On this page we woul like to tell you something about the history of our enterprise. Because: Where we come from affects where we go.

Why Jumbo?

In the second half of the 19th century the bavarian Johann Schmidt brought a Abyssinian elephant to Europe. This young elephant was baptized "Jumbo" which comes from the East-african Swahili and means "Hello". The conceptual relation betwenn the elephant and Jumbo was born.

The company's founder Dietrich Fischer was a technical proponent of the semitrailer truck idea - according to the principle pulling is easier than carrying. And, in contrast to mules, elephants are deployed to pull loadings. In his mid-twenties Mr Fischer applied for his first patent and called the new innovative semi-trailer coupling Jumbo- ball-head-fifth wheel.

From then on the characteristics of the elephant became a leitmotif for our company's fortunes.

The big ears: We are always receptive to our customers.

The trunk: For 60 years there is the sound of Jumbo horns - multi-patented by the way.

Memory: Proverbial.

The tusks: See memory. Or was it our bumper programm that need to be mentioned?

The tail: Others pull together, we hook arms.

Company's history:

I. episode 1932 until 1945

It was the first of Juli in 1932 when company founder Dietrich Fischer registered his business in Hamburg. The son of a carter in Schuettdorf (near Rheine) startet his entrepreneurial self-employment based on three basic decision:

1. The products had to have the best quality possible.
2. The products had to be innovative
3. Quality and innovative ideas had to unite in an expressive brand.

He called this brand Jumbo and connected the writing "Jumbo" with the head of the elephant. Dietrich Fischer registered the brand and the logo already in 1932. In the same year he also received the first patent. Since 1932 the company has kept developing continuously. But the basic modules do still, 75 years later, play a significant role in all operating and entrepreneurial decisions.

The development of the enterprise can be summarized in following periodes.

1932 - 1939 

Dietrich Fischer established his products in Germany, Europe and in parts even in the United States. In this time he receive a number of patents in the field of semi-trailer couplings, pneumatic brakes and other vehicle parts.

1939 - 1945  

The awful world war had also effected Jumbo. There was less room for innovative inventions in the range of vehicle safety and economic efficiency. The production shifted increasingly to standardised products in order to meet the demand of the military industry. The dreadful bombardment of Hamburg in Juli 1943 involved Jumbo, too. The company buildings were almost totally destroyed.

II. episode 1945 until 1979

1945        

Zero hour. An incredible mass (approx. 500.000) german patents deteriorated, were withdrawn or belonged to the victorious powers' capture. Among these patents were also the ones from Dietrich Fischer. But business had to continue, and it did continue.

1946 - 1979  

Hummel-Hummel, a bicycle trailer-hitch, was Dietrich Fischer's first patent in post-war Germany. It was a result of the lack of market for his ball-head-fifth wheel (there were only few trucks in Germany) which was his first invention in 1932.

In 1950 the brilliant and unique Jumbo-horn was patented. The incomparable quality and the powerful sound made the "Jumbo-Horn" to a generic term. In the course of the german-contract in 1952, stability of law returned to the young Federal Republic of Germany. Dietrich Fischer reacted quickly and renewed the registration of the word-image-brand "Jumbo". Nobody could presage that the division of Germany into East and West would last for 44 years. It was a matter of course that Dietrich Fischer patented his brand in the DDR as well which was confirmed in 1955.
More inventions of vehicle parts, especially in the range of air brakes followed and got patented. Besides Dietrich Fischer began to import parts from the USA in order to distribute them and provide service for his customers.

III. episode 1979 until 2003

1979 - 2003  

At a ripe old age Dietirch Fischer turned his company over to his son Jörg Fischer († 2006). Widely travelled and with many stays abroad of, he carried a unique vision with him that was based on his assumptions and own experiences made in the USA. At the end of the 70s people still spoke of a "lorry", seen as sheer working appliance. Only few entrepreneur realized that it is also the flagship of their company, the second home of their drivers and of course individually shapeable. Jörg Fischer wanted to offer solutions in order to change this attitude. In 1979 he imported the first interior embellishments from the USA and adapted them to the European commercial trucks. After a little while he had to realize that the "American chrome" couldn't bear up against the climate in Europe. This had to be changed as a Jumbo-product should always be consistent. And so one started to develop an absolutely new programm for refinement parts that are made of rust-free stainless steel. He established a totally new segment with totally new products in a totally new market. Today the sight of splendid chrome parts, mounted on trucks seems to be self-evident in Europe. In year 1989, the year that introduced the end of communism in Germany, Jörg Fischer founded euphoric a subsidiary company in the baltic states in order to manufacture new parts. Unlawful proceeding of the baltic management led to the downfall of this subsidiary in 1996. Even judgments in favour of the two german enterpriser couldn't anticipate the damage. This experience led to a fundamental descision: Whenever it is economical realisable, Jumbo-products should be manufactured in Germany. Since then the percentage of products "Made in Germany" has been growing constantly (currently >80%). We wanted to demonstrate that it do is possible to manufacture first-class products at a reasonable price in Germany. We even say: Especially here! Jörg Fischer carried on the good tradition of inventiveness and applied succesfully for utility models and patents (e.g. the first air-brake worldwide, stainless-steel wheel lining)

2003 - 2007 

In 2003 Jörg Fischer was bound to retire in consequence of his poor health. He passed the management of the company on to his son Jörgen Arne Fischer (in the company since 1990). The innovative character of Jumbo maintained traditionally. The young team startet a new project called "mobile office for trucks". At the beginning it was only a trial that was meant to show the emerging requirerments for truck drivers. Soon it turned into an inherent part of the Jumbo-portfolio which is called "Jumbo-Tech" now.

IV. Abschnitt 2007 -

2007 -

For almost 45 years there is a close business relationship between the two family enterprises "Klapper Autoteile" in Buende and "Jumbo-Fischer" in Hamburg (or rather Neu Wulmstorf). Already in 1997 the two companies formed a sales group in order to cope with the new challenges of the European market. In April 2007 the reestablishment of Jumbo-Fischer GmbH & Co.KG in Buende took over the operational business of Jumbo-Fischer GmbH. Major internal divisions that used to be handeled seperated in the companies Jumbo-Fischer Hamburg GmbH and Klapper Autoteile GmbH & Co.KG are consolidated today. The resulting economical and logistical power is added to the attribute of traditional, medium-sized enterprises.