The UK subsidiary was founded in 1972 by Ron Coppock, who became the first Managing Director. The Company’s first premises were in Carshalton, Surrey until it moved to Coulsdon, Surrey in the 1980’s and then onto larger premises in Coulsdon during the 1990’s.
Ron Coppock successfully managed the business until retiring in 1998. David Phillips was appointed Managing Director in late 1998 and has remained in that position until his retirement in May 2018 and Jonathan Peaurt was appointed Managing Director. WIKA UK has supplemented its organic growth with complementary acquisitions, namely:
- DH Budenberg Limited, Irlam – acquired in April 2011
- Calibration Dynamics, Andover – acquired in April 2011
- TC Fluid Control, Swanley – acquired in July 2012
- ASL, Merstham – acquired in January 2013
- Calibration Dynamics, DH Budenberg and ASL became WIKA Calibration Technology - January 2014
In 2012, WIKA UK celebrated its 40th anniversary at the London Olympic Games and profitable sales have increased year on year, to in excess of £30m. We are already looking forward to our 50th anniversary.
On January 02, 1946 Alexander Wiegand and Philipp Kachel founded WIKA GmbH in Klingenberg. The initial two letters of their surnames formed the company name WIKA. In 1951 Konrad Wiegand, the son of Alexander Wiegand, took over the management of the company. A decade later, with the consolidation of the branches, the foundation stone for the present headquarters in Klingenberg was laid.
In 1967 Ursula Wiegand took over the control of the company from her late husband. For her exceptional achievements she received the state medal for outstanding service in 1984. In the following year she was the first woman to be chosen as the business woman of the year.
With the inauguration of the new WIKA head office in 1988, Klingenberg was confirmed as the headquarters of the family-run company. As early as 1994, the high quality standard of WIKA was certified to DIN ISO 9001 by the German Society For The Certification Of Quality Management Systems (DQS).
For their 50th anniversary, WIKA was the Number 1 worldwide for mechanical pressure and temperature measurement. In the same year, following the death of Ursula Wiegand, Alexander Wiegand, the eponymous grandson of the company's founder, took over the management of the business.
In 1999, the construction of a new sensor centre was completed, which, with 13,000 square metres of production space, would be able to cope with the requirements of unlimited growth. In the production areas, the first KAIZEN activities began in 2002.