1955: Richmond – Driven by change

The story of the Richmond site begins with a leap into the unknown.  

In the spring of 1955, Kurt A. Körber travels across the United States. 
He is looking for a location. Close to customers. 
In the heart of America’s tobacco industry.  

Richmond offers exactly that. 

What happens next has been told often: 
A weekend. 
Closed real estate offices. 
A property manager at home. 
A swimming pool. 
And shortly afterward, the purchase of a building on Rhoadmiller Street. 

From this improvised opening scene, Körber’s first location outside Europe is established. 

The early years demand improvisation. 
And commitment. 

The team is small. 
The tasks are large. 
Many things happen in parallel.  
Many for the very first time.  

Out of this, a particular strength emerges: problems are identified quickly, solved pragmatically, and addressed as directly as possible.  

In 1957, Richmond begins manufacturing its own spare parts. 
Customer needs are constantly evolving. 
A workshop is established. 

As demand grows, so does the site. 
Assembly, subassemblies, and a heat treatment department are added.  

New customers follow: industrial companies, tool manufacturers – and even space research projects. 

Richmond evolves from a service point into a manufacturing site with its own technical expertise. 

In 1969, the first numerically controlled machine tools are put into operation — a major step toward computer-assisted manufacturing. 

Two years later, the team moves into a new facility near Richmond Airport, which remains the home of the site to this day. 

The team uses its capabilities to enter new markets: 
machines for feminine hygiene products, 
special solutions for development and laboratory environments, 
and technical services in the field of heat and surface treatment.  

One characteristic remains constant: 
Richmond responds quickly. 
To customers. 
To markets. 
To challenges.  

At the end of the 1990s, the American tobacco industry enters a period of transformation. 
Business models disappear. 
Demand changes.  

Richmond realigns itself. 
Service, spare parts manufacturing, and maintenance become increasingly important. 

In 2011, a Refurbishment Center is established. 
Older machines and assemblies are systematically overhauled, cleaned, and technically refurbished here.  

Today, Richmond remains an important pillar within Körber’s global manufacturing network – and home to new technical solutions: for  example, for the highly automated processing of hemp biomass and pure flower material.   

Much has changed. 
One ambition has remained the same: 
to provide leading technical solutions and remain the first choice for customers.