Kern & Sohn

Kern & Sohn, the calibrator and distributor of precision scales and force gauges, has played a major role in growing Southern Germany's reputation for precision weighing. The company was founded in 1844 by Gottlieb Kern and has remained a family run business ever since. In fact it is one of only two German companies (the other is Bizerba) to have survived unchanged throughout history in its original form as a family company.

History

Founder Gottlieb Kern belonged to a family of accomplished European artists and stonemasons. The business started in the midst of a recession but by 1867, the company was producing and selling around 2000 balances a year to scientists, apothecaries, chemists and goldsmiths. In 1870, Albert Sauter, the step-son of Kern, joined the Board of Directors of the company, and three years later, Kern & Sohn became one of the largest precision balances manufacturers in Germany.

During the last quarter of the nineteenth century, Kern & Sohn introduced a number of innovations and modifications into their designs to increase accuracy. In 1886, Gottlieb Kern passed away. Sauter took over as the President. The period was marked with expansion and technological development. By the turn of the century, Kern & Sohn held a dominant market position in a number of weight measurement fields, achieving recognition in scientific publications of the time.

In 1903, Albert Sauter's son Gustav took over the company and - surviving through the two devastating world wars - Kern & Sohn continued a period of further growth. Throughout the twentieth century, Kern & Sohn has become one of the market leaders in the German scientific supplies industry.

Modern Day Operations

Today, Kern & Sohn deals in a variety of scale products, including:

Basic scales, Laboratory balances, Industrial scales, Medical scales, Test weights, Force measurement, Torque measurement, Coating thickness, Material thickness, Hardness testing, Stroboscopes, Length measurement, Software, Accessories,

Advertising campaigns

Recently, Kern has created several award-winning advertising campaigns that have gained the company more visibility, both in the science and advertising communities. These campaigns have demonstrated the precision of Kern technology. For example, Kern's redesigned corporate stationery features the weights of each element - from the weight of the business card, to the very ink used to print it. The advertising work has been recognised at various national and international advertising awards including Cannes Lions and D&AD:

Recognition

2011: Gold, Global Creative Leadership, Lester Wunderman awards 2 x Silver DMAs, Webby 'Official Honoree', Bronze, Ads of the World

2010: In Book, Copywriting, D&AD Gold, B2B Marketing Silver, Email, DMA Silver, B2B, DMA Silver, WPPED CREAM Silver, B2B Marketing Bronze, Global Creative Leadership 3 finalists, B2B Marketing 2 finalists, Campaign BIG 2 shortlists, Marketing Engage

2009: Gold, B2B DM, DMA Silver, Integrated, DMA Silver, Small Budget, DMA Bronze, Business DM, DMA Bronze, B2B DM, DMA Nomination, Integrated, Eurobest Nomination, Integrated, Cannes Lions

Distributors

Kern sells directly to end-users of precision scales and force gauges as well as distributors throughout the world.