 1923
August Wegener (photo) started up with his first product "AWEL cigarette
paper" in a small room of his home. Together with two employees,
he gummed and cut cigarette papers and wrapped them into glossy paper.
Towards the end of 1923 there were ten people working for AWEL (August
Wegener Langenholzen). |
| |
| 1927
August Wegener switches to typewritten postcards with wet adhesion and
sets up a sales system. In so doing, he has invented a branch and provided
for distribution: gum to make office work easier. It was at that time
that the company name took form (August Wegener Alfeld). Production is
in a factory hall next door to the Wegener family home (photo). |
| |
| 1933
Already then, the company employed 50 people. The self-adhesive postcard
conquers the German market. It becomes necessary to enlarge the plant. |
| |
| 1937A
factory that has been shut down is acquired, rebuilt and in 1938 the company
moves in. |
| |
| 1939
The second world war. The production of self-adhesive postcards is forbidden.
|
| |
| 1940
The plant is shut down by the National Socialists. After negotiations,
the company is permitted to continue operations using employees who have
been deemed "unfit for the armed forces" (15 in place of 90).
A large gumming plant is reorganised to work on rotation basis. For a
call for tenders, August Wegener invents a folding letter that can be
manufactured at low cost. It is introduced by the armed forces as "field
post". |
| |
| 1945
The plant of the occupying forces is shut down. A little while later,
however, the occupying forces call for stamps. August Wegener is appointed
to provide the gum coating. Given the necessities of the times, orders
were carried out over many years for the Ministry of Postal Services.
|
| |
 1948
The order for the production of the "emergency relief stamps"
(photo) for Berlin is placed with AWA in cooperation with other companies.
After full automation, Hannoversche Gummieranstalt becomes the sole manufacturer
of the "emergency relief stamps".
|
| |
| 1951
Move into the new factory premises in Alfeld/Langenholzen. |
| |
| 1954
Günter Wegener develops machinery for the automatic production of
self-adhesive postcards. At the same time, he commences work on the production
of self-adhesive envelopes. |
| |
| 1962
The construction of a two-storey tract, which provides a rational solution
to the spread of the various rooms that has taken place over the years,
bringing them more together. Thanks to the foresight in planning, production
still runs smoothly, continually in an upward trend. |
| |
1966
The AWA equipment for fine paper with its own water mark is brought out.
|
| |
 1968
The company founder, August Wegener dies aged 76. Günter Wegener
(photo) takes over company management. |
| |
| 1971
Expansion of production to include wet adhesive envelopes. The first high-powered
machinery in Europe for envelopes produced from the roll takes root at
AWA. Envelopes are manufactured for large-scale mailings. It does not
take long for this machine too to be working at full capacity. |
| |
| 1974
Günter Wegener designs a blanking press for envelopes for automatic
insertion. It thus becomes possible to produce these envelopes, without
variation in dimension, on paper sheet machinery as well. |
| |
| 1978
AWA presents the newly developed COUVERTiC envelope to the Federal German
postal services and receives a large order placement for envelopes. |
| |
| 1979
Conversion of typography and processing to photo setting. Lead composition
has had its day. |
| |
 1983
Michael Wegener (photo) takes over company management in the third generation
and consistently works towards the specialisation of the company as partner
in modern mail processing. |
| |
| 1990
AWA develops the so-called "Silk Technique" and has it patented.
The envelope with the rimless gumming of the side flaps has been invented. |
| |
| 1992
The 1st construction stage in the building extension required is completed.
Two additional roller machines are put into operation. |
| |
| 1994
AWA is certified as complying with the standard DIN ISO 9001. With this,
not only the high level of quality of AWA products is documented, but
its commitment to research and development is also made apparent. |
| |
| 1997
The pronounced environmental awareness of AWA is documented by extra certification
under DIN EN ISO 14001. |
| |
| 1998
The 2nd construction stage in the extension to the building is completed
just in time for the 75th company anniversary. |
| |
 2000
AWA COUVERT has the largest production capacity since the foundation of
the company. Each day almost 9 million envelopes leave the works in Alfeld
(photo). |
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