A success story: 90 years of AL-KO Vehicle Technology
90 years ago, on 11 November 1931, master metalworker Alois Kober took over a small metalworking shop in Kötz. This was the birth of the AL-KO VT Group! Since then, much has changed: What began as a small village blacksmith’s workshop in 1931 has become, by 2021, synonymous with high-quality chassis and running gear components for trailers, recreational vehicles and commercial vehicles.
The company anniversary provides a good opportunity to look back, take stock, and look to the future.
The founding years
From Germany to the world
The history of the AL-KO VT Group began with the acquisition of a metalworking shop in Kötz. Thanks to the ingenuity of Alois Kober, the village blacksmith’s workshop managed to keep going during the war years and, in the 1950s, developed into a small industrial operation.
His son Herbert had the idea of combining loose handbrake levers and loose gear rings, which saved a great deal of installation time. This idea generated great enthusiasm, and as a result, the first contracts were secured. Building on the success of the handbrake levers, the overrun brake followed – with AL-KO VT becoming the first provider in Germany to offer a certified brake of this kind.
In line with the motto “Quality for Life,” numerous products and solutions were developed in the following decades, helping the family business to achieve steady growth.
The first foreign subsidiary was established in Austria in 1961, followed by additional branches in England, France, Italy and Switzerland in 1970. By the mid-1980s, transatlantic subsidiaries had been established in the USA (1983) and Australia (1986).
Safety and comfort
Entering the caravan business
In the 1970s, AL-KO VT entered the caravan business. With the introduction of the Rückmatic, an overrun brake was developed that allowed for easy reversing – without the need to get out or block the wheels.
The company achieved a significant breakthrough in 1985 with an innovative chassis for the Fiat Ducato. This chassis, the forerunner of today’s AMC chassis, provided more interior space in the vehicle and a more stable ride.
By the 1990s, the product range already included many solutions that are still essential today, such as stabiliser cable winches, jockey wheels, or the most famous AKS 3004. This stabiliser coupling allows for safe and relaxed transport and travel, as it reduces snaking and pitching movements of the vehicle and trailer combination.
Since the 2000s, AL-KO VT has made caravan journeys safer with the introduction of an electronic stabilisation system: ATC Trailer Control. The integrated sensor detects the onset of snaking and stops it in its tracks, giving the caravan a minimal brake impulse. Even in challenging situations such as evasive manoeuvres, the ATC helps keep the caravan under control.
A pivotal turning point
The beginning of DexKo
A central turning point occurred at the end of 2015. The Vehicle Technology division was spun off from the family business and merged with Dexter Axle.
Since then, AL-KO VT has operated as an independent brand, and has grown into a broad-based global player with revenues in excess of USD 1 billion. Under the umbrella of DexKo Global, 15 international brands – including AL-KO, Aguti, Bankside Patterson, Bradley, Brink, CBE, cmtrailer parts, E&P Hydraulics, G&S Chassis, Hume, Nordelettronica, Preston Chassis, SAFIM, SAWIKO and Winterhoff – operate worldwide with more than 3,800 committed employees.
We look forward to the next 90 years of AL-KO Vehicle Technology!
The press release for the 90th anniversary can be found here.
