history

2012

After 22 years, we are returning to our foundation city and will be supplying our customers from the 2nd of May from our new office in Bochum.

2011

We are taking a big step forward. To ensure our constantly high PICARD quality for the next decades, we decided in favour of a new appropriate warehouse and office building domiciled in Bochum. As a result our capacity in all divisions will be doubled.

2010

We modernised the Quality Assurance and Incoming Goods Departments, fitting both with state-of-the-art workshop equipment and additional PC workstations.

2009

Despite a difficult world-economic situation we didn’t release any member of our team or work short time. Bucking the general trend, we increased investment in our human resources and their qualifications. All of these on-going investments secure the constantly high level of quality at PICARD.

2008

Continuously growing turnover and product stocks required the modification of our warehouse. We installed a VNA system (Very Narrow Aisles) with a flow rack for incoming goods.

2007

The onlineshop was given a new look and the ordering process was simplified. We now receive more than 80% of our orders online.

2006

Increasing sales and stocks required more space. We built an extension to expand our warehouse capacity by more than 50%.

2005

We expanded our strategic distribution area to include the Eastern European markets.

2003

The trend of previous years was becoming more firmly established: the share of exports increased to over 60% and more than 50% of all orders were received via our onlineshop.

2002

Former partner Wolfgang Picard died in July. Marc Picard was already managing partner at the time.

1999

We published the first – and extremely popular – PICARD OCCASION.

1998

Our first PICARD onlineshop was opened. PICARD Eurodistribution SNC in Sarreguemines / France opened for business, dealing with distribution to all customers on foreign markets until 2006.

1997

We took precautions with regard to the imminent price collapse in the filtration sector: we sold our hydraulics department “with all the trimmings” to our main supplier, Pall. The resulting liquidity was invested in the development of European markets. We founded the PEBSY CLUB which is still growing today.

1993

Logistics in Germany had improved so much that, following the Mülheim office, the Stuttgart and Maintal branches were centralised in Witten.

We introduced the “PICARD Distributor System”, the basis of today’s PICARD NET PRICE LIST. The target group was exclusively the resellers in the technical specialised trade.

1991

The largest drop in demand for about thirty years triggered massive falls in sales. We founded the subsidiary in Stuttgart and freed ourselves from individual bearing brands completely. By doing so, we were able to offer our customers almost the entire range of bearings from renowned manufacturers.

1990

It all got too cramped again and we left Bochum for Witten. At the same time, the Mülheim sales office was moved to Witten.

1988

The subsidiary company was founded in Maintal / Frankfurt am Main.

1987

The steel and coal mining crisis together with the general recession forced another restructuring of customer target groups. New distribution areas outside the Ruhr area compensated for the deficit.

1986

The sales office was opened in Mülheim upon Ruhr.

1979

We began selling Pall filters, Sauer pumps and other hydraulic products.

1972

We left the company headquarters, built after the Second World War, in Bochum city centre. In our new home right next to the A40 motorway, we were already using the first generally available electronic data processing systems.

1961

Managing partner Friedrich Picard died. The new managing partner was his son, Wolfgang Picard.

1960

The great crisis in the coal mining sector began accompanied by extensive job cuts in the Ruhr area. We soon found a solution: the previous major target group, mining, was replaced by customers in mechanical engineering and the steel industry. In the period up to 1970, the sales offices in Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg and Düsseldorf were opened.

1950

We moved into our new building in Bochum city centre. The successful partnership with STEYR Wälzlager GesmbH, Austria, was launched.

1922

PICARD was founded on 2 January 1922.

The Second World War left its mark: after several bombing raids on all branches, the last total destruction occurred on 04.11.1944.   

Soon after, on 02.01.1945, we were already celebrating our reopening. Since bearings came under the emergency law and German ball bearing manufacturers were not yet allowed to resume production, car parts and tools were included in the sales programme. PICARD became the first company in Bochum to assist in the provision and maintenance of the inhabitants’ cars, both in the city and its environs.