1907 - HOW IT ALL BEGAN...
On January 2, 1907, Mr. Friedrich August Picard, the founder of the company, opens a shop for installation and fabrication needs in Remscheid, Freiheitstrasse 23. Thanks to his foresight, both as a businessman and as a technician, the company soon enjoyed general popularity.
1916 - ENTRY SECOND GENERATION
Company founder Friedrich August Picard with his family around 1916
(far left wife Adele Picard, fourth from left daughter Adele)
In November of this year, Mr. Picard is called up for military service and his wife, who has always helped her husband since the company was founded, takes over the continuation of the business with the support of her daughter Adele until the end of the war.
1919 - AFTER WORLD WAR 1
After the war, further development can be continued together. The production of poplar wood discs and grinding supplies is started in the production facilities acquired for this purpose in Remscheid-Lennep, Knusthöhe 21.
1920 - THE SON-IN-LAW
Mr. Walter Keller, who later became a son-in-law and partner, joins the company and after some time takes over the management of the trading business in Remscheid together with his wife, Ms. Adele Keller.
1931 - NEW PRODUCTS AGAINST GRINDER'S DISEASE
Mr. Picard can now fully devote himself to the fabrication. Coming from an old Bergisch grinder family, he knows the needs and worries of the grinder’s profession. So it is obvious that Mr. Picard was already dealing with the production of artificial whetstones in 1931. These should replace the sandstones and thus put a stop to the dangerous grinder disease, silicosis. Artificial sharpening stones, as well as the slip rings later required for machines, are increasingly proving their worth in domestic industry due to their good quality.
1943/1945 - THE 2ND WORLD WAR BRINGS DEEP WOUNDS
The Second World War left deep wounds. Air raids completely destroyed the trading business in Remscheid in 1943, as well as most of the operations in Remscheid-Lennep in March 1945, shortly before the end of the war.
1945 - HEAVY BLOWS OF FATE
After the death of the founder in October 1945, there is no thought of reconstruction in the first post-war years. In the locations that were spared by the war, the production of poplar wood discs continued, as did the trading business for technical industrial supplies.
1949 - THE RECONSTRUCTION
With the support of an always loyal workforce, the production facility for artificial grinders is set up in order to be able to deliver products of the traditional quality again.
1953 - ANOTHER BLOW OF FATE
In the second construction phase, the offices and apartments for employees were completed. In December of the same year, the managing director and partner, Mr. Walter Keller, was called away from his tireless work much too early due to his death. His wife, Ms. Adele Keller, takes over the management of the company.
1955 - ENTRY 3RD GENERATION
With Mr. Edmund Vahrenholt, Mrs. Keller’s son-in-law, the third generation joins the company on March 15 of that year. He had previously passed his apprenticeship and master’s examination as a painter and decorator in just four years.
1960 - FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE BELT GRINDING PROCESS
The belt sanding process is increasingly replacing the poplar wood discs, the so-called pleated discs. The development of belt grinding contact wheels is therefore pushed ahead and soon the company can present itself as a well-known manufacturer of these products with an extensive production range, both domestically and internationally.
1970 - EXPANSION OF THE PRODUCT RANGE
In order to expand the manufacturing program of grinding and polishing materials, the production of polishing rings and discs made of cloth and sisal is started.
1976 - FROM INITIAL TRIAL...
A new type of wood profile sanding disc FAPI-ELASTIK emerged from initial trials, with which an optimal sanding quality is achieved on profiles, edges and strips of all types of wood. In addition to customers in the metal industry, more and more companies in the wood industry are now also being supplied.
JANUARY 1982 - PICARD CELEBRATES 75TH ANNIVERSARY
The company can look back on 75 years of history. This success is due to the prudent management and to a large extent to the commitment and loyalty of the workforce. Various employees have been able to celebrate their 25th or 40th anniversary with the company.
JULY 1982 - ENTRY 4TH GENERATION PART 1 - JÖRG VAHRENHOLT
With Mr. Jörn Vahrenholt, the son of Edmund Vahrenholt, the fourth generation is now entering the company. In the years that followed, the trained industrial business administrator introduced a new EDP system that supported the commercial administration and provided important data quickly and comprehensively.
MARCH 1993 - ENTRY 4TH GENERATION PART 2 - DIRK VAHRENHOLT
In this year, Mr. Dirk Vahrenholt, the eldest son of Edmund Vahrenholt, joins the company and takes on the duties of technical operations manager.
1997 - DEVELOPMENT FOR THE WOOD INDUSTRY
The new type of profile sanding wheel FAPI-FLEX for fine sanding of wood and intermediate lacquer sanding is developed and is of great interest to the wood industry. In the same year, a sisal cord leather brush is presented, which is used for finishing oiled and waxed wooden surfaces.
On November 29th of that year, Mrs. Adele Keller, the long-standing managing director of the company, died. Up to that point she could look back on more than 75 years of service in the company.
1999 - THE CRADLE OF DEBURRING DISCS
New profile sanding discs are developed for processing MDF boards on CNC routers and edge processing machines. Furthermore, the profile sanding wheel FAPI-FLEX-RADIAL SW6 and FAPI-FLEX-RADIAL for the intermediate sanding of the paintwork of the rebate areas on doors is developed from the previous buffing mop.
Profile sanding pad
OCTOBER 2001 - PICARD REMAINS A FAMILY BUSINESS
As a result of the change in the articles of association of October 1, 2001, Messrs Dirk and Jörn Vahrenholt each became a quarter shareholder of the company. The remaining shares are retained by Edmund Vahrenholt and his wife Anita Vahrenholt.
MARCH 2005 - CELEBRATING EDMUND VAHRENHOLT
Edmund Vahrenholt has been working for Friedrich August Picard GmbH & Co. KG for 50 years now. First as an employee and later, due to his merits for the company, also as a partner and managing director. On March 15, 2005, Mr. Edmund Vahrenholt celebrated his 50th anniversary with long-standing business partners and the workforce.
JANUARY 2, 2007 - WE CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF PICARD
100th anniversary of the company Friedrich August Picard GmbH & Co. KG.
The anniversary will be celebrated on April 13, 2007 with all employees, former employees and business partners in the monastery church in Remscheid-Lennep under the motto “100 years – 100 days”.
JANUARY 2011 - NEW SHAREHOLDER AT PICARD
As of January 1st, 2011, Mr. Marc Böck is a quarter shareholder of the company due to a change in the shareholder agreement.
MARCH 2013 - PICARD FAMILY OWNED AGAIN
On March 31, 2013, Mr. Marc Böck decided to leave our company. In addition to completing his master’s thesis, he would like to found a management consultancy together with his brother.
Thus, the traditional company Friedrich August Picard GmbH & Co. KG with the two managing directors Dirk and Jörn Vahrenholt is completely family-owned again.
MAY 7, 2014 - THE SYMBOLIC FOUNDATION STONE LAYING
With a short speech by the managing director Mr. Jörn Vahrenholt, the symbolic laying of the foundation stone for the new construction of a 1,600 m² production hall and an administration wing of more than 400 m² in the West 2 commercial area (Winterhagen/Scheideweg) in Hückeswagen was celebrated today. The new premises are to be moved into in December of this year.
DECEMBER 2014 - DONE! - WE'VE MOVED
It’s done! After completion of the new building, the entire production as well as the administration was moved from our old location Knusthöhe 21 in Remscheid to the new premises at Heinrich-Schicht-Str. 7 in Hückeswagen!
