Profile

Range & services

The bilstein group brands offer high-quality spare parts for repairs, in line with the vehicle's current value.

Together, the bilstein group brands offer more than 60,000 different spare parts for professional vehicle repairs..

The group of companies see themselves as generalist, offering the right products for all vehicle requirements.

In addition to an extraordinary range of products in terms of breadth and depth, we support dealers and workshops with a variety of services.

This includes special tools and additional technical information, such as installation aids that are included with certain products to avoid assembly errors.

Professional training offers the latest state of the art, and important information on damage patterns.

From professionals for professionals

Take advantage of our wide range of training courses and let our expert service staff bring you up to date with the latest state of the art developments in technology and repairs.

With these training courses, the bilstein group passes on part of its technical competence to those who work with febi, SWAG and Blue Print products on a daily basis.

Current training programme

  

Searching becomes finding

Find your febi spare parts in partsfinder

Quality

We know what it all depends on
 

As a manufacturer, compliance with the highest quality standards is a matter of course for us.

Safety-relevant components in particular are subject to the strictest specifications in checking the material quality and fitting accuracy.

In order to meet demand across the entire product range, various centrally controlled departments for quality management work closely together.

Quality procedures are based on extensive, repeatedly carried out product tests - both before inclusion in the range and after.

Tests down to the smallest detail
 

In the state of the art testing laboratories of the bilstein group, various spare parts are examined in detail.

The process for determining quality includes destructive and non-destructive tests. For the inspection of electronic parts, we use, among other things, an X-ray machine where production defects inside a housing can be precisely detected.

The dimensions (accuracy of fit) and the material are among the most crucial tests required. To improve our product lines, we report optimisation potential back to the suppliers - making an active contribution to the development of our partner producers.

History

The historical roots of the bilstein group go back more than 170 years. Find out how a small hammer mill became a globally successful group of companies.

1844
1880
1880
1897
1921
1923
1936
1939
1946
1951
1952
1954
1981
1983
1988
1994
2012
2017
2017

1844

Foundation of the company "Ferdinand Bilstein"

 

1844 to 1880

Europe-wide trade with manufactured goods made of steel, iron and brass. The steel forge primarily produces tools and equipment for the iron industry, including drills, files, chains and hinges.

 

1880

Foundation of the company "Ferdinand Bilstein junior". With the decision to implement in-house production, a strategic realignment of the company takes place. The expansion of the factory goes hand in hand with the purchase of the first steam engine.

The core competence during this time is the production of turned nuts and bolts.

1897

Purchase of the first automatic screw machines, which considerably accelerates the production process.

1921

With the rise of the automotive industry, the strategic reorientation towards the supplier business takes place. The patented "febi spring bolt", which will be presented at the German motor show in Berlin, serves as a reference product.

 

1923

Registration of the trademark "Febi" (today "febi) at the Reichspatentamt.

 

1936

The production focus changes towards automotive spare parts and spring bolts. In addition, the first repair kits for kingpins are developed and sold.

 

1939

The company is classified as "war-important" due to the production of high-quality precision parts. Production has to be restructured according to National Socialist specifications.

 

1946

Shortly after the end of the war, the Allies granted a "permit to reopen", and the reconstruction of the largely destroyed production begins.

 

1951

In addition to the production of precision parts for automobiles and motorcycles, the production range of supplier parts for car and truck manufacturers, including spring bolt sets, axle bolts and wheel bolts, is expanded.

 

1952

The establishment of our own training workshop allows the targeted training of required specialists. These are becoming increasingly rare in times of huge economic growth and development. By the end of the 1950s, the febi brand had established itself as an original equipment manufacturer.

 

1954

Foundation of "Süd-West-Autoteile GmbH" in Dietzenbach and introduction of the "SWAG" product brand. In 2000, Ferdinand Bilstein GmbH + Co. KG took over this company.

 

1981

Constant enrichment of the product range with merchandise. Start of internationalisation: The first foreign subsidiary, "febi UK Ltd", is founded in England in 1990. Another 20 will follow by 2017.

 

1983

"febi Präzisionstechnik" enters CNC technology. By using modern control technology, even workpieces with complex shapes can be produced automatically. In addition, a separate programming department is set up and computer-aided quality assurance is introduced.

 

1988

Foundation of the company "Automotive Distributors Ltd" in England. The "Blue Print" product brand is launched in 1994. The company will be taken over by Ferdinand Bilstein GmbH + Co. KG in 2011.

 

1994

febi Präzisionstechnik is a supplier for the automotive industry and its own spare parts segment. In addition, precision parts are manufactured for selected industrial customers. Continuous expansion of production capacities and manufacturing competencies. These include turning, milling, drilling, hardening, grinding and assembly. Introduction of the current febi logo.

 

2012

Introduction of the "bilstein group" umbrella brand as a unifying element for the febi, SWAG and Blue Print product brands.
 

2017

febi Präzisionstechnik becomes "bilstein group Engineering". With the introduction of the divisional brand, the production activities within the bilstein group are grouped together. The newly built production hall with a production area of 10,000 m2 is opened.
 

2017

Introduction of the bilstein group partsfinder, initially with the passenger car ranges of febi, SWAG and Blue Print.
 

Logistics

In order to guarantee the worldwide availability of products and services, the bilstein group continuously invests in the expansion of its logistics capacities.

We currently have 10 warehouse locations in 8 countries - with a total storage area of more than 150,000 square metres.

The largest logistics centres are located in Ennepetal and Markham Vale (UK). These two building complexes already comprise more than 95,000 square metres of storage space. Other logistics centres are located in China, France, Italy, Portugal, Serbia and Spain.

The construction of further warehouses is already being planned. In the coming years, a site with a total area of 45,000 square metres will be built in Gelsenkirchen, in the heart of the Ruhr area.

The bilstein group continues to meet the requirements of future growth.

Locations

As one of the leading players in the automotive aftermarket, the bilstein group is represented around the globe. We have 21 international subsidiaries in the most important markets and work with local sales partners in more than 70 countries.

The immediate proximity to our customers is important and creates short contact paths.

This enables us to respond to the individual needs of our partners and the specific conditions in the various regions, always offering tailor-made solutions.

Sales Contacts

Ferdinand Bilstein GmbH + Co. KG
Ennepetal | Germany // Headquarters

SWAG Autoteile GmbH
Wuppertal | Germany

Ferdinand Bilstein France SARL
Aubergenville | France

Ferdinand Bilstein Italia SRL
Varese | Italy

Ferdinand Bilstein Portugal SA
Venda do Pinheiro | Portugal

UAB Ferdinand Bilstein Representative Office Ukraine
Kiev | Ukraine

Ferdinand Bilstein Croatia doo
Velika Gorica | Croatia

Ferdinand Bilstein Bulgaria EOOD
Sofia | Bulgaria

Ferdinand Bilstein TR Otomotiv Yedek Parça Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Şirketi
Ataşehir | Turkey

Ferdinand Bilstein Middle East FZE
Dubai | United Arab Emirates

febi Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.
Shanghai | China

Ferdinand Bilstein do Brasil Comércio de Autopecas Ltda.
Curitiba | Brazil

Ferdinand Bilstein UK Ltd.
Marden | Markham Vale | United Kingdom

febi Benelux NV
Buggenhout | Belgium

Ferdinand Bilstein España SLU
Zaragoza | Spain

Ferdinand Bilstein Polska Sp.z.o.o.
Warsaw | Poland

UAB Ferdinand Bilstein
Vilnius | Lithuania

Ferdinand Bilstein South East Europe d.o.o.
Belgrade | Serbia

Ferdinand Bilstein Romania SRL
Bucharest | Romania

Ferdinand Bilstein RUS OOO
Moscow | Russia

Ferdinand Bilstein Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
Singapore

Ferdinand Bilstein South Africa (PTY) Ltd.
Randburg | South Africa

febi North America, Inc.
Palo Alto | United States

Philosophy

Together we are strong
 

All business activities within the bilstein group are based on clearly formulated guidelines. This plants "we" as the focus point, and creates the basis for a family environment and exceptional working conditions.

Our most important goal is customer satisfaction: because customer success is also the success of the bilstein group. Partnerships designed for long-term cooperation are based on mutual benefit and are characterised by open, respectful business relationships and reliable services.

Part of our responsibility also covers nature. The bilstein group strives to conserve and preserve the environment as far as possible through the economical use of resources and modern production processes.

Aerial photo of the company headquarters in Ennepetal, Germany

Think globally, act regionally
 

The bilstein group's regional roots are an integral part of its corporate orientation.

We make our contributions by fulfilling public requirements and are committed to social projects and training initiatives.

Since the company was founded in 1844, we have remained loyal to our main location in Ennepetal. A considerable part of the investment volume is allocated to the expansion and conversion of the headquarters.

In this way, we are not only shaping our own future, but are also returning part of our ongoing success back to society and to the region.

Sustainability

The bilstein group attaches particular importance to sustainability. We take various measures to conserve resources, save energy and pollute the environment as little as possible.

Through the system partnership with PARTSLIFE, the environmental management service provider for the automotive industry, the bilstein group makes an active contribution to waste avoidance and disposal.

We design new buildings on the basis of current energy guidelines. The production site in Ennepetal, which was built in 2017, was equipped with a photovoltaic system which cover 50% of our current electricity requirements.

We also avoid producing the greenhouse gas CO2, which is produced during conventional electricity production, and use a natural, inexhaustible energy source. A direct contribution to the protection of our environment.