WAGO GmbH

WAGO was founded on April 27, 1951 as WAGO Klemmenwerk GmbH in Minden, after brothers-in-law Heinrich Nagel and Friedrich Hohorst purchased a patent for spring clamp technology. The company is named after the inventors Wagner and Olbricht from whom the patent (Patent No. 838778) was purchased. In the same year, WAGO presented the first spring terminals at the Hannover Messe,{{Cite news |date=2016-08-09 |title=Meilensteine der Elektronik: Klemmfedern von Minden in die ganze Welt |language=de |trans-title=Milestones in electronics: Clamping springs from Minden to the whole world |work=Elektronikpraxis |url=https://www.elektronikpraxis.vogel.de/klemmfedern-von-minden-in-die-ganze-welt-a-545119/}} which however faced less reception due to ductility problems.{{Cite web |last=Rinortner |first=Kristin |date=2011-08-02 |title=1951: Der Federklemmanschluss |trans-title=1951: The spring clamp connection |url=https://www.elektronikpraxis.vogel.de/1951-der-federklemmanschluss-a-325261/ |access-date=2022-09-09 |website=Elektronikpraxis |language=de}}

In 1961, Wolfgang Hohorst, son of the founder Hohorst, joined the company. At that time, the company had 20 employees.{{Cite news |last=Rusche |first=Renate |date=2006-11-10 |title=Erfolgreich als Chef und Familienvater - Wago-Macher Wolfgang Hohorst erhielt das... |language=de |trans-title=Successful as a boss and family man - Wago maker Wolfgang Hohorst received the... |work=Thüringer Allgemeine}} In 1966, the company changed the material of the terminal housings (from thermoset to Polyamide 6,6) and developed additional components such as connectors and solderable terminals for printed circuit boards, which enabled the company to enter the lighting industry. A few years later, in 1973, WAGO introduced the box terminal for use in electrical installations, which was the first spring-loaded terminal to be certified by VDE. In 1975, the English company Bowthorpe Electric acquired a majority stake in WAGO.{{Cite news |date=1995-09-20 |title=WAGO KONTAKTTECHNIK GMBH / Zulieferer der Elektroindustrie steigert / Exportanteil |language=de |trans-title=WAGO KONTAKTTECHNIK GMBH / Supplier to the Electrical Industry Increases / Export Share |work=Handelsblatt}}

In 1977, the company developed the spring-cage terminal block under the product name Cage Clamp. This invention was also the basis for the company's subsequent product groups. The cage clamp has since become an industrial standard. With the launch of the box terminal and the cage clamp, the company expanded internationally. Until the mid-1990s WAGO established subsidiaries in France, Switzerland, Austria, USA, Japan, the UK and former East Germany (Sondershausen),{{Cite web |last=Bernkopf |first=Dirk |date=2016-10-04 |title=Firma feiert 25-Jähriges und blickt optimistisch in die Zukunft |trans-title=Company celebrates 25th anniversary and looks optimistically to the future |url=https://www.thueringer-allgemeine.de/leben/vermischtes/firma-feiert-25-jaehriges-und-blickt-optimistisch-in-die-zukunft-id221999407.html |access-date=2022-09-09 |website=Thüringer Allgemeine}} Czech Republic{{Cite news |date=1993-11-05 |title=Erfolg mit Klemmen und Steckverbindungen |language=de |trans-title=Success with terminals and connectors |pages=24 |work=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung}} and in India. In 1994, the company revenue amounted to 204 million DM. In 1998, Wolfgang Hohorst founded the WAGO Foundation with the goal of promoting education and training for young people interested in technology.{{Cite news |date=2022-05-20 |title=Der Vater der Wago-Klemme |language=de |trans-title=The father of the Wago terminal |pages=21 |work=Neue Westfälische}}

After the Fall of the Berlin Wall, WAGO announced that they set up a new plant in Sondershausen, Thuringia, which had a special role amongst the newly founded production sites. One year after the announcement, operations in Sondershausen first started in a rented facility; since 1993, Wago has been producing in a newly built factory. In the following years, WAGO continuously invested into expanding operations in Sondershausen, with 200 million EUR invested and 13 expansions until 2022. In 1999, a logistics centre was established, with which customers in Central Europe would be supplied directly from Sondershausen.{{Cite news |last=Luis |first=Mirko |date=1999-06-14 |title=Wago Kontakttechnik GmbH / Logistikzentrum schafft 35 neue Arbeitsplätze |language=de |trans-title=Wago Kontakttechnik GmbH / Logistics center creates 35 new jobs |work=Mitteldeutsche Zeitung}} In 2022, WAGO announced the latest investment into the logistics centre of around 40 million EUR.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-03-31 |title=Wago investiert in Sondershausen |trans-title=Wago invests in Sondershausen |url=https://www.thueringer-allgemeine.de/regionen/sondershausen/wago-investiert-in-sondershausen-id234969595.html |access-date=2022-09-09 |website=Thüringer Allgemeine |language=de}}

In 2003, the company shares were bought back from Spirent PLC (formerly Bowthorpe), making WAGO into a family owned business again. In the 2000s, WAGO further developed existing products, notably, they improved the miniaturisation of the picoMAX connector system in 2010, in which glass fiber-reinforced plastics PAA-GF were used. In the same year, Sven Hohorst took over the position of managing director from his father Wolfgang Hohorst.{{Cite news |date=2010-07-16 |title=Familienunternehmen ist Weltmarktführer - Wago-Chef Wolfgang Hohorst geht mit 75... |language=de |trans-title=Family-owned company is world market leader - Wago CEO Wolfgang Hohorst retires at 75... |pages=116 |work=Thüringer Allgemeine}} In summer 2012, WAGO expanded its headquarters investing 8 million EUR on a development centre in Minden.{{Cite news |date=2014-02-25 |title=Wago weiter auf Wachstumskurs |language=de |trans-title=Wago continues to grow |work=Neue Westfälische}} In 2015, WAGO acquired a majority stake in the company M&M Software. The purchase of the previous development partner served the strategic orientation of the automation division.{{Cite news |date=2015-09-04 |title=Wago übernimmt M& M Software |language=de |trans-title=Wago takes over M& M Software |pages=6 |work=Neue Westfälische}} In the same year, WAGO generated a revenue of 718,7 million EUR and had 5,996 employees.{{Cite news |date=2017-02-24 |title=Wago Holding GmbH: Jahres- und Konzernabschluss zum Geschäftsjahr vom 01.01.2015 bis zum 31.12.2015 |language=de |trans-title=Wago Holding GmbH: Annual and consolidated financial statements for the financial year from 01.01.2015 to 31.12.2015 |work=Bundesanzeiger}} In 2016, WAGO's communication centre, a customer and training centre, and a new stamping plant were completed. After one and a half years of construction and a total of 53 million EUR invested, this marked WAGO's latest investments around the headquarters in Minden.{{Cite news |date=2016-04-16 |title=Wago gelingt ein großer Wurf |language=de |trans-title=Wago makes a big hit |pages=7 |work=Neue Westfälische}} In the beginning of 2021, Sven Hohorst retired from the operational business and moved to the advisory board.

File:Wago_innen.jpg

WAGO Holding GmbH is the parent company of the WAGO group. It primarily performs holding functions for its subsidiaries and second-tier subsidiaries. WAGO GmbH & Co. KG (formerly WAGO Kontakttechnik GmbH (under Swiss law) & Co. KG){{cite web |title=Firmenauskunft zu WAGO GmbH & Co. KG |trans-title=Business Information on WAGO GmbH & Co. KG |url=https://www.northdata.de/WAGO+GmbH+%26+Co.+KG,+Minden/Amtsgericht+Bad+Oeynhausen+HRA+6218 |access-date=9 September 2022 |publisher=Northdata |language=de}} is responsible for the operating business of the group, with all its subsidiaries. WAGO is owned by the Hohorst family. The headquarters of the WAGO Group is located in Minden. The firm's German production sites are in Minden and Sondershausen. Other production sites are located in Wrocław (Poland), Domdidier (Switzerland), Germantown (United States), Noida (India), Tianjin (China), Tokyo (Japan) and Tremblay-en-France (France). As of 2024, WAGO has about 9,000 employees. 2024 the company revenue amounted to 1.24 billion EUR.

WAGO manufactures components for electrical connection and decentralised automation technology as well as interface electronics.{{Cite news |last=Jordanova-Duda |first=Matilda |date=2018-06-15 |title=Hände frei zum Verdrahten |language=de |trans-title=Hands free for wiring |pages=19 |work=VDI Nachrichten}}

The company specialises in developing products in the field of spring clamp technology. WAGO products are used in the automotive industry, building and lighting technology, and in mechanical and plant engineering. The first product was patented in 1951 with patent No. 838778. This was a terminal with a non-self-supporting contact insert for solid conductors. The clamping force was transmitted to the insulating housing. This was followed in 1957 by a self-supporting spring terminal with helical springs for all types of conductors (Patent No. 1095914). Further important product developments include the box terminal (1973), the terminal block cage clamp (1977), the push-in cage clamp (2003), and the miniaturised picoMAX system.{{Cite web |last=Kunze |first=Sariana |date=2018-03-14 |title=Kopiert, adaptiert, perfektioniert: Einfache Handhabung dank Federklemmtechnik |trans-title=Copied, adapted, perfected: Easy handling thanks to spring clamp technology |url=https://www.elektrotechnik.vogel.de/kopiert-adaptiert-perfektioniert-einfache-handhabung-dank-federklemmtechnik-a-694949/ |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=elektrotechnik |language=de}}

Competitors in the field of terminal blocks are Harting, Phoenix Contact, and Weidmüller.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-07 |title=Wie sind die Steckverbinder-Hersteller für 2021 aufgestellt? |url=https://www.elektronikpraxis.de/wie-sind-die-steckverbinder-hersteller-fuer-2021-aufgestellt-a-ff9d3ea790cc994ac608a74503306b66/ |access-date=2025-07-09 |website=ELEKTRONIKPRAXIS |language=de}}

File: Wago 221-413 splicing connector with stranded wire.jpg|WAGO 221 connecting terminal with spring-loaded clamp

File:Wagos.jpg|Selection of WAGO terminals

{{Commonscat|WAGO Kontakttechnik GmbH & Co. KG}}

• [https://www.wago.com/ Official website]

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Category:Minden-Lübbecke

Category:Electronics companies established in 1951

Category:Automata (mechanical)

Category:Electronics companies of Germany