Short summary of important events during 150 years of Kappus history
1820  1825  1834  1843  1848  1856  1856  1861	The founder Johann Martin Kappus was born. Civic rights bestowed on Georg Phillip Kappus by mayor d'Orville of Offenbach J.M. Kappus serves an apprenticeship with Dalton, a soap and perfumery manufactory in Frankfurt. J.M. Kappus founds gymnastic club, Unitarian church and Offenbach fire-brigade. J.M. Kappus founds M. Kappus, soap and perfumery factory in Offenbach. Factory moves to Luisenstraße and grows steadily. J.M. Kappus marries Magdalena Wagner. J.M. Kappus elected to municipal council.
1870  1871  1883	The first french milled soaps are produced. The first french milled, trade-mark toilet soap of the world. "Kappus Konkurrenzseife" enters the market. Health insurance for all employees.
1886  1888  1890-1893  1903  1904  1905  1909  1912  1914  1926  1933  1934-1939  1939  1943-1945  1945-1947  1947  1948  1947-1950  1951	First steam-engine installed. J.M. Kappus honorary citizen of Offenbach. Three sons Adolf (1865), Ludwig (1867) and Martin (1872) join the company. Employees receive pension rights. Employees receive paid holidays. Working hours are reduced to 8 hours a day second only to Carl Zeiss, Jena. J.M. Kappus leaves the company. J.M. Kappus dies. His grandson Alfons is born. Company works now on premises of 11.000 sq.m. and 3.800 sq.m. floor space. Ludwig Kappus elected deputy mayor of Offenbach. Modern soap works are built, with ecological aspects playing an important role. First world war starts. Only bad soap substitutes with Kaolin are produced. Kappus introduces flow production, to cut costs. Alfons Kappus, 3rd generation, takes over as president of the company. His son Wolfgang is born. Important product innovations: New detergent 1-2-3, shaving cream, hand cream, tooth paste and EDC "Quendel" are developed. Second world war begins. Production of sand soap and floating soap only. 3 aerial bomb attacks destroy 80% of buildings and machinery. Reconstruction of factory. Kappus produces scouring powder, glue and baking powder. Dismanting of the factory is ordered by the Allies. 100th anniversary of M. Kappus. Second rebuilding of the factory. Delayed market entrance. First luxury soaps "for gentlemen only" and "for ladies only" enter the market.
1960  1964  1963/1965  1965-1970  1971  1975  1986  1990  1998	Wolfgang Kappus, returning after 3 ½ years in Canada, joins the Company. Wolfgang Kappus, now managing partner, remodels marketing strategy.Export extended to all continents. The "house of exceptional soaps" furnishes 86 countries with his products. Daughters Patricia and Cordula are born. Evelyn, Wolfgangs wife, a graphic designer, joins the company changing the firms image and product appearance. Alfons Kappus develops process to produce transparent soaps with high fatty acid content in a continuously process. A pioneering breakthrough making Kappus "number one" in high quality transparent soaps. Private label department starts. Customers won range from Estée Lauder, Lancaster, Roger and Gallet, Margaret Astor to Sainsbury's, Super Drug, Bayer Leverkusen, Rialto, San Francisco Soap Company, J.B. Williams. Alfons Kappus dies. Wolfgang's daughter Patricia joints the company. Acquisition of largest soap manufacturing company in Eastern Germany, Konsumseifenwerk Riesa. 150th anniversary with exhibitions in Frankfurt, Bologna, Hongkong, Philadelphia, Peking, Sao Paulo.