ARGO-HYTOS Group AG
Company typeAG
Founded1947
Headquarters
Baar, Switzerland
Key people
Dr. Marcus Fischer, CEO
Number of employees
over 1000[1]
Websitehttp://www.argo-hytos.com

The ARGO-HYTOS Group – with its headquarter in Switzerland – produces and develops components and systems for the hydraulic industry.

History

edit

The present ARGO-HYTOS group has its seeds in the former company Argo GmbH for precision mechanics. It was established in Stuttgart on July 7, 1947 at the request of Herbert Kienzle, the managing director of the Kienzle Apparate, and has developed from the former sales company for Kienzle-Taximeters.[2]. Argo originally was a brand name of the predecessor company Kienzle Apparate for manufacturing of taximeters, referring to the Greek legend of Jason and his incredibly fast ship.

An autonomous production program for magnetic filters and strainers was developed; in 1952 Argo received a patent for magnetic filters. The product portfolio was expanded to hydraulic filters for the mobile and industrial hydraulics, which were produced in a former cigar factory in Kraichtal/Germany. In 1965 the head office was also transferred to Kraichtal.

The company expanded internationally: At the beginning of the 1980s the first own sales company was established abroad in France, followed by more companies in the Netherlands, Great Britain, in the USA, Sweden, Hong Kong, Italy, Poland, Turkey and China.[3].

Development

edit

In 1990 Christian H. Kienzle took over the position of the managing director and has managed the ARGO-HYTOS group up until 2021. Dr. Marcus Fischer has led the Group as CEO since July 2024. In 1993 the Argo GmbH for precision mechanics was renamed as Argo GmbH for fluid technology. In the same year Argo purchased shares in the Czech hydraulic manufacturer Hytos, a company already having a 50 year experience in the production of components for Fluid & Motion Control. Since 2003 both companies have traded under the name Argo-Hytos.

From August 2022, a majority stake in the ARGO-HYTOS Group will be acquired by the Voith Group based in Heidenheim. ARGO-HYTOS will be integrated into the Voith Turbo Group Division and will lead the off-highway sector.

Locations

edit

The ARGO-HYTOS group operates globally with numerous sales companies all over the world and more than 100 international distributors. The group is headquartered in Switzerland and employs more than 1000 staff members.

ARGO-HYTOS maintains locations with production plants in

Portfolio & customers

edit

The portfolio of ARGO-HYTOS includes hydraulic filters and filter elements, components for Fluid & Motion Control, Fluid Management Systems, Sensors- and Measurement Technology as well as systems for Wind Energy Plants. The company’s customers include manufacturers of agricultural machinery, production machines and machine tools, construction machines, municipal engineering and energy production.

edit

Literature

edit
  • Armin Müller: Kienzle. Ein deutsches Industrieunternehmen im 20. Jahrhundert. Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2011, S. 221–225. ISBN 978-3-515-09845-8.
  • Bernhard Foitzik: Filtration Technology for Hydraulic Systems: Optimum concepts for filtration systems in fluid power technology. 2nd edition, Verlag Moderne Industrie, Landsberg/Lech 2000, ISBN 3-478-93136-3.

References

edit