History

Almost a century, several generations and a common thread: wood. 

What began in 1929 as a timber yard in Haltern is now a corporate group that supplies track construction sites across Europe. The path there led via a sawmill, a pressure impregnation plant and a whole series of decisions that proved to be the right ones.

Timeline

18 stations from 1929 to 2024

1900s

  1. 1907

    Artists & Co.

    Establishment of Künstler & Co. in Dortmund-Holzwickede.

    Künstler BahntechnikBackground

1920s

  1. 1924

    ZICO

    Foundation of ZICO as a spring washer manufacturer.

    Holz-FehlingsBackground

  2. 1929

    Fehlings Timber Yard

    Otto Fehlings (1896 to 1975) founded the Fehlings timber yard in Haltern in Westphalia.

    Holz-Fehlings

1930s

  1. 1935

    Marl-Sinsen and our own sawmill

    The company moves to Marl-Sinsen and expands to include a sawmill. The production of railway sleepers begins.

    Holz-Fehlings

1940s

  1. 1940

    salt impregnation plant

    Expansion of the company to include a salt impregnation plant.

    Holz-Fehlings

  2. 1947

    Switch to hard coal tar oil

    Conversion of the salt impregnation plant to coal tar creosote.

    Holz-Fehlings

1960s

  1. 1964

    Otto Herrmann Fehlings takes over

    Sawmill industry master Otto Herrmann Fehlings takes over the company.

    Holz-Fehlings

1980s

  1. 1984

    mining technology artist

    Künstler & Co. is becoming Künstler Bergbautechnik GmbH.

    Künstler BahntechnikBackground

  2. 1987

    From manufacturer to warehouse keeper

    The impregnation plant in Marl-Sinsen is being closed. The company is taking on the role of a stocking enterprise.

    Holz-Fehlings

1990s

  1. 1996

    Otto Johannes Fehlings enters

    Otto Johannes Fehlings, graduate in business administration, joins the company.

    Holz-Fehlings

  2. 1997

    Holz-Fehlings Entsorgung GmbH

    Establishment of the Holz-Fehlings Entsorgung GmbH.

    Holz-Fehlings

  3. 1998

    Track construction and waste management under one roof

    Merger of the companies Holz-Fehlings Otto Fehlings Gleistechnik und Holzgroßhandlung with Holz-Fehlings Entsorgung GmbH to form Holz-Fehlings Gleistechnik und Entsorgung GmbH.

    Holz-Fehlings

2000s

  1. 2001

    Künstler Bahntechnik

    Change of company name to Künstler Bahntechnik GmbH.

    Künstler BahntechnikBackground

  2. 2005

    Fehlings Weiß in Berlin

    Establishment of and investment in the sales company Fehlings Weiß Gleistechnik und Entsorgung GmbH in Berlin.

    sales companies

  3. 2008

    Participation in Künstler Bahntechnik

    Partnership and shareholding in Künstler Bahntechnik GmbH in Holzwickede. The company was founded in 1907 as Künstler & Co. in Dortmund-Holzwickede, traded from 1984 as Künstler Bergbautechnik GmbH and since 2001 as Künstler Bahntechnik GmbH.

    Künstler Bahntechnik

2010s

  1. 2010

    Fehlings Narosch in Munich

    Establishment of and investment in the sales company Gleistechnik und Entsorgung GmbH in Munich Fehlings Narosch.

    sales companies

  2. 2011

    Branch Chemnitz

    The Künstler Bahntechnik GmbH is establishing its branch Chemnitz.

    Künstler Bahntechnik

  3. 2014

    Weichenwerk Röblingen

    The Künstler Bahntechnik GmbH is taking over the turnout plant Röblingen.

    Künstler Bahntechnik

  4. 2015

    Ownership increased to 100 per cent

    Participation in Künstler Bahntechnik GmbH is being expanded to 100 per cent.

    Künstler Bahntechnik

  5. 2018

    Registered office Hamm

    The Künstler Bahntechnik GmbH is relocating its registered office from Holzwickede to Hamm.

    Künstler Bahntechnik

2020s

  1. 2022

    Fehlings Gruppe AG

    Establishment of the Fehlings Gruppe AG in Baar, Switzerland.

    Fehling's group

  2. 2024

    Zico merges

    Merger of Zico Zimmermann & Co. GmbH with Holz-Fehlings Gleistechnik und Entsorgung GmbH.

    Holz-Fehlings

Next step

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