After relocating to Freiberg in 1977, the Bertrandt engineering office established its first branch in Sindelfingen in 1980, comprising 17 employees. Even then, a diversification of services was already apparent, consisting of toolmaking (20%), mechanical engineering (29%), and motor vehicles (51%). In addition, Heinz Kenkmann, who would later become a member of the Management Board, joined the engineering firm during this period.

In 1990, Bertrandt had 240 employees, 49 CAD workstations and generated an annual revenue of approximately $35.5 million. In 1993, founder Harry Bertrandt formally handed over the company to Dietmar Bichler and Heinz Kenkmann (see picture). In the same year, the Rüsselsheim and Cologne sites were founded.

In 1993, during the management buy-out, Bertrandt consisted of eight branches with around 300 employees and 70 CAD workstations. Following the management buy-out, the company underwent a significant expansion, picking up momentum. The way  Bertrandt was managed as a company also changed thanks to the flat structures and tangible Management Board members. The palpable Bertrandt spirit, akin to a close-knit family, became increasingly contagious.

In 1994, Bertrandt guaranteed its customers the continuity of data from design to production with the new prototype construction facility in Ludwigsburg-Tamm. This marked a significant milestone for the company. Also, this year, Bertrandt made its debut appearance at the "EuroMold" trade show in Frankfurt, emphasizing rapid prototyping as its focal point. Concurrently, Bertrandt established its UK subsidiary. The following year, 1995, the Wolfsburg and Munich sites followed suit and the company employed around 520 people. Other notable events include Bertrandt's first participation at the IAA in Frankfurt and the launch of its first internal company publication, "Bert" magazine.

1996 marked a pivotal year for Bertrandt, as the IPO laid the foundation for robust future growth. The former GmbH transitioned into an AG. On the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the Bertrandt share was described as one of the most sought-after new issues of the year. In the year of the IPO, Dietmar Bichler was elected to the Management Board of Bertrandt AG in Tamm, assuming responsibility for technology, sales, and human resources. Additionally, Bertrandt initiated its first training programs for office clerks and office management assistants in Tamm, Heilbronn, and Rüsselsheim. The establishment of the Spanish branch marked yet another significant milestone.

The following two years were characterized above all by major technical achievements. 1998 also saw the start of development of the Bertrandt Competence Car (BCC), which was the first ready-to-drive prototype in Bertrandt's history and significantly advanced the company's expertise. The BCC was subsequently showcased at several roadshows and trade fairs. Notably, it was presented at the IAA in 1999 utilizing virtual reality and accompanying eyewear for presentation. Witnesses recall the presentation was projected on a large, backlit screen. Furthermore, 1998 saw the inception of plans for our current corporate headquarters in Ehningen. Organizational adjustments were made within management, including restructuring department heads and KAMs, thereby enhancing our capacity for large-scale projects.

The year 1999 marked the halfway point in our series of milestones, as Bertrandt AG celebrated its 25^th anniversary. At that time, Bertrandt had approximately 2,400 employees and achieved sales of just under 288 million, with an EBIT rate of 10%. To honor this occasion, the Management Board extended an invitation to all employees, along with their partners and children, to spend a weekend in the Swabian Alb. Over 1,000 people, including employees from France and England, gathered for the celebration, coming together to spend the night.

In the years that followed, Bertrandt continued to advance technologically. Following the unveiling of the design study for the smart crossblade at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show, and Bertrandt's successful presentation of a feasibility study, we were brought on board as the general contractor. By 2003, the smart design study became a limited production vehicle. That year, Bertrandt launched its first customer magazine, marking another significant milestone. To facilitate strategic and organizational restructuring, a matrix organization was also created in collaboration with the Management Zentrum St. Gallen guided by the principle of "Networking for Strength". 

In 2004, Bertrandt had approximately 3,000 employees serving the international automotive and aviation sectors across 19 European locations, alongside a single branch operating in the US. Financially, the Company recorded total revenues of approximately €221 million, accompanied by an EBIT of around €6 million. It was during this time that Bertrandt set the goal of utilizing the expertise of the entire Group to better serve the customer, which is why the expertise is shared among specialized departments throughout the Group, leading to a strategic and organizational adjustment. In 2005, Bertrandt achieved Tier 1 supplier status with Airbus in the aviation sector through a partnership agreement with EUROAER. In the same year, Bertrandt implemented the complete development of the bodywork and interior of the Audi A4, before even designing and implementing true-to-original display models of the Airbus A380 in 2006. Additionally, Bertrandt Services GmbH was founded in the same year.

With the help of Bertrandt Services GmbH, known today for employee leasing and its expertise in the electrical industry, energy, mechanical and plant engineering, and medical technology sectors, Bertrandt was able to expand its many years of engineering experience to other sectors. Since 2007, the company has been offering customer-oriented personnel service solutions through its subsidiary. In addition, further services were developed outside the automotive sector. For example, the “Combino” streetcar manufactured by Siemens Transportation Systems is optimized. By 2008, the number of employees had doubled compared to 2004. Initially, sales and earnings reached record highs, with approximately €434 million in sales and €51 million in EBIT. However, in the second half of 2008, the global financial and economic crisis significantly impacted performance. The German Association of the Automotive Industry predicted that 2009 would be the weakest year since reunification. Despite this challenging economic environment, Bertrandt achieved a notable milestone with the inclusion of the Company's shares in the SDAX this year.

Since 2012, the company's growth has been evident in its geographical expansion, as new locations opened in Romania, Hungary, and Turkey in the following years. Bertrandt also established its Chinese headquarters in Shanghai. In 2013, the Electronics Competence Center was opened at the Tappenbeck site (photo). That year, the company surpassed 10,000 employees for the first time, and revenues increased by 10.3% to approximately €782 million, marking a successful fiscal year. Bertrandt also launched its social media presence in 2013, with channels on XING, Facebook, and YouTube.

Increased customer demand, the expansion of current and future trends, and effective capacity utilization, form the basis for Bertrandt's further growth starting in 2014. In February 2014, the second branch in China opened in Changchung. The Group expanded its facilities nationally. While the Rüsselsheim site grew by 3,000 m2 in 2015, the vehicle acoustics center in Ingolstadt successfully launched in the same year. In addition, the new 6,000 m2 testing center in Mönsheim was put into operation. In this year, Bertrandt employed approximately 12,400 people, generating revenues of about €938 million and an operating profit of around €92 million.

The increasing demands, particularly in the megatrends of environmentally friendly mobility, automated driving, and Industry 4.0, were partly changing developments in the Bertrandt environment in 2016. More complex projects were being worked on and teams were becoming more interdisciplinary. Bertrandt was named "Innovator of the Year 2016" by brand eins Wissen and Statists. In 2017, Bertrandt x-track was used for the first time. "x-track" is a mobile laboratory for validating active safety functions on test surfaces and in road traffic. The French site in Vélizy-Villacoublay, not far from the center of Paris, was also opened. Another milestone was reached in September 2018: The ground-breaking ceremony for the high-voltage battery testing center at the headquarters in Ehningen. This enabled high-voltage batteries from the module level to hybrid batteries and batteries for purely electric vehicles to be functionally validated under various climatic and load conditions.

In October 2019, Bertrandt presented an unprecedented showcase for autonomous, electrified and connected driving to the public at the ELIV in Bonn. The HARRI innovation platform showcases the company's technological capabilities along the entire value chain of mobility concepts of the future. In January of next year, Bertrandt will be represented for the first time at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas with its own exhibition stand to celebrate the world premiere of HARRI. Our long-standing CEO Dietmar Bichler becomes Chairman of the Supervisory Board in 2019. The high-voltage battery test center is also put into operation one year after the groundbreaking ceremony.

During the challenging times of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Bertrandt launched the digital campaign #wirmachenweiter to maintain an ongoing dialogue with customers, partners, and employees. One positive event this year was the German Innovation Award for the independently developed HARRI technology carrier. The ground-breaking ceremony for the new charging park for electric vehicles in Mönsheim, which will be used for test vehicles as well as by the public, also took place in 2020. Bertrandt used the time of the pandemic to restructure internally - the matrix organization, which is characterized by cross-location working and the decentralization of the holding company, was introduced. In the following year 2021, Bertrandt was appointed by Airbus as a "Preferred Supplier for Engineering Services," solidifying and enhancing the longstanding customer relationship. The acquisition of the Philotech Group also helped to strengthen Bertrandt's further foothold in both the aviation and automotive industry. In 2022, Bertrandt took a significant step towards sustainability by publishing its goal of being CO2-neutral across the entire supply chain by 2039. After a construction period of around two years, Bertrandt began testing operations at the second Mobility Test Center site in 2022, which, together with Freising and Tappenbeck, represents the largest contiguous investment in the company's history.

Bertrandt opened its first African site in Morocco in 2023. The site in Romania, founded in 2015, will welcome its 1000th employee in 2023. The acquisition of Concept AG gave Bertrandt the opportunity to expand its consulting services and the acquisition of evopro systems engineering AG enabled it to provide customers in the production sector with even more holistic support in the end-to-end process. In addition, the new Group Strategy 2027 was announced, which was initially explored in greater detail during a Management Board roadshow the subsequent year and rolled out gradually across the company. Bertrandt also took part in the ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Expo in California for the first time in 2023 and, in addition to the traditional Bertrandt soccer tournament, a tennis tournament was held that year. Another milestone in 2023 was the introduction of the new Bertrandt brand identity, which was honored twice with the German Brand Award. Bertrandt set two records in the 2022/2023 fiscal year. For the first time, the number of employees surpasses 14,000, and the company achieves its highest-ever revenues, totaling €1.157 billion.