Bosch is a German brand of home appliances owned by BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerate GmbH, which is a joint venture of two major German corporations: Robert Bosch GmbH and Siemens AG. Bosch home appliances are of high quality, strict design, good functionality. Its home appliances are produced in China, Germany, Russia, Poland, Spain, and other countries. Positioned on average, above average, and top price segments.
The famous German company is the world’s leading provider of services in the field of automotive technology, industry, consumer goods segment, as well as modern construction and packaging technologies. Today the company has almost 300,000 employees, about 350 subsidiaries of regional companies and enterprises, and over 13,000 service centers operating in more than 150 countries around the world. It is hard to imagine that such a huge company, which today is headquartered in Gerlingen (Germany), started as a small workshop.
The history of the Bosch brand begins with the foundation of Robert Bosch in 1886 of his workshop of precision mechanics and electrical engineering. At first, only two people worked in the workshop, and they produced a variety of electrical equipment.
A few words about Robert Bosch himself. He was born in a small German town Albok in 1861, in a peasant family. Since childhood, he enjoyed making a variety of things with his own hands and was fond of technique. He had very strong and high moral principles, and one of his most famous quotes says: “I have always acted following the principle – it is better to lose money than trust”.
The workshop was growing and in 1901, Bosch and his 45 employees moved to a new building. Subsequently, the entrepreneur bought up all the neighboring plots with the buildings located on them and converted them into factories. At that time, the company produced more than 10,000 low voltage magnetos per year (one of the first parts produced by the company).
The magneto stuck to the brand and still can be seen on the iconic company’s emblem. The Bosch logo today is a symbol of precise quality and excellence, which shows the brand’s connection to its roots and huge respect for its legacy.
Impeccable German quality, responsible attitude to business have cemented the company’s credibility image. The products of the brand do not need advertising. The experience and attention to the smallest detail do it for the brand. During the long history of development, “Robert Bosch GmbH” has turned from a modest workshop into the largest corporation specializing in equipment for cars, household appliances, communication devices.
During Hitler’s reign, Robert Bosch did everything possible to prevent the company from falling into the hands of the Nazi government, to keep family control over it, and not to fulfill military orders. The company from the joint-stock company again became private. During World War II, its main production facilities were destroyed; Robert Bosch himself died on March 12, 1942.
After the war, the company has managed to recover, since the 1950s it has significantly increased production and opened factories in India, Australia, and Brazil. In the 1950s, the company produced the first Bosch kitchen stove, a mixer, a freezer, and a washing machine. 1962 was marked by the launch of the built-in kitchen stove, and 1965 – dishwasher and washing machine. Today the high-quality appliances are very easy to use, and if, for example, your Bosch dishwasher displays e24 error code, you can always find out how to deal with it.
In 1967, the Bosch household appliances division merged with the corresponding department of Siemens AG. As a result, the BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerate GmbH appeared, which now produces appliances under the brands Bosch, Siemens, Neff, and Zelmer.
Interestingly, nowadays 92% of Robert Bosch’s shares (respectively, about 46% of BSH shares) belong to the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH charity foundation – this was Robert Bosch’s will. The foundation supports various projects in education, science, health, and environmental protection. The Foundation has no vote in the management of the company, but naturally, it receives almost all dividends.
Bosch and its subsidiaries have always been very attentive to the environment. For example, in 1991, a special department for environmental protection was established, and in 1993 Bosch was the first refrigerator manufacturer in the world to abandon the use of fluoride/chlorine hydrocarbons in its production. According to environmentalists, these very substances are responsible for the expansion of the ozone hole.
In 2008, Bosch received the prize for sustainable development thanks to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and a large number of patents associated with the invention of new technologies to minimize environmental damage in the manufacture of household appliances. In 2010, Bosch was awarded the Innovation Prize for Environmental and Climate Conservation.
Recognition of Bosch is due to a combination of impeccable style, simplicity, ease of use, and functionality of devices. Everything, created by Bosch, is for the comfortable life of the consumers.