History: The bwh company history from its foundation in 1983 to the present day

We are bwh Koffer – our company history is a success story of more than 40 years of innovation and pioneering spirit. As global leader in the manufacture of special cases, we owe our success to one principle: we find the right solution for every customer requirement.

Our journey to becoming the market leader for individual case solutions began in 1983 with the founding of the company. Innovation and quality have always been our focus. Our individual “Made in Germany” case solutions require know-how and technical understanding. Today, we are proud to be part of the Westphalian region and to continue researching sustainable products. Thanks to our dedicated employees, we are ideally equipped for future challenges.

Take a look at the exciting milestones in over 40 years of bwh history:

Foundation of the company
Karl-Heinz Wriedt
bwh Spezialkoffer GmbH was founded on 25.04.1983 by Karl-Heinz Wriedt, Karl-August Beyer and Hans Hülso. The company name “bwh” is made up of the first letters of the surnames. More about the early years of bwh in our blog article.
Use of drilling and milling machines
Use of drilling and milling machines

For the first time, CNC-controlled drilling and milling machines are used in case production, guaranteeing high precision.

First certification according to ISO 9001
First certification according to ISO 9001

bwh Koffer is certified according to DIN ISO 9001 for the first time. From now on, the company’s high quality standards are reflected in its certified quality management.

bwh website goes online for the first time
bwh website goes online for the first time

bwh Koffer conquers the internet: the company’s website goes online for the first time

Foundation of the online shop Koffermarkt
Foundation of the online shop Koffermarkt

bwh Koffer founds its subsidiary, B+W Koffermarkt GmbH & Co. KG. At the beginning, only cases from the bwh standard line are sold through the online shop www.koffermarkt.com.

Product development: Sky Box
Product development: Sky Box

In cooperation with Transguard, a company of the Emirates Group, the Sky Box is being developed as a transport solution for the air cargo sector.

Foam production with water jet cutting
Foam production with water jet cutting

The production of foam inserts is now carried out with the help of a waterjet cutting machine. This enables the in-house production of individual foam inserts according to customer requirements.

Product development: AZKR case series
AZKR

bwh Koffer develops the new AZKR aluminium case series. The case body made of hard-wearing material with all-round aluminium profiles and angles offers reliable protection and a great design.

Product development: Variosafe Box
Product development: Variosafe Box

The bwh experts develop the foldable and collapsible Variosafe Box: the space-saving transport box is particularly suitable for one-way shipping.

Certification Casys Box
Casys Box 94105N

Certification of the Casys Box by TÜV Rheinland according to IP 54 (dust and splash-proof) and IP 67 (dust and waterproof)

Relaunch Koffermarkt
Koffermarkt-Relaunch-2011_4x3

The online shop www.koffermarkt.com is being completely redesigned. In addition to a new visual appearance, travel cases and bags from renowned brand manufacturers will be offered from now on.

Opening ceremony of the bwh stadium of FC Stella Bevergern
Opening ceremony of the bwh stadium of FC Stella Bevergern

The previously nameless stadium of the local sports club FC Stella Bevergern is given the official name bwh Stadion to mark the club’s 100th anniversary.

Product development: Guardian Case
Product development: Guardian Case

Development and introduction of the Guardian Case: the robust plastic case is the perfect transport case for rough work use

Construction of a new production hall
Construction of a new production hall

The new production hall for foam processing at the Hörstel-Bevergern site is opened and now offers around 650 m2 of additional space for our production.

ATA Certificate for Sky Box and Casys Box
ATA Certificate for Sky Box and Casys Box

Certification of airworthiness of Sky Box and Casys Box according to ATA certification

Product development: Robust Case
Product development: Robust Case

The case experts at bwh have developed the Robust Case, a sturdy aluminium frame case with particularly robust impact protection corners.

Digital locking system: pylocx lock
Digital locking system: pylocx lock

The security of the Sky Box and the Casys Box is enhanced by the new electronic pylocx locking system. The lock is 100% tamper-proof.

Major relaunch of the bwh website
Major relaunch of the bwh website

bwh Koffer is once again revising its website, which is now also optimised for viewing via smartphone or tablet.

Foam configurator goes online
bwh schaumstoffkonfigurator

Launch of the bwh case foam configurator, an online configurator for individual case foam inserts.

Product development: bwh whisper castors and telescopic handle
Product development: bwh whisper castors and telescopic handle

Development and introduction of the almost silent bwh whisper castors and the bwh pull-out handle, which ensures maximum transport comfort.

bwh celebrates the production of its five millionth case
2019-fünfmillionste Koffer

bwh celebrates the production of the five millionth case since the company was founded. Thanks go to our employees and to our loyal customers, who have made this success story possible.

Product development: ALUshape, ALUvision and Cool Case
Product development: ALUshape, ALUvision and Cool Case

Development and introduction of the Cool Case, ALUshape and ALUvision case series

T Box wins pro K Award
2020-1

The T Box transport case series convinced the expert jury of the pro-K Award with its robust and splash-proof construction as well as its integrated heavy-duty castors. The jury’s verdict could be summarised briefly and succinctly with the following sentence: “Protected safe transport!”

#bwhagainstcorona
#bwhagainstcorona

At the beginning of the pandemic, masks are a scarce commodity. bwh Koffer provides an employee to sew cloth masks for several weeks. The mouth-nose masks are donated to the city of Hörstel and social institutions.

Plastic cases made from recycled fishing nets
Schildkröte im Ozean

We are now taking our case production one step further towards sustainability: thanks to the environmentally friendly material Sea Plastics, which is obtained from maritime waste and broken fishing nets, our case shells can be made from up to 100% recycled material. We are the first case manufacturer to source and process materials from this environmentally friendly source.

Use of solar energy
Luftbild von bwh Koffer in Hörstel-Bevergern mit zwei Photovoltaik Anlagen auf dem Dach

We are pleased about the commissioning of the now second large photovoltaic system on the roofs of our production halls. With our own photovoltaic system, we now produce part of our daily electricity consumption ourselves.

bwh celebrates its 40th anniversary
bwh Koffer Luftaufnahme 1983

bwh Koffer celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. 40 years have flown by… We are proud to be one of the leading suppliers of special suitcases in the world today. Together with our employees and business partners, we are celebrating this success in a fitting manner.