© Copyright – Quality Automation GmbH 2007–2024
History
Managing Director Michael Fritz remembers the founding years of Quality Automation GmbH
„In the year 2000 I received a very interesting enquiry from the company MBRAUN Intertgas-Systeme GmbH from Garching near Munich. The contact came about because I had already worked with MBRAUN on several projects in my position at my former employer and had got to know the company as a reliable partner. MBRAUN now wanted to equip all plants destined for the Asian market with a Mitsubishi Electric control system. According to the request, I was to develop, build and commission the control system on site! To me, this sounded like a very attractive and exciting project. My colleague Heinz Monnartz was also enthusiastic and so we decided to found Quality Automation GmbH. For me in particular, self-employment was something I had been thinking about for a long time, and the fact that Heinz went along with it at the time was really super!
The first automation projects were all for the MBRAUN company. However, other projects with new customers quickly followed. The first company headquarters was in the service centre in Stolberg. It consisted of only two offices – but in the initial phase, with three employees, that was sufficient. Then, however, it developed quite quickly. Since we were already seven employees at the end of 2001, we moved to our current company headquarters at the beginning of 2002. With the new customers came new requirements and fields of activity, which we also wanted to serve. This was only possible through continuous growth and the further development of our know-how. Currently, Quality Automation GmbH has more than 50 employees and is one of the largest companies for automation technology in the Cologne-Aachen area.“
QA from the foundation until today
A short journey through 20 years of Quality Automation
Shareholder agreement and business registration
Foundation of the company by Heinz Monnartz and Michael Fritz and moving into the first premises in the Service Centre (DLZ) in Stolberg.
25. August 2000
The 1st employee starts work
The beginning of steady growth: Wolfgang Felser becomes the first employee at QA.
01. January 2001
Move to Konrad-Adenauer-Straße
The two offices of the DLZ become too cramped with the additional new employees, so the company moves to its current headquarters at Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 156, Stolberg.
01. January 2002
Renting additional office space
The further expansion of the premises progresses quickly. Just two years after the move, additional office space is rented in the Philips Rothe Erde industrial park in Aachen, close to one of our main customers.
23. September 2004
Partnership with Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V.
Due to the long lasting project business with components from Mitsubishi Electric, we become part of the System Partner Automation Network with improved conditions and comprehensive support possibilities.
22. March 2007
Renting additional commercial space
In order to be able to further expand our own control cabinet production and storage facilities, commercial space is rented very close to the headquarters: our "Plant 2" is built.
28. July 2009
10-year company anniversary
10 years have already passed since the company was founded. We look back on many exciting projects with great customers and valuable experiences and celebrate the anniversary festively at the Eyneburg in Hergenrath, Belgium.
04. September 2010
Bosch Rexroth system integrator
As we increasingly use components from Bosch Rexroth in the field of drive technology and some of our employees have become specialists in this field through training and in the course of numerous projects, we are listed as a system integrator for electrical drives and controls in 2009.
17. November 2011
Certified quality
Quality is not only in our name, but is also our highest priority in internal project management and execution. This is why we decided to introduce a quality management system and to be regularly certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2008.
14. July 2011
Cooperation with Keyence
Machine vision and intelligent sensor technology are increasingly being used in automation technology. With Keyence Germany as our partner, we have access to a wide range of products and competent advice to offer our customers high-quality machine vision solutions and sensor technology.
25. November 2011
First apprentice and scholarship funding
Our first "apprentice" starts his training as an electronics technician for automation technology. At the same time, we support our first scholarship holder in the programme of the Aachen University of Applied Sciences.
01. August 2012
Expansion of the management
The management gets support: Christian Franssen, Andreas Fritz and Friedhelm Steffens are given procuration and from now on take more care of acquisition and quotation preparation.
08. March 2016
System partner of Kollmorgen Europe GmbH
A new partnership with the company Kollmorgen EUROPE GmbH from Ratingen expands our range in the field of drive technology.
01. December 2017
QA in a new design
The company comes of age and receives a new logo as a gift from the marketing department. The abbreviation and the colour scheme remain, but in a modernised and minimalistic style with a high recognition value.
25. August 2018
Partnership with Balluff and Matrix Vision
The image processing sector is further expanded and the portfolio is extended by many different products. After successful participation in the partner training programme, we are qualified as a Solution Partner by Matrix Vision GmbH, a member of the Balluff-Group, and can thus offer our customers cost-effective GigE and Smart Cameras.
25. February 2019
20th company anniversary
In the turbulent times of 2020, our company anniversary unfortunately passes without the possibility of a major celebration. We hope to be able to make up for this in a fitting manner next year. Until then, we would like to thank all our customers for their trust and long-standing partnerships!
25. August 2020
New management
With effect from 11.01.2021, Andreas and Christian Fritz will take over the management of Quality Automation GmbH as successors of Heinz Monnartz and will manage the company together with their father Michael Fritz and the two authorised signatories Friedhelm Steffens and Christian Franssen in the future.
11. January 2021
Certified Excellence Partner Solution
Quality Automation GmbH is now a licensed Certified Excellence Solution Partner of Bosch Rexroth.
This means that we belong to a selected network of sales and service partners in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Together with around 60 Excellence (CE) Partners, we have a high level of performance and solution expertise for automation, drive and control technology applications.
30. March 2021
Siemens Solution Partner
Quality Automation GmbH is a Siemens Solution Partner for Factory Automation and Drives & Motion. This means that we belong to a selected global partner network with uniform quality standards worldwide. This creates competitive advantages, which we are happy to pass on to our customers.
20. January 2023
ICONICS System Integrator
Quality Automation GmbH is part of the ICONICS System Integrator Program and as a system integrator has full access to development tools, training and technical resources. As a system integrator we can offer our customers, in close cooperation with ICONICS, the best and most efficient solutions.
20. April 2022
Awarding of the Quality Seal "Made in Aachen"
With great pleasure, we announce that Quality Automation GmbH has been awarded the prestigious "Made in Aachen" seal of quality by the Industry Dialogue Economic Association of Aachen. This prestigious honor recognizes companies that stand out for their exceptional quality and innovation and show great commitment to the Aachen city region.
05. June 2024
New “Application Development” department
The new application development department was founded under the leadership of Dr. Timo Minartz! In addition to the development and support of our own ERP system, we now also implement state-of-the-art database solutions and AI applications for industrial customers. As a first major milestone, QAenterprise was brought up to date as an efficient web application and has already been successfully modernized for many of our customers.
Another step towards an innovative future!
