We are a traditional company with over 140 years of experience. The core competence of our family owned business is the planning and production of galleys in both the maritime sector and on land.
Since 2007 we have been located in Halstenbek, Germany. This marked the 4th time in our 140 year history that we moved. With an eye on the future, we redesigned our organization to meet the increasing challenges and demands of our business partners.
With the processing of stainless steel for the production of furniture and appliances, our company tapped into a new market in the 1930s. At the same time, we pursued the development of electrical appliances.
Our customers benefit from the experience and quality standards of a progressive company. Our equipment is used worldwide on passenger ships, luxury yachts, merchant and naval vessels.
The company August F. M. Bohnhoff was founded in the year 1875. Traditional standards of craftsmanship have been the base for the production of high quality catering-equipment for hotels and ships. The production of appliances for seagoing-ships started in the early years of the 20th century.
In 2013, a new generation entered the company with Mr. Nicolaus Bohnhoff
The 2008 financial crisis posed major challenges for the maritime market and its suppliers.
The strategically located new site, a broad product range, and a well-established customer base that has been cultivated and diversified over many years helped us overcome the crisis.
For the 4th time in our 140 year history, we moved our headquarters. With an eye on the future, we redesigned our organization to meet the increasing challenges and demands of our business partners.
After 25 years of successful cooperation with partners in India and Brazil, we established our presence in the Russian market.
Exhibition stand at the INMEX in India
With the opening of Eastern Europe and the increasing use of e-mail, we seized the opportunity to further expand the company's international presence.
The increasingly international orientation of the company also succeeds by offering market-driven solutions. Since the beginning of the 1990s, our economical standard "Caravelle" line has offered reliable products suitable for ships around the world.
Employees outside of our former headquarters in Nedderfeld
The company celebrates its 100th anniversary
The company continued to expand and with it the need for office space increased, so the building was extended by one floor.
View into the production hall, Nedderfeld
Office building, Nedderfeld
In 1960, the company moved to new production facilities in Hamburg-Lokstedt, as the old premises no longer met the requirements of a modern organization. The port, the city and the surrounding federal states are within easy reach for customer service works and delivery vehicles. From this point forward, our range of services includes project planning and delivery of complete hotel and ship kitchen facilities as well as canteen kitchen facilities for barracks, retirement homes, etc.
The complete collapse of the supply chain led to the construction of 2000 settlers' stoves made of brass. The difficult years of reconstruction were followed by an expansion of the manufacturing program in the 1950s, which met in particular the strong demand of domestic and foreign shipbuilding.
In 1943, Hans Bohnhoff became the sole owner of the company, which lost valuable parts of its production equipment as a result of bomb strikes on April 20, 1945.
Product catalog page of 1928
In addition to the supply of galley equipment for ships, the company was obligated to fill armament orders.
As a result, parts were manufactured for aircraft engine production.
Hans Bohnhoff joined the company in 1929.
After some economically difficult times at the beginning of the of the 1930s, the well-utilized production facilities had to reduce the production of cooking equipment significantly in 1939.
In 1928, the company again turned its attention to the construction of large cooking appliances and expanded its range of products and services by producing ship stoves.
With the beginning of the First World War, production had to be reorganized. Priority was given to the production of large-scale cooking equipment for people's kitchens ("Volksküchen"). In the post-war period, the focus of production was on settlers' stoves, portable cooking equipment, economy stoves (e.g. "Brennhexen") and oven pipes.
Delivery and assembly line in the Weidenallee
In 1909, the company moved into new buildings , which had been erected on the property acquired in 1907 in Weidenallee, not far from Sternschanze station. The construction of safes was discontinued and modern machine equipment was procured specifically for the construction of stoves and large kitchens. Documents still preserved show evidence of the company's extraordinarily advanced manufacturing methods. "Modular principle", modern work preparation and special pressing and punching tools took the business development into account. The production of sheet metal furniture replaced the construction of safes.
August F.M. Bohnhoff became the sole owner of the company and the company was given its present name.
Son August Friedrich Martin Bohnhoff successfully passed his journeyman's examination to become a locksmith and thus prepared himself at an early stage to take over the business.
Only 5 years later, the operating facilities were no longer sufficient. - The company founder acquired a plot of land in Koopstraße. In two workshops the company was engaged in the construction of stoves and safes.
On May 5th, Johann Friedrich Carl Bohnhoff opened a locksmith's shop in Hamburg, St. Pauli, Beckstraße 9. The workshop of the 38-year-old Hamburg native was located in a new residential and business building. Stove construction and general locksmith work belonged to the scope of the business.
