This month sees the 50th anniversary of founder Franz Binder’s decision to begin designing and making circular connectors just eight years after he established the company. Today, binder is a successful, independent, family-run business with a truly international reach and an industry leading industrial connector offering.
Markus Binder, the son of the founder, is now in charge of the company. He says: “In a family run business it is essential to maintain traditional values while ensuring continuous development and product innovation”
Franz Binder was a qualified machine operator and toolmaker when he established the company and, like many start-ups, he depended on one very large customer to provide the work. To add both turnover and financial security, Franz Binder looked to diversify and a chance meeting with Tuchel (later Amphenol Tuchel) gave him the opportunity to manufacture connector piece parts for some of their products.
From the production of parts for Tuchel to the design and manufacture of its own connectors took just a few years and, in 1968, binder launched Series 681 (for 1968 – 1) and the rest as they say is history.
Today, the binder product range includes around 10,000 different items and its circular connectors can now be found in applications across many industrial sectors although automation is the company’s biggest market. The increasing use of electronics technology throughout the factory floor is proof that Franz Binder made the right decision to concentrate on the professional end of the connector spectrum. The company has never operated in the consumer space and, after a brief spell in the automotive sector, binder decided that the price and delivery demands of the car manufacturers were not worth the return on a considerable investment.
Now retired, Franz Binder handed control of the company to his son back in 2014, although Markus Binder had been active in the company for more than 20 years. It has been Markus Binder who has worked to expand the company’s horizon beyond the home market which was supported by a modest distribution network in key countries.
binder now has subsidiary companies in the United States, China, The United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Holland, South East Asia and Austria. binder also partners with 45 distributors across five continents.
In addition to automation, binder is focused on markets which require high performance, high quality interconnection solutions. These include include food and beverage, medical electronics, agricultural and construction machinery as well as transportation including railways.
Practically all binder products are made in Germany. One exception is cable assemblies where some 30 per cent are made in Hungary. binder also manufactures some products in the USA specifically for the American market and in China for the Asian market.
Milestones
1960
Franz Binder establishes binder as a manufacturer of turned parts and components
1968
binder manufactures its first circular connectors
1972
binder opens new headquarters building in Neckarsulm, Germany
1992
Massive further investment in automated manufacturing capacity
2001 – present day
Formation of binder subsidiaries in China, The United States, France, The United Kingdom, Sweden, Holland, South East Asia and Austria. binder also partners with 45 distributors across five continents.
