HISTORY
1898: Foundation of company Noricum Cless Werke by Mr. Heinrich Cless in Graz. At the beginning the production was focused on chainless bikes.
1902: The first motor bikes came on the market. Right away it won the gold medal at the Vienna Sports Exhibition and the 1st prize at the Semmering motor bike race.
1904: For economic reasons the production of Noricum motorcycles had been stopped.
1910: With the invention of the "freewheel" by company Fichtel & Sachs the bikes with cardan-shaft drive were no longer competitive. So the production had been changed to the manufacturing of gears and transmissions. Most of the gears were used in the industry.
1914: With the beginning of the 1st World War the number of employees increased to 430. According to the law of war military, equipment like detonators for grenades had to be produced beside gear wheels and gear units.
1918: After the war and the collapse of the economy, the production of gears for locomotives was in focus. Noricum Cless made a great contribution in the electrification of the Austrian railways. To compensate the loss of neighboring markets, a metal foundry had been established.
1924: An iron foundry was setup. The Great Depression in the thirties of the last century hit the company, dropping production to less than 20% of the capacity. What followed was the most difficult time in company history. Despite political turmoil and war, the factory did not crash and machinery was still ready for use.
1939: At the beginning of the 2nd World War the production of parts for the arms industry started (for example floodlight gears for antiaircraft defense).
1946: After the end of the 2nd World War the workload increased again. Initially repairs and spare part manufacturing was in focus. Later the production of a complete range of standard gears started (spur and bevel gears, worm gears).
1948: With the recovery of the economy the company got more and more important for the region, mainly through the production of electric drives for the Austrian railways. The highlight of those days was the visit of the Austrian Federal President, Dr. Karl Renner.
1970: The company focused more and more to special gear units. The products were sold and used all over the world, from the Sydney Opera House to the Aswan Dam in Egypt.
1982: Until this year Noricum Cless was still family owned. Because of family reasons the company was sold to Fuchs-Eldra MAG.
1985: A lot of investments took place in the machinery equipment and the development of commercial issues and technical products.
1988: After negotiations a cooperation contract was signed with the KUMERA Group as a new partner for standard gears.
1990: Despite the success with the new partner, the revenue could not compensate the big investments since the acquisition by Fuchs Eldra. The result was financial difficulties.
1992: The company Kachelmann bought our factory. Beside the head quarter in Germany, the Kachelmann-group has a production plant in Tyrol/Austria too.
1994: Unfortunately, the Kachelmann-group has considerable financial difficulties and closed the main factory in Germany. In the following years, the factory in Graz had to help to reduce the debts of the parent company in Germany.
2000: The KUMERA group took over the plant in Graz, the company name changed to KUMERA Antriebstechnik GmbH. Extensive investments and improvements (e.g. a new production hall, development of new markets) helped to achieve very good company developments in the following years.
2012: Up to now KUMERA is one of the most respected gear manufacturers, which offers the customers the use of internal synergies of the group as well as individual solutions with very high quality.
1902: The first motor bikes came on the market. Right away it won the gold medal at the Vienna Sports Exhibition and the 1st prize at the Semmering motor bike race.
1904: For economic reasons the production of Noricum motorcycles had been stopped.
1910: With the invention of the "freewheel" by company Fichtel & Sachs the bikes with cardan-shaft drive were no longer competitive. So the production had been changed to the manufacturing of gears and transmissions. Most of the gears were used in the industry.
1914: With the beginning of the 1st World War the number of employees increased to 430. According to the law of war military, equipment like detonators for grenades had to be produced beside gear wheels and gear units.
1918: After the war and the collapse of the economy, the production of gears for locomotives was in focus. Noricum Cless made a great contribution in the electrification of the Austrian railways. To compensate the loss of neighboring markets, a metal foundry had been established.
1924: An iron foundry was setup. The Great Depression in the thirties of the last century hit the company, dropping production to less than 20% of the capacity. What followed was the most difficult time in company history. Despite political turmoil and war, the factory did not crash and machinery was still ready for use.
1939: At the beginning of the 2nd World War the production of parts for the arms industry started (for example floodlight gears for antiaircraft defense).
1946: After the end of the 2nd World War the workload increased again. Initially repairs and spare part manufacturing was in focus. Later the production of a complete range of standard gears started (spur and bevel gears, worm gears).
1948: With the recovery of the economy the company got more and more important for the region, mainly through the production of electric drives for the Austrian railways. The highlight of those days was the visit of the Austrian Federal President, Dr. Karl Renner.
1970: The company focused more and more to special gear units. The products were sold and used all over the world, from the Sydney Opera House to the Aswan Dam in Egypt.
1982: Until this year Noricum Cless was still family owned. Because of family reasons the company was sold to Fuchs-Eldra MAG.
1985: A lot of investments took place in the machinery equipment and the development of commercial issues and technical products.
1988: After negotiations a cooperation contract was signed with the KUMERA Group as a new partner for standard gears.
1990: Despite the success with the new partner, the revenue could not compensate the big investments since the acquisition by Fuchs Eldra. The result was financial difficulties.
1992: The company Kachelmann bought our factory. Beside the head quarter in Germany, the Kachelmann-group has a production plant in Tyrol/Austria too.
1994: Unfortunately, the Kachelmann-group has considerable financial difficulties and closed the main factory in Germany. In the following years, the factory in Graz had to help to reduce the debts of the parent company in Germany.
2000: The KUMERA group took over the plant in Graz, the company name changed to KUMERA Antriebstechnik GmbH. Extensive investments and improvements (e.g. a new production hall, development of new markets) helped to achieve very good company developments in the following years.
2012: Up to now KUMERA is one of the most respected gear manufacturers, which offers the customers the use of internal synergies of the group as well as individual solutions with very high quality.