Wera Tools is the popular name for tool manufacturerWera Werkzeuge GmbH with headquarters inCronenberg (Wuppertal, Germany) and production inBystřice nad Pernštejnem andTřebíč in the Czech Republic.
In 1936, the businessman Hermann Werner founded HermannWerner GmbH & Co. KG as atrading company for tools.[2][3]
The company was destroyed duringWorld War II. After 1945, reconstruction began under the management of Heinz Amtenbrink, the Werner family's son-in-law; and the manufacture ofscrewdrivers was added as a business segment.[4] Since 1951, the company has been using the name Wera (fromWerner andAmtenbrink) as its trademark.[5] Production of bits began in 1963. In 1968, the company developed theWera Kraftform screwdriver handle together withFraunhofer Institute, which is still part of the Wera logo.[6][7]
In the 1990s, the company introduced diamond-coated bits.[8] Furthermore, Wera acquiredDrehmax W. Holland and founded a sales subsidiary in the UK in 1993.[3] Production was relocated toBystřice inMoravia (Czech Republic) in 1995.
After the company's tools were frequently copied, the company repeatedly ordered the closure of trade fair stalls with counterfeit products.[9]
Due to the owner's retirement, the company was sold toBitburger Holding in 2016.[10][11]
Wera Tools built a logistics centre on 20,000 square metres of land in Wuppertal in 2016.[12] At that time, Wera employed over 750 people worldwide, including over 400 in the Czech Republic.[10] In 2018, the company established a branch office inTřebíč.
Since 2019, Wera has been taking part in events such as the Montgolfiade,Kiel Week and the Balloon Cup in theKitzbühel Alps with a hot air balloon in the shape of a screwdriver;[13] the company has also cooperated with German music festivals such asSummer Breeze Open Air[14] andWacken Open Air.[1]
Wera Tools is a global tool manufacturer.[15][16] Its global headquarters and European sales team is based inWuppertal, Germany. Wera has wholly owned regional subsidiaries, for example in the United Kingdom (based inChesterfield,Derbyshire, England) and North America (based inOntario, Canada), where it is known asWera Tools Inc. Outside these areas, the company operates through a network of sales agents and wholesalers. Wera is a privately held company and employs more than 1,500 people.[1] The company was fully acquired byBitburger Holding in 2016.[10]
Wera Tools designs and manufactures more than 3,000 tools[17] for both manual andpower tool applications at its German headquarters and its factories in Bystřice and Třebíč in the Czech Republic. Through its subsidiary Wera Tool Rebels GmbH, the company operates a Tool Rebels online shop for customers.[18]
Wera is a manufacturer and developer of screwdriving tools. The company also improves tools to make them more efficient and to combine several tool types. For example, the company develops open-end spanners or ratchets with improved functionality.[16] Overall, Wera develops and sells products such asscrewdrivers and screwdriver bits,ratchets and sockets, nut-spinners andL-keys as well as sets and compact tools.[6][19]
Wera is known for its line of screwdrivers featuring the distinctiveKraftform shape handle.[15] This design is based around the contours of the hand during screwdriver use, and uses a specifically designed combination of ergonomic soft zones and smooth, hard zones. The distinctive 'crowns' from this handle are used as part of the Wera logo.
Other key Wera developments and well-known brands include:
Joker Ratchet spanners with a nut holding feature
Impaktor screwdriver bit system for cordless impact drivers, utilising TriTorsion and Diamond technology for longer life
BiTorsion screwdriver bits
Rapidaptor bit holders
TheHex-Plus screw profile, prevents rounding out when compared with the traditional hex profile
Zyklop multi-function ratchet and sockets
TheKoloss, a ratchet that can also be used as a hammer
TheChiseldriver, a screwdriver that can be used as a chisel and hit with a hammer whilst remaining fully usable as a precision screwdriver
Kraftform Kompakt tools, kits consisting of bit holders or bit-holding handles and a selection of screwdriver bits or blades, supplied in a hard case or soft belt pouch
Wera Stainless, a range of tools manufactured fromstainless steel that is tough enough to be used in industrial and commercial applications. This range solves several aesthetic and material problems associated with using conventional (carbon) steel tools with stainless steel fixings and fasteners.
