Company History

In the old days necessity really was the mother of invention. These days our core competence lies in the development of tailor-made coating systems for our customers. Our journey from small, regional one-man operation to medium-sized global player...

1919	Company founded as regional producer of wax stains, shellac dulling agents and -polishes for the furniture and craft industries.

1937	Businessman Fritz Klumpp joins the company. First NC coating developed from film scraps. At this time the company had total of three employees and an annual turnover of 60,000 Reichsmarks.

1940	With the ruling NSDAP party failing to allocate raw materials, the company could only operate on a very limited basis. In the end it was forced to shut down completely.

1946	Production is restarted again after repairing heavy war damage. Friedrich Klumpp GmbH’s importance as a producer of wood finishes grows rapidly during the post-war years. This is in no small part due to the development of 2K polyester coatings, 2K polyurethane coatings and 2K acid curing coatings, mostly sold in the South Germany.

1955	Company excursion with employees of the time

1960	New production building built

1976	A devastating fire destroys the solvent production site.

1977	After successfully completing his Chemistry studies at university, Dr. Wolfgang Klumpp joins the company now in its third generation. Friedrich Klumpp GmbH now has 15 employees and has an annual turnover of 2.2 million Deutschmarks. His technical know-how is put to immediate use in the development of the first UV- and water-based coatings.

1980	Radiation-curing coating systems are launched in the European and South-East Asian markets for the furniture industry.

1982	The UV-based technology is used in the pre-finished parquet industry for the first time which ships from Stuttgart all over the world.

1985	With the first exports to China, the triumphal march of the (now well-established) UV-coating system begins to take its course. The now larger organisation takes on more space in a new production and lab facility.

1993	Construction of a new office- and UV-production facility.
	The South-East Asian market has grown considerably since. To make logistics easier and to be closer to our customers, the company board decides to set up a new sales office in Singapore.

1995	First exports to South America

1997	The tried and trusted products of Klumpp Coatings - German supplier of quality goods - are also witnessing increased demand from the Chinese market. The foundation of a second sales office in Shanghai is a testament to this positive development.

2000	The increase in global sales makes further development of the company’s head offices in Stuttgart necessary. The building of a spacious laboratory facility is a clear testament to the position of the Swabian family firm as technology leader.

2002	Friedrich Klumpp GmbH finds a reliable licensed partner in the form of Chemical Coatings Incorporated (CCI) to sell its products with the “Made in Germany label” to the American market. The company is also responsible for technical support.

2003	The continued increase in demand from the Chinese market and the securing of reliable sources of raw materials in the local region are good reasons for starting cost-effective production at the Shanghai subsidiary. The main beneficiaries of this development are our customers!

2004	Due to the success of the production facility in Shanghai, an identical plant begins operations in the sister subsidiary in Singapore.

2005	Friedrich Klumpp GmbH is the first coating manufacturer to manage to develop a market-ready system for direct printing on HDF floors. This technological milestone enables us to provide our customers from the laminate industry an efficient and stable system. We even managed in places to better the stringent laminate requirements standards. The success of the direct printing method underlines Friedrich Klumpp GmbH’s customer focus and its power to innovate.


	The establishment of an additional sales subsidiary in Indonesia ensures the best possible customer support locally.

2006	To meet the colossal demand for coatings for the DPL/ laminate industry, whilst enabling the shortest possible delivery times for JIT production at the customer end, Friedrich Klumpp GmbH decides to acquire a coating factory in Wuppertal. The factory is completely renovated and modernised within 6 months. The high-tech production facility and round-the-clock customer service are now available in our customers’ backyard.
	Continued growth in the South East Asian markets and our commitment to our customers to keep sufficient production capacities available lead us to purchase a large-scale production and office complex in Singapore.
	An additional sales office in Thailand means we are now able to supply our customers in that region

2007	Positive market opportunities and the important benefits from having direct contacts with our customers lead to us to extend our production capacities in South America. What was once a sales office is turned into a productive company with new premises and completely new equipment.

2008	Stephan Klumpp, son of the current head of the company is the fourth generation of the family to join the business after successfully completing his studies in Business Administration including work placements in other companies. Today, Friedrich Klumpp GmbH has 160 employees worldwide and the annual turnover of the Klumpp Group is 42 million euros.
	The Indonesian subsidiary in Semarang is relocating to larger company premises.