Published: August 04, 2011

Chicagoland Divisions Commemorate 125th Anniversary of Bosch

Share This Story

CHICAGO - (BUSINESS WIRE) - On August 6th, Robert Bosch LLC and its Automotive Aftermarket, Power Tools, Rexroth, and Software Innovations Divisions proudly commemorate the 125^th Anniversary of Bosch, a company that has created a legacy of bringing innovation and technical solutions to market challenges.

"This milestone is really a continuation of our 'Invented for life' philosophy. Bosch is proud to celebrate this company milestone with its associates, as well as our local community," said David Coolidge, executive vice-president, Automotive Aftermarket, Broadview, IL. "The company's 125 years of successful business would not have been possible without the longstanding dedication, entrepreneurship and innovation of its customers, communities and associates, including the teams here in the Chicago area."

Bosch employs nearly 500 associates at its Broadview, Illinois facility which is the headquarters for the North American Automotive Aftermarket Division and certain North American Corporate functions. Robert Bosch LLC and the Automotive Aftermarket Division have been part of this community for 44 years. The Automotive Aftermarket Division sells and distributes automotive aftermarket products including spark plugs, spark plug wire sets, oxygen sensors, ignition parts, oil, air and fuel filters, wiper blades, brake pads and rotors, and starters and alternators as well as a full line of diagnostic tools and wheel service equipment.

At the Power Tools North America Division headquarters in Mt. Prospect, IL and in the surrounding Chicago area, over 800 Bosch associates design, engineer, market and service power tools and accessories, laser measuring and levelling tools, and benchtop tools from a portfolio of industry-leading brands, including Bosch, SKIL, Dremel, RotoZip, CST/berger, David White and Vermont American.

Bosch Rexroth, located in Hoffman Estates, IL, is one of the leading specialists worldwide in drive and control technology. Under the brand name Rexroth, the company supplies tailored solutions for driving, controlling and moving. Bosch Rexroth is a partner for Mobile Applications, Machinery Applications and Engineering, Factory Automation and Renewable Energies.

The downtown Chicago location of Bosch Software Innovations is the local office of a market leader in Business Rules Management Systems, offering software and systems solutions for the financial services industry, as well as for mobility and energy infrastructures.

From its inception, Bosch has focused on truly being a global company. Established in Stuttgart, Germany in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as a "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering," today Bosch comprises more than 285,000 associates, a manufacturing, sales and aftermarket service network of some 350 subsidiaries and more than 12,000 service centers in over 150 countries.

In North America, Bosch has built a reputation as a leading global supplier of technology and services in the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods and building technology.

"Bosch's 125^th anniversary celebrations demonstrate the company's continued commitment to bringing innovative and technological solutions to market that are 'Invented for life," said Terry Horan, president and chairman, Power Tools North America, Mt. Prospect, IL. "This milestone reaffirms the future of Bosch, demonstrating the company's entrepreneurial freedom and willingness to make significant, long-term investments for the future."

Bosch will continue to foster the innovative strength to engineer products that contribute to a safer, more efficient and cleaner environment, while providing lasting technological answers to today's - and tomorrow's - pressing sustainability issues.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 285,000 associates generated sales of 47.3 billion euros ($62.7 billion) in fiscal 2010. Bosch spent 3.8 billion euros (approximately $5 billion) for research and development in 2010, and applied for over 3,800 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. Bosch is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2011.

The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering." The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.

In the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial drives and control technology, power tools, security and communication systems, packaging technology, thermotechnology, household appliances, solar energy, healthcare telemedicine and software innovations. Having established a regional presence in 1906, Bosch employs over 22,000 associates in more than 100 locations, with reported sales of $8.8 billion in fiscal 2010.

Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com, and www.125bosch.com.

For more information, visit http://www.bosch.us.