Kepler Weber

Institutional Kepler's History

In 1925, the brothers Otto Kepler and Adolfo Kepler Jr. begin a small blacksmith's shop that soon became an industry manufacturing presses for lard, tobacco, and vegetable oil, honey centrifuges, truck and bus chassis, among other products. In 1939, Paulo Otto Weber comes in as a partner, which gave rise to "Kepler Irmãos & Weber" and in 1963 the company becomes a listed corporation and begins to operate under the name Kepler Weber S.A. – Indústria, Comércio, Importação e Exportação. Exporting began in 1972 with the sale of the first equipment to Paraguay and during the company's 50th year anniversary in 1975 the new manufacturing plant in Panambi/RS is inaugurated.

With the rise of KW Engenharia in 1976, begins the elaboration of large projects, manufacturing, and assembly of special equipment such as malthouses, breweries, industrial installations and ports, as well as cereal storage and movement. The first set of steel silos is delivered in this same year. In the beginning of the 80's the company takes on a new drive in the area of exports when it opens up its own trading company, GKS – Companhia de Comércio Exterior. In February 1996 its share control was acquired by first-rate investment institutions in the Latin American financial market such as BB Banco de Investimentos S/A, Caixa de Previdência dos Funcionários do Banco do Brasil – PREVI, Instituto Aerus de Seguridade Social, and SERPROS Fundo Multipatrocinado. The next year the Kepler Weber Group acquires the company Cepem – Centro de Engenharia e Montagem Ltda.

In 2003 the company name Cepem – Centro de Engenharia e Montagem Ltda. is changed to Kepler Weber Inox Ltda. and takes on a focus for producing equipment for dairy cattle. The new manufacturing unit in Campo Grande (MS) is inaugurated in 2004, which doubled the Kepler Weber Group's production capacity--a milestone in the company's history. An important restructuring of capital is carried out in 2007 with the entrance of new shareholders. The free float that was 4% went to 65% and Previ and BBI are the largest shareholders owning 35% of the company's capital.