At the end of 2004, the Hettich Group made the biggest single capital investment in the company's history. It was symbolized by the laying of the foundation stone for a new logistics centre. 
1930 also began with ambitious plans. Paul Hettich GmbH was founded in Herford as a sister company to an original company that dated back to 1888. In Herford, a team of seven employees made hinges for the furniture industry. Their products ranged from heavy, high-quality brass hinges for pianos and middle quality hinges for furniture to mini hinges for cigar boxes. The range was soon expanded to include wood screws, wardrobe rails and connectors.

1945 A fresh start: production began again after the war with 25 employees and new determination to succeed.
1953 Hettich and Alfred Günter, the long-time company agent, bought shares in ONI Metallwarenfabrik, a company making high-quality hinges from brass and light alloys. 
1955 A core team evolves. 160 employees celebrate the company's 25th anniversary. 
1958 Setting up of Kunststoff GmbH in Herford, this company later became Robbi, a leading supplier of fittings to DIY stores and builders' merchants. 
1959 Company management in the hands of the third generation of the family, with Anton Hettich as chairman. Complete legal separation from the original company in the Black Forest.
1966 Kirchlengern becomes the new headquarters of Paul Hettich GmbH & Co. KG. Production starts on a new 8,000 m2 new production area.
1968 Together with Alfred Günter and his son Hans-Dieter, Hettich buys Franke GmbH & Co. KG in Weilstetten/Balingen. Franke with 70 employees produces fittings for beds, connectors and other structural fittings.
1969 Hettich and ONI set up a branch in Berlin - today Hettich-Umformtechnik.
1971 Injection moulding starts in Frankenberg.
1972 Kunststoff GmbH production plant in Herford completely destroyed by fire.
1974 Logistics and sales centre set up in Kirchlengern.
1976 First foreign subsidiaries in Switzerland, Sweden, France and the USA. Hettich products exported to over 80 countries.
1977 Hettich takes over August Strothmann GmbH & Co. KG in Rietberg, a company making decorative fittings, including knobs and handles.
1979 Hettich buys shares in Richard Heinze in Herford, later taking the company over completely. This takeover gives Hettich a share in the Spanish OBE.
1980 50 years of Technik für Möbel: 1,600 employees and 60,000 m2 of offices and production floor. Permanent fittings showroom opened at company headquarters in Kirchlengern 
1986 Hettich Beschläge GmbH & Co. founded with responsibility for sales to professional fittings users - dealers and artisans. 
1987 International presence strengthened by setting up sales companies in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Spain and the UK. 
1991 Hettich International launched as the umbrella brand for all products worldwide. Founding of a subsidiary in Japan.
1992 Hettich concentrates increasingly on core competences, selling the Heinze injection moulding operation and Koralle, a company making shower cabin components linked to ONI.
1994 Founding of Czech subsidiary Hettich CR k.s. and production roll out at the new Czech plant in Zdár nad Sázavou.
1995 Hettich restructured as a holding company with independent, decentralized subsidiaries. Over 4,000 employees in 15 countries. 
Hettich Polska founded in Poland and Hettich Italia in Italy. The subsidiary today called Hettich RUS starts production in Elektrogorsk. Sales agencies set up in Singapore and Korea - these became subsidiaries in 2002 and 2003.
1996 Plastipar Industria, today Hettich do Brazil, in Curitiba becomes part of the Hettich Group. A new production plant is set up in China. A sales office is opened in Moscow to support production in Russia. 
1998 A new subsidiary Hettich SR s.r.o. set up in Trencin, Slovakia. 
1999 Hettich Hardware Accessories Co. Ltd. set up in Shanghai.
2000 70 years after the company was first registered, sales for the Hettich Group top a thousand million Deutschmark. Hettich India Ltd. starts as a sales company.
2001 The first teams move into the new Research and Development Centre. 
2003 The two business units, Do-it-Yourself (previously Robbi) and Professional (previously Hettich Beschläge) merge to form Hettich FurnTech GmbH & Co. KG with a joint service and logistics centre in Vlotho. 
Opening ceremony for the new Training Centre in Kirchlengern. New production building for the InnoTech drawer system goes into operation.
As the years have rolled by, important events have followed one another in ever faster succession. The company has grown larger and evolved into the global success story it is today. Driving growth has been the company's ability to develop and market innovative products that meet customer needs.

Innovations in tune with the times

75 years of Hettich - that's a 75-year tradition of the right products and the right quality. The current product spectrum is huge - hinges, drawer runners, drawers, connecting fittings, interior fittings for cupboards and drawers, and complex fittings systems, such as bed fittings, knobs and handles, and lighting systems. Supporting the company's success is the know-how and commitment of 4,800 employees worldwide.
It all began in 1930, with production of hinges in Herford. In 1934, wood screws were added to the then very limited product range. This was followed by wardrobe rails and connecting fittings during the following two years.

The 1950s - strong connections

By 1950 Hettich was firmly back in business after the devastation of the war. From 1950 onwards, the company produced "Vari"-rails in all variations for rationalized office furniture production. In 1955, connecting fittings were added to the product range, leading in 1960 to the patented, visible block connecting fitting that set new standards for furniture construction. This was a dowelless fitting, saving furniture manufacturers the effort of drilling dowel holes.

The 1960s - cup hinges change the furniture world

In 1960, drilling techniques improved, enabling the development of flush mounted connecting fittings like the Elite, the forerunner of today's Rastex connector. In 1963, Hettich bought the license to make the first concealed 4-jointed hinge with a 35 mm cup developed by Heinze. This hinge revolutionized future hinge development. 
In 1968, single pivot and brass hinges from ONI were seen as the perfect precision components. With 500 fixing types and over 10,000 hinge variants the company's range was the biggest in Europe, and possibly in the world. 
The ET 320 marked the birth of the spring hinge and soon the first all-metal hinges based on this hinge series were launched.

The 1970s - System 32 and the Quadro revolution

In 1970, Hettich started production of ballbearing runners - still among the company's best-selling products. A year later, System 32 a standard hole-spacing system devised by Hettich, combined the whole line with the fittings and assembled these into a constructive unit. Accepted worldwide, System 32 revolutionized furniture assembly and production. In 1975, development work commenced on the Quadro runner that operates on the ballbearing principle. The Quadro principle is now a quality standard worldwide for kitchen, residential and office furniture, in home appliances and in contract furniture.1979 saw the launch of Systema, the first organizable metal drawer for office furniture with Quadro runners. Systema today has developed into a complex product family that has become a world leader in office systems.

The 1980s - trend to sliding and folding

In 1980, Hettich completed development of the first three-door sliding door fitting ready for mass production. In 1985, the company launched fast-assembly hinges - the first one was Euromat Top Safe. Fast assembly hinges have slashed assembly times and revolutionized furniture assembly on-site. In 1989, the Wing Line range of folding door fittings became the trendsetter in a new generation of bedroom storage units.

The 1990s - focus on kitchens

In 1991, the launch of the first foldable steel box for kitchen drawers began a new era for drawer design and assembly techniques. Just a year later, the Quadro V6, a full-extension runner system pioneered a trend that has lead to full-extension becoming the de facto standard for kitchen furniture. 1993 saw production rollout of the trailblazing Intermat fast assembly hinge. In 1994, QuickTech, the first all-metal drawer for kitchens and bathrooms, went into production. The system is still unsurpassed, not only for its logistic and assembly advantages, but also for its high usability for the end-user. 1994 was also the year when Multiflex, the most successful mechanical bedslat adjusting system, went into mass production.
1995 saw the market launch of the InnoTech double-walled drawer system. The InnoTech system included a variable cutlery organizer system made of steel, which marked a giant step forward in allowing users organise kitchen drawers as they chose. The InnoTech system has been expanded with new developments since its launch, eg, the patented XL drawer. In 1999, the ComfortLine drawer system was introduced. ComfortLine gives end-users wide scope in combining system components to suit individual workstyle and wishes. 
The Concept Kitchen 2010 was a highlight of Interzum 1999 and attracted overwhelming press interest in national and international trade journals. Its design and functionality took account of four key areas: environment, comfort, ergonomics and changing approaches to the use of living space.

On the threshold of the 21st century

In 2000, Hettich developers perfected the SoftFlow damped drawer runner. Building on this early system, they went on to create Silent System - a complete damping system, not only for drawers but for hinges and for folding and sliding door fittings. An important innovation in 2002 was the hettlock electronic locking system. This is a versatile and sophisticated locking system that meets the special locking needs of furniture in offices and similar applications. As a digital system, hettlock can be integrated seamlessly into a building- or a facility-wide locking and organization system. 
In 2003, Hettich Franke launched mosys, its first electric system for adjustable slatted bed bases. The company supplies complete systems including the motor. With motor drives attachable at any point, mosys allows maximum freedom for fine bed design. This compares favourably with conventional double drives.
At 75, the Hettich Group has achieved a successful mix of mature know-how and trailblazing enthusiasm. The future too will be characterized by tracking in-coming trends and recognizing the developing need to work with developers, designers and customers to generate new solutions and develop them to the series production stage.