Traditional and innovative
Family-owned for seven generations
Our company history started in 1861, and is also a history of the family to this day because of values such as awareness of tradition, ability to adapt and innovative spirit.
In many cases, we have been the first manufacturer on the market to find and deliver a technical solution for changing situations. We have therefore always succeeded in adapting our range of products to market changes that have been drastic at times, and marketed them worldwide. Our current company departments Pumps, Cable winches, Pool technology, Casting and steel components, Steel hydraulic engineering and valves have arisen from these technical developments.
Our in-house foundry has always been the focal point and the heart of the company.
It is our unique selling point as far as the competition is concerned, and makes the unique manufacturing depth of our production possible.
Milestones from 1861 to 1900
1861 Company founded by J. M. Voss
The company initially manufactured agricultural machinery such as ploughs, land rollers, straw cutting and threshing machines, and beet cutters
Milestones from 1901 to 1930
1910 Propeller pump
1920 Establishment of the company-internal school
1921 Production of hoisting winches for slaughterhouses and construction, and lifting gear for mills and agriculture. Origin of the Cable winch manufacturing area
1922 CEO J. Friedrich W. KÖSTER sen.
1924 Screw conveyor for water
1927 Propeller pump with vertical or diagonal axial orientation
1930 Propeller with fibre-repellent blade profile
Milestones from 1931 to 1960
1945 Double chain hoist
1950 Deep well piston pump
1950 Electric winches (WE series) with Dierking motors
1955 CEO J. M. Friedrich KÖSTER jr.
1955 Adler electric winch patented
Milestones from 1961 to 1990
Early 1960s: further development of wave machines. Origin of the pool technology production area
1960s First brake motor MB 1 with sliding rotor
1963 KÖSTER KG established
1975 Submersible motor propeller pump
1983 Friedrich KÖSTER GmbH & Co. KG established
1985 Lye pump for industrial washing systems
1987 First stage winch (WE 20) for ”Phantom of the Opera” (Vienna)
1989 Type approvals for cable winches
1990 First water-lubricated shaft guide bearing in pumping station pumps (Pfatter near Regensburg)
Milestones from 1991 to 2000
1994 Motors with disk brakes replace sliding rotors
From 2000 water-lubricated shaft guide bearings
Milestones from 2001 to 2010
2003 First system winch - Copenhagen Royal Opera
Since 2003, various structural changes and modernisation work at the company headquarters:
The factory villa is turned into the conference and office building, reconstruction of the office building, winch assembly hall, steel construction hall, foundry, model warehouse and laboratory
2005 Manufactured size of our pumps increased to up to DN 1400
2007 High-safety winches
2008 Banner winch
2010 Entire Pumps made from duplex stainless steel
2010 New directive for passenger transportation winches
Milestones from 2011 to 2020
2013 Introduction of WE40
2013 80 x offshore winches for the Butendiek wind farm
2015 First half-axial pumps for seawater desalination
2016 18 x offshore winches for the Nordergrund wind farm
2018 First pump delivery for an artificial surf wave with 12,000 l / s
2018 Serial production of WT250 on-board cranes for wind turbines
2019 Equipping the flood pumping station for the once largest sewage treatment plant in Europe
2019 Development and manufacture of 2 x 40t winches (total weight 12t) for moving submarines in dry docks
2020 Construction and delivery of systems for the exchange of large components in offshore wind farms (load capacity up to 10 t)
2020 New development and series production of a silo entry winch based on the WE series
Milestones 2021
2021 Approval of the WH5LBGr as a 300 kg manual winch for stages and studios according to DGUV17 with 12 m lifting height
2021 Receipt of manufacturer-related product qualification (HPQ) for rail vehicle parts from Deutsche Bahn
2021 Series start of WT1000 board cranes for wind turbines