With a rich history spanning 126 years, the company now known as FORVIA HELLA has consistently been at the forefront of automotive technology. The story began on June 11, 1899, when Sally Windmüller founded the "Westfälische Metall Industrie Aktien-Gesellschaft" (WMI) in Lippstadt, Germany, to serve the emerging market of motorization. In 1908, the company introduced its first major product innovation, the acetylene headlamp named "System Hella," a name that would become the company's trademark in 1926 and its official identity in 1986.

    Throughout the 20th century, the company pioneered numerous industry-standard innovations. These include the Bilux lamp in 1924, which produced both low and high beams from a single bulb; the first asymmetrical dipped beam headlamp in 1957, significantly improving nighttime driving safety; and the first all-electronic flasher unit in 1965, marking the company's entry into the electronics business. In 1971, HELLA received approval for the first H4 halogen headlamp.

    After resuming business activities in 1945 following World War II, the company experienced rapid growth. This led to its internationalization, beginning with its first factory abroad in Australia in 1961. Today, FORVIA HELLA has over 125 locations in around 35 countries. Key corporate milestones include going public with a stock market launch on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on November 11, 2014.

    In recent years, the company has continued to lead in advanced technologies. In 2008, it launched the first full LED headlamp in series production. This was followed by the world's first LED matrix headlamp with glare-free high beam in 2013 and the introduction of 77 GHz radar sensors in 2020, a key technology for assisted and automated driving. Most recently, in 2023, the company brought the SSL | HD digital headlamp system to the road, a superlative lighting technology with up to 25,000 individually controllable LED pixels per chip.

    A new chapter began in 2022 with the creation of the FORVIA Group. Following the acquisition of a majority stake in HELLA by the French technology company Faurecia in 2021, the two companies joined forces to become FORVIA, the seventh-largest supplier of automotive technologies in the world. As part of this global technology leader, HELLA continues to shape the future of mobility with solutions that make it safer, more sustainable, and more comfortable.

 

Year Founded: 1899

Main Products: Vehicle and Machinery lamps

Brand: Hella

Country of Origin: Austria

Facebook Account: https://www.facebook.com/HELLAGroup/

Website: www.hella.com

Address: Handelskai 94-96, 1200 Wien, Austria

Contact No.: +43160689200

Email: dietlinde.ried@hella.com