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A long journey: automobile history in the making

Our story: we are proud of the long history of our company and would like to take you along for over 65 years of DRÄXLMAIER.

It all began with leather goods in 1875. Discover our exciting history and take a glimpse into the future.

A black and white picture shows an apprentice with a leather pants on a motorcycle.

The history of the Dräxlmaier family

The DRÄXLMAIER Group did not have its origin in the automotive industry, but rather in leather production. In 1875, Michael Dräxlmaier, the grandfather of Fritz Dräxlmaier Sr., founded a leather and shoe factory in Geisenhausen. The company had one of the first ten telephone lines in the Landshut region. This telephone connection made it possible to take orders quickly. Soon, the Dräxlmaiers not only purchased large equipment, but were also producing energy themselves—with their own steam power plant. So even back then, they were pioneers. The company quickly gained an outstanding reputation and expanded its range of lederhosen and ski helmets.

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A white Goggomobil. An aerial view of a DRÄXLMAIER building from 1960. The picture shows an old DRÄXLMAIER building in Canada. The construction site of a high-bay warehouse in Vilsbiburg.

Our Journey in the 20th century

About Goggos to and dinner forks: In 1958, Lisa and Fritz Dräxlmaier Sr. founded a new company. The young business’ first order: production of 50,000 wiring harnesses for the Goggomobil. Founding the company was risky because of short lead times and uncertain interest in a car that would later become a cult status item. However, the founders’ hard work and ingenuity quickly steered the company onto the road to success. With the help of female homeworkers and dinner forks, the first wire harnesses were soon produced and delivered to Hans Glas GmbH. Shortly thereafter, the company received its first interior order: DRÄXLMAIER also supplied the door panel for the Goggo.

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From electrical systems to instrument panels: Be it leather-wrapped instrument panels or door panels, within a very short time, DRÄXLMAIER not only found its way into the automotive industry’s interior segment but also greatly increased its product range. The company invested in new production equipment for the production of door panels and dashboards. In 1964, the new company building was constructed at the Brückenstrasse in Vilsbiburg. Only a few years later, DRÄXLMAIER gained a new customer: the automobile manufacturer BMW. This marked the company’s entry into the premium automotive market.

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From Vilsbiburg into the world: The company grew—both in Vilsbiburg and in foreign countries abroad. In order to fill existing orders, a new production and administration building was constructed at the location of the headquarters. The first DRÄXLMAIER plant outside of Germany was opened in 1974 in Sousse, Tunisia. Audi and Volkswagen also joined BMW on the list of the automotive supplier’s customers. In 1976, DRÄXLMAIER expanded to Canada and opened its first North American plant near the banks of the Niagara River. Two years later, the site in Braunau, Austria opened. One company turned into six.

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From 10 to 2,000: DRÄXLMAIER continued to grow. The original ten employees evolved into 2,000 during the 1980s. The first issue of the employee magazine, D-REPORT, was published and the company suggestion system was introduced. At the end of the 80s, an automatic high-bay and small parts warehouse was set up in Vilsbiburg, so that in the future, products could be delivered just-in-time and just-in-sequence to the automobile manufacturers.

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The picture shows DRÄXLMAIER buildings at the site in Vilsbiburg.

The 1990s: Innovations bring progress

As vehicle complexity increased, so did the number of branches in the wiring harnesses. More and more parts had to be supplied with power and precision. The electrical systems looked completely different, depending on the equipment selected by the end-customer. To solve this issue, DRÄXLMAIER invented the customer-specific wiring harness in 1990. Just a few years later, the company also became a system supplier for the complete interior. Products such as the functionally integrated door module or a vehicle interior made of natural fibers followed. In 1998, the DRÄXLMAIER Technology Center was opened.

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A picture of the DRÄXLMAIER buildings in San Luis Potosi. Blue sky and palm trees can be seen. Two trainees look at a model in the training workshop.

Driving growth

About natural fibers and new plants: DRÄXLMAIER continued to expand. Two production sites in China, four in Mexico, as well as one in Nicaragua and one in the Republic of Moldova were added over the next few years. In 2000, DRÄXLMAIER produced what was then the lightest door in the world for the Audi A2. Eight years later, the company developed an even lighter door panel, which was sustainably produced as well from a biocomposite material. The door made from natural fibers went into series production at BMW. With the growing interest in alternative powertrains, DRÄXLMAIER invested in the battery business, and in 2009, received the first order for various high-voltage electrical systems from Mercedes-Benz.

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Conquering new frontiers: In 2011, natural fiber was visible for the first time in the BMW i3. DRÄXLMAIER continued to grow and opened new plants in Macedonia, Germany, Mexico, the USA, and China. In 2014, the company was recognized for the fastest growth among the TOP 100 automotive suppliers. The next few years saw a couple of anniversaries: the dual vocational training system celebrated its 40‑year anniversary, and BMW had been a DRÄXLMAIER customer for 50 years. In 2018, the company celebrated its 60-year anniversary. DRÄXLMAIER entered the realm of series battery production with the opening of the site in Sachsenheim.

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DRÄXLMAIER continued to invest in electromobility. Another automated state-of-the-art production plant for high-voltage battery systems opened in Leipzig, Germany. The executive board was reinforced. On May 8, 2023, the DRÄXLMAIER Group celebrated its 65th anniversary. The Test and Validation, Special Machine Construction, and DRÄXLMAIER traineeship departments found a new home in the new building 45 at the headquarters. In September 2024, new trainees started their careers at DRÄXLMAIER for the 50th time.

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A visual for the interior of a car.

The mobility of the future

In the future, cars will operate autonomously, networked, and fully powered by electricity. DRÄXLMAIER is already perfectly positioned for the changes in the automotive industry. Would you like to help shape the future of DRÄXLMAIER?

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