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The history of the growing ACO family
The roots of ACO lay far beyond the year 1946. If you take a closer look it all began in 1827.

ACO emerged from the foundry Carlshütte (1827). But how?
After the death of Hans-Julius Ahlmanns grandfather, his grandmother Käte Ahlmann ran the Carlshütte foundry, founded in 1827, from 1931 onwards, through the war and post-war period, until 1963. When Hitler's Germany stepped up its preparations for war in 1937, the ministries decreed, among other things, that sanitary and sewer castings foundries had to save iron, for the benefit of the armaments industry. The Carlshütte made cast-iron bathtubs, and was ordered to save 30% iron in its products, and replace it with other materials if necessary. It was consequently under her management that the concrete division of the Carlshütte came into being. She then took the initiative in 1946 to spin off ACO with this concrete division, and hand it over to her son Severin, who was in his early 20s.

All this was brought together in the so-called concrete division, and this concrete division of the Carlshütte became ACO after the war.
Watch the video of Family Ahlmann to get a vivid picture of ACOs first year and its roots laying in the foundry Carlshütte

  • Beginning

    Josef-Severin Ahlmann

    Josef-Severin Ahlmann (1924-2006), son of the owner of the foundry Carlshütte Käte Ahlmann, founded ACO (earlier called SAB (Severin Ahlmann Beton)) on the premises of the Carlshütte. This is where it all began in 1946

  • 1946

    10 December 1946: Founding date of ACO

    ACO (formerly known as SAB - Severin Ahlmann Beton) was founded on a quite unusual day: 10 December 1946 - this had quite severe reasons as nothing was certain during this time shortly after WWII ended. One week later Josef-Severins mother Käte Ahlmann (manager of the foundry Carlshütte) expresses these times of uncertanty in a letter she wrote to her brother-in-law Hanno Athenstaedt on a letterhead from SAB: "You see the new company on this sheet! May it be lucky!"

  • 1949

    1949: The times of precast conrete

    ACOs first product range consisted of precast concrete products such as pipes; products desperately needed for the reconstruction of the country after WWII.

  • 1950

    1950: New material Terrazzo

    Terrazzo also known as washed concrete became the leading material in the ACO world. Sanitary facilities such as washbasins and bathtubs became popular quite quickly in the developing markets. Another specialty: ice cream panels for Venezia ice cream parlors

  • 1954

    1954: Concrete windows

    Concrete windows became a big seller during the 50s. Read about the successful story of ACO concrete windows on history.aco

  • 1960

    1960: ACOs expansion begins

    The first company ACO bought was "Hans Bördlein concrete products" in Reith/Germany. They knew each other well already as Bördlein had a licence agreement for the production of concrete windows with ACO for 6 years already.

  • 1964

    1965: ACOs honeycomb window frames

    ACO became well known for honeycomb window frames for churches, halls and alike.

  • 1965

    1965: A new logo

    ACO used the Ahlmann emblem quite excessively - 1965 it was relaunched. The company SAB was written on three blue bars - we still have them today.

  • 1968

    1968: ACO manufactures garages

    As the windows product range was quite successful ACO started supplying more products to houseowners. The "ready-made" garage was the first. As the picture shows: Within a very short time the ACO Logo was relaunched a second time. For the first time our red colour was used.
    Read more about the beginnings of manufacturing garages on history.aco

  • 1969

    1969: ACO DRAIN | breaking ground in drainage business

    This year marks the beginning of ACO becoming a drainage specialist and the invention of ACO DRAIN. At the beginning our drains still consisted of asbestos cement.

  • 1970

    1970: Polymer Concrete

    This year marks the turn of an era for ACO. The success of selling concrete products enabled ACO to start experimenting with new materials: polymer concrete was born and now found its way into ACOs first serial production of ACO Drain! The Olympic Games 1972 in Munich which ACO supplied ACO DRAIN for will be manifastation of ACO entering the drainage business with polymer concrete channels very successfully.

  • 1973

    1973: ACO celebrates 25 years

    ACO celebrates its 25th anniversary with a 3-days-long party in Damp at the Baltic Sea

  • 1970s

    1970s: ACO is breaking ground in the western hemisphere

    ACOs first international sales activities start. In cooperation with partners ACO starts selling and producing in Switzerland, France and the United States

  • 1981

    1981: Hans-Julius Ahlmann joins ACO

    Hans-Julius Ahlmann, nephew of Josef-Severin Ahlmann, joins the ACO family in 1981

  • 1984

    1984: ACO reaches the mark of 200 employees

    It all started with 11 employees. Today we are more than 5,000. Reaching the mark of 200 employees - all shown in this picture - was a milestone back then.

  • 1988

    1988: First international Get Together

    For the first time in ACO history an international meeting with ACO colleagues from around the world takes place in Reith on the occasion of the opening of a new production hall.

  • 1980s

    1980s: ACO is breaking ground in the southern hemisphere

    ACOs sets foot in Italy, Spain and Portugal.

  • 1990

    1990: First international Marketing Meeting in Rendsburg

    Some faces are even familiar today on this picture. See Hans-Peter Meyer on the very left for example. Marketing Meetings were and still are an important part of ACOs DNA. !990 marks the establishing of those meetings.

  • 1992

    1992: Emerging markets after the reunification of Germany

    After the reunification of Germany in 1990 ACO is entering the emerging market two years later by establishing a new production facility in Gerichshain near Leipzig.

  • 1994

    1994: New material Stainless Steel

    With the acquisition of the company Agrozet in Prybislav ACO is gaining tremendous know-how in stainless steel production. The new material will mark a mile stone in the portfolio strategy of ACO.

  • 1990s

    1990s: ACO breaking ground in the northern and eastern hemisphere

    Hans-Julius Ahlmann pushed the internationalisation of ACO during the 90s. ACO went down under and settled down in Australia/Emu Plains. Also many of the Nordic Countries and East Countries became part of ACO during this decade.
    Click the world history map to see an overview of all ACO countries

  • 1995

    1995: Three legs

    1995 ACOs product portfolio starts to split up into very customer centric ones. The agricultural company Durotec is founded, as well as the environmental engineering company Protecto and the stainless steel company Inotec. With the acquisitions of the company Markant 1996 and the acquisition of the company Signum 1997 the splitting of ACOs portfolio in three main legs and some very specialized companies has started.

  • 1997

    1997: New material Cast Iron

    With the acquisition of the company AWK in Kaiserslautern ACO gains tremendous potential and know how in cast iron and continuous casting. Both open up a broad field of new fields of sale and activity.

  • 2000

    2000: Acquisition of Passavant

    A huge milestone in ACOs history. In 2000, the ACO Group acquired the Passavant drainage and separator technology segments, and therefore inherited the major legacy of the Aarbergen factory. Today, ACO Passavant stands for high quality products made of different materials for infrastructure and telecommunications.

  • 2005

    2005: New material Plastic

    Start of the plastic production in Rendsburg. Opening up a huge field of possibilities.

  • 2000s

    2000s: The ACO Group is represented on each continent

    Hans-Julius Ahlmann pushed the internationalisation of ACO during the 90s. ACO went down under and settled down in Australia/Emu Plains. Also many of the Nordic Countries and East Countries became part of ACO during this decade.
    Click the world history map to see an overview of all ACO countries

  • 2010

    2010: Iver Ahlmann joins the ACO Group

    Having the ACO DNA in his genes Iver Ahlmann joins the ACO group in 2010 and takes over as managing director in 2012.

  • 2016

    2016: 70 years ACO

    With an international marketing meeting over three days, just as 45 years earlier, ACO celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2016 in Rendsburg

  • 2021

    ACO celebrates 75 years

    This honoary certificare was awarded to ACO in 2021 for 75 years of being a leading company in the country.

  • Present

    Hans-Julius and Iver Ahlmann

    Today Hans-Julius and Iver Ahlmann represent both history and present as well as the future. A very special occasion additionally connects us deeply to our roots today, as our company ACO Severin Ahlmann GmbH & Co. KG will be renamed as ACO Ahlmann SE & CO. KG - on the same date as the founding took place: December 10