It all began back in 1899. Ewald Witte founded the company in Höferstraße in Velbert, Germany. First, the company specialized in producing locks for suitcases. However, even before WW2 began, the company started to produce car fittings. The future Volkswagen Beetle was the very first car worldwide to be fitted with a WITTE door handle. At the beginning of the 1950s, a die-casting department was set up to extend the product range significantly. This led to a stronger focus on products for the automotive industry. Since then, WITTE has been working together with an increasing number of major customers across Europe.
In the 1970s, design and development was extended to all components for car locking systems, and components for all moving body parts in vehicles were designed and delivered.
When WITTE-Nejdek was established in the Czech Republic in 1992, its competitiveness in international markets was secured. The acquisition of majority stakes or entire companies such as Riewer Kunststoff GmbH (RIKU) based in Bitburg (1995), KROSTA Metalltechnik GmbH (1996), FINGSCHEIDT Automotive (2008) based in Velbert and Wülfrath, PRINZ WITTE GmbH based in Stromberg (1999), and taking over the entire product range of Power Products from Delphi (2008), WITTE grew to be a group with a broad range of expertise and technologies.
In 1993, WITTE Automotive set up representation on a global stage by signing an agreement with a Taiwanese company. This was further extended by creating the strategic VAST alliance, which was set up together with the American company STRATTEC and ADAC Automotive.
After starting production in Bulgaria in 2010, WITTE commissioned its own production site in the Bulgarian city of Ruse in 2014.
Today, in cooperation with all renowned car manufacturers, we develop and manufacture locking systems for engine hoods, tailgates and car doors, as well as safety products for car seats.