Kern & Sohn
Kern & Sohn GmbH (stylized as KERN & SOHN GmbH) is a German manufacturer and distributor of precision scales force gauges and microscopes, headquartered in Balingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
The company was founded in 1844 by Gottlieb Kern in Onstmettingen (now part of Albstadt), and its products are often referenced in nineteenth century international scientific publications.[1][2][3][4] The business is currently run by the eighth[5] generation of the Kern family, and is one of only two German companies from that period to remain family-owned throughout its history (along with Bizerba). Many of the scales and balances produced by Kern are exhibited at the Waagenmuseum in Balingen.[6]
Today, the company operates as a manufacturer of weighing technology, measuring instruments and optical instruments. In 2023, Kern & Sohn reported revenues of €44.4 million, an equity ratio of over 50 percent, and approximately 200 employees.[5]
History
Gottlieb Kern belonged to a family of European artists and stonemasons. Kern & Sohn started in the midst of a recession but by 1867, the company was producing and selling around 2,000 balances a year to scientists, apothecaries, chemists and goldsmiths. In 1870, Albert Sauter, the step-son of Kern, joined the Kern & Sohn Board of Directors.
During the last quarter of the nineteenth century, Kern & Sohn introduced innovations and modifications into their designs to increase accuracy. In 1886, Gottlieb Kern died and Sauter became President of the company. The period was marked with expansion and technological development. By the turn of the century, Kern & Sohn held a dominant market position in a number of weight measurement fields. In 1903, Albert Sauter's son Gustav took over the company.
Products
Kern & Sohn manufactures and distributes approximately 2,500 different weighing scales, industrial and medical weighing systems.[5]
The product portfolio also comprises a broad range of measuring instruments. These include hygrometers, instruments for force measurement and torque measurement, devices for hardness testing and thickness measurement, light meters, sound level meters, and optical instruments such as microscopes, refractometers, and polarimeters.
In addition, the company develops software solutions for data acquisition and integration of weighing systems into IT environments. The portfolio further includes calibration weights and related services such as calibration and verification of measuring instruments in accordance with Legal metrology regulations.[7] The company operates an accredited calibration laboratory in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 and is certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 for medical weighing systems.[8]
Distributors
Kern sells directly to end-users of precision scales and force gauges as well as distributors throughout the world.[9]
References
- ^ The American annual of photography - Google Books. 1889. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
- ^ The School of Mines quarterly - Columbia University. Henry Krumb School of Mines, Columbia University. School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Columbia University. School of Chemistry. Columbia University. 1891. Retrieved 2012-05-22 – via Internet Archive.
Kern & Sohn.
- ^ Pfeffer, Wilhelm (1900). The physiology of plants: a treatise upon the metabolism and sources of ... - Wilhelm Pfeffer - Google Books. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
- ^ Frick, Joseph (2009-05-30). Dr. J. Fricks Physikalische Technik: oder, Anleitung zu ... - Joseph Frick - Google Books. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
- ^ a b c Schmale, Oliver. "Unsere Herdplatte wird zu heiß". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. p. 21.
- ^ Stadtverwaltung Balingen. "Stadt Balingen - Weitere Informationen". Balingen.de. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
- ^ "DAkkS-accr. calibration « KERN & SOHN GmbH". en.kern-lab.com. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
- ^ Kern & Sohn GmbH. "Kern & Sohn GmbH - About us". Kern-sohn.com. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
- ^ "Weighing Scales for Professionals". Precisely. 2009-10-15. Archived from the original on 2012-06-06. Retrieved 2012-05-22.