. Sales become strongest in the Western European, North American, and Asian-Pacific markets. Today, the Group is headed by FUCHS PETROLUB AG in Mannheim, with stock exchange listings in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Zurich.


1931	Founding of the RUDOLF FUCHS Company in Mannheim. Import and sales of high-quality pennsylvanian refinery products. Development of a regional motor oil business.
1936	Start of in-house production. Opening of first off-site facility in Munich.
1939	War breaks out. Importation of pennsylvanian oils interrupted. Traditional oil suppliers go out of business. Company moves to the Mannheim industrial harbor and opens a sales office in Austria.
1945	War ends. Sales bottom out at 1,021 metric tons.
1946	Rebuilding of operation in Mannheim. First chemist and engineering specialist hired.
1947	Development of sales organization. Focus on supplying industry for rebuilding; the industrial business surpasses FUCHS motor oil sales for the first time.
1948	FUCHS lubricants promoted at German automobile race courses.
1949	Rudolf Fuchs and the German truck industry develop an HD oil for diesel engines.
1952	Number of employees exceeds 200. First shipments to the Middle East.
1959	Death of company founder Rudolf Fuchs. Company continues as a family business.
1960	Expansion of sales offices in Europa. Major construction projects at the Mannheim and Hannover facilities. Manfred Fuchs joins the management board.
1966	Exports of industrial speciality products accelerate. Additional foreign offices open in many European countries.
1968	First step to make the company international in scope with the founding of subsidiaries in France and Spain.
1971	Growing specialization of the product line. In Mannheim, 33 employees now work in Research, Development, and Quality Assurance.
1972	FUCHS becomes a group of companies. The German business is spun off and made independent as FUCHS MINERALOELWERKE GMBH. RUDOLF FUCHS GMBH & CO. acts solely as a holding company. Strong expansion defines the period from 1972 to 1991. Investment acquisitions are made every year.
1975	Founding of FUCHS BETEILIGUNGSGESELLSCHAFT KG in Mannheim and initial opening of the Group for outside investors by private placement of limited partner’s shares.
1976	Consolidation of foreign activities in the newlyfounded FUCHS INTEROIL GMBH in Mannheim.
1981	Company celebrates its 50th anniversary. Founding of FUCHS PETROLUB AG in Frauenfeld, Switzerland. Acquisitions and new business starts in Germany and other countries. The company, which originally operated almost exclusively in Germany, becomes a diversified Group with a global reach, now comprising 80 production and trading companies.
1984	Transformation of the Mannheim-based FUCHS BETEILIGUNGSGESELLSCHAFT KG into FUCHS PETROLUB AG OEL + CHEMIE and consolidation of all German affiliates in this corporation.
1985	Introduction of preferred shares of FUCHS PETROLUB AG OEL + CHEMIE on the Frankfurt and Stuttgart stock exchanges. The first rapidly biodegradable PLANTO product, a chain saw oil, enters the market. Development of our comprehensive product line based on natural raw materials began in the late 1970’s.
1988	Cornerstone laid for the new administration building for the Mannheim Holding Company.
1991	Conclusion of the expansion phase with important acquisitions in England and France. Start of a consolidation phase that will last into the second half of the 1990’s. Focus on the core lubricant business.
1997	Consolidation of the German and Swiss Group holding companies under the umbrella of the German FUCHS PETROLUB AG in Mannheim with stock exchange listings in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Zurich.
1999	With the founding of FUCHS EUROPE, integration of Western European companies outside Germany is accelerated. Stefan Fuchs is appointed deputy member of the executive board.
2000	FUCHS PETROLUB AG becomes the world’s largest supplier of lubricants among the independent producers, with sales of 900 million euros and 4,000 employees. Additional office space is built at company headquarters in Mannheim to accommodate all employees.
2001	Start-up of the fully-automated logistics center of FUCHS DEA SCHMIERSTOFFE GMBH & CO. KG. FUCHS and DEA to terminate joint venture in view of the merger of the refining and marketing operations of SHELL (Germany) and DEA.
2002	As of January 1, 2002, DEA Mineraloel AG withdraws as partner of the joint venture with the company subsequently renamed FUCHS EUROPE SCHMIERSTOFFE, thus enabling the Group to fully incorporate this largest subsidiary into the West European activities.
2004	Dr. Manfred Fuchs, who has led the company for 41 years and made it into one of the world’s leading lubricant producers, is to retire as Chairman of the Executive Board. He will be succeeded by his son, Stefan Fuchs.
2006	75th company anniversary with payout of bonus dividend and bonus share. With more than 4,000 employees in 60 operating companies worldwide, the Group generates sales revenues of €1.2 billion.
	Sale of the LIPPERT-UNIPOL group operating in the field of surface technology in order to focus the Group on the lubricant business.
	Sale of FUCHS Bangladesh.
2007	FUCHS takes over two small industrial lubricants companies in Brazil.
	Start of the share buy back program up from the 10th of May.
2008	Prof. (em) Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Otto H. Jacobs retires from his post after the Annual General Meeting on May 6, 2008. Dr. Erhard Schipporeit is the new Supervisory Board member. Lars-Eric Reinert succeeds Heinz Thoma in his post as employee represantative to the Supervisory Board.
	FUCHS takes over the majority of the japanese joint venture and signs with the company name FUCHS JAPAN LTD.
	Promotion to the MDAX effected by June 23, 2008.
	FUCHS announces an investment offensive in the amount of 70 Mio € for the expansion of research and development, the strengthening of its specialty business and the creation of additional capacities in the growth markets of Brazil, China and India.
	FUCHS acquires the industrial lubricants business of MS Fluid Technologies in the USA with effect from October 1, 2008.
	FUCHS PETROLUB opens its new Chinese factory in NanXiang (Shanghai province) on October 17, 2008. The modern factory will serve as the headquarters for FUCHS' activities in China as well as the research and development centre for the FUCHS Group in Asia.
2009	FUCHS PETROLUB augments its Board of Directors from four to six. The change prepares the company for the future.
2010	FUCHS acquires the worldwide food grade specialty lubricants business of Shell International Petroleum, London with effect from October 1,2010.