Today, gas spring solutions from STABILUS can be found in all industries. They are used in the automotive industry as well as in international furniture construction or the aircraft industry. Gas springs, which are available in a broad range of models, have also found their way into medical technology, logistics, and building mechanical systems. Today the company, which has become a global player, can look back on 75 years of company history – and is well positioned for the future.

Koblenz, March 2009. - A world market leader in the area of hydropneumatic gas springs, first in automatic lid and door drives in the automotive sector, top supplier of innovative gas spring systems for office and kitchen furniture – that (and much more) is what STABILUS is today. The Koblenz-based company’s history, which is characterized by numerous product developments, started 75 years ago: In the early 1930s, business man Rudolf Spaeter recognized the market opportunities for new chassis stabilizers, triggered by the automotive boom in the Europe of the time. In 1934, he founded Stabilus Industrie- und Handels-Gesellschaft, originally for the purpose of selling hydraulic shock absorbers. Given the poor road conditions of the time, these chassis components played a significant role.

From Trade to Production

Soon after, the company began to optimize the technology of the products it traded; as early as in the founding year, the contemporary trade press presented the new Stabilisator Stabilus. It quickly found its place not only in the Automotive Manual of its times, but also in Daimler-Benz, Auto-Union, Opel and Ford vehicles, laying the foundation for the company’s success. The increasing demand for shock absorbers from Koblenz boosted the number of employees to 250 by 1942, although the switch to war production and the air raid nights of 1944 slowed down further growth.

However, Stabilus GmbH prevailed and, in 1946, it resumed its production of shock absorbers. Since then, the company has been on a growth curve characterized by groundbreaking product innovations – including the development of hydropneumatic adjustment elements, which were mass produced under the name of LIFT-O-MAT for the first time in 1962. Its never-ending innovative power is only one success factor of STABILUS’ company history. Equally important are continuous productivity improvements due to new production methods, compliance with high quality standards, as well as an early global orientation of the company – STABILUS started production in the USA as early as 1972. Today, the company employs 3300 employees worldwide, and with a presence on six continents, total sales amount to 400 million Euro (2008). It is the undisputed technology and market leader in the gas spring segment. The LIFT-O-MAT, BLOC-O-LIFT or STAB-O-BLOC product families are household names to technical designers, as are the hydraulic dampers of the STAB-O-SHOC line, the electromechanical Powerise drives for tailgates and trunk lids, or the hydraulic doorstay DORSTOP.

On Its Way into New Markets

Since 2008, STABILUS has been part of the US holding company Paine & Partners, which is supportive of the company’s plans: The same year, STABILUS acquired the gas spring segment for swivel chairs from competitor Suspa and the majority of Swiss Linrot Holding, a manufacturer of linear and rotary drives with operative activities in Melle, Germany. With these acquisitions, STABILUS not only strengthened its global position but also gained additional technology competencies. This will enable the company to penetrate new market segments and develop new areas of application that go far beyond the traditional uses of gas springs and dampers.

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