HISTORY
History
On May 5, Hans-Benno Niehaus founds the company HAN-Bürogeräte as a commercial enterprise in Bielefeld and initially starts manufacturing wooden letter trays with two employees. The portfolio expands rapidly and wooden card index boxes are quickly added. The portfolio expands rapidly and wooden card index boxes are quickly added.
The first company building is erected, replacing the temporary production facility in Bielefeld. In the mid-1960s, Hans-Benno Niehaus already employed 10 people in production and administration.
The company now maintains six distribution warehouses in Germany with corresponding commercial agencies.
The production of wooden card index boxes starts in Greece. From Denmark the distribution of plastic card index boxes takes its beginning. At that time, the company already employed 60 people.
The trade with plastic card index boxes from Austria begins.
The administration building and shipping department in Herford are built. Another production facility for HAN card index cabinets is completed in Verl near Gütersloh. HAN’s own distribution warehouse near Frankfurt is established.
The administration moves from Bielefeld to Herford.
The company’s own production of plastic letter trays, paper baskets and office sets begins with the acquisition of the first in-house plastic injection molding machines. HAN receives several design awards for these first productions.
The expansion of plastics processing, to include a variety of filing and archiving items for the office, was an important step for the company, with over 50 new products. Development and production are implemented exclusively in Germany.
The plastics production facility in Herford is expanded with Hall 2. An additional construction phase, Hall 3 as an extension of the warehouse and shipping department, is also completed.
The generation change: Ralf Niehaus takes over the management from Hans Niehaus.
Construction of a state-of-the-art dispatch center with 9,000 pallet spaces at the company’s Herford site. The French sales company HAN France is founded.
Foundation of the English sales company HAN UK.
Expansion of export activities: Start of own plastics production in Moscow.
HAN sets standards – precisely because “eco” is not a trend for us, but a standard. For a long time now, we have been filling the word environmental protection with life. Post consumer materials (already used plastic products) are processed for the HAN KARMA program.
Awarded with the environmental certificate: THE BLUE ANGEL. Innovative, attractive design of the highest quality.
HAN celebrates its 50th company anniversary. 50 years of experience are based on highly qualified employees, extraordinary ideas, high design standards and state-of-the-art production technology.
A strong team paired with quality from tradition for innovative, shapely and multiple award-winning products!
HAN drawer box i-BOX is awarded five design prizes.
HAN was awarded for its outstanding brand redesign work. We are proud of this special award, which confirms our company’s clear and successful brand policy for years. Further outstanding proof of our stringent brand work are the other product design awards in various divisions.
60 years of company history
For six decades, HAN has been creating smart and design-strong solutions for organization in modern living and working environments. In the future, we will continue to develop our product portfolio new and further – always with a view to the HAN success concept: functionality, quality and design!
With the newly created ALLISON concept, we are responding to a social development that describes the increasingly merging of the working and private worlds into one whole. “I work the way I live and I live the way I work” is a statement we embrace and incorporate into our product development through new visions and trends.
We are a company with 70 employees who creatively drive our brand every day. A full-range supplier with over 1,000 innovative, design-oriented quality products for school, office and home.
HAN-Bürogeräte GmbH & Co. KG becomes HAN GmbH & Co. KG. We can do more than “just” office! In the future, this will also be reflected in the company name. As a consistent continuation of the brand for organization solutions at home and in the office, HAN is now dispensing with the office equipment part of its name. Another step towards opening up new markets in the lifestyle and living sector.
Completion of the ultra-modern and energy-efficient remodeling of our administration building. The company’s new premises are bright, ergonomic and equipped with the latest technology.
Everything is in line with the latest findings on modern working and promotes creative exchange across departments.
