Draft:Idealspaten

Idealspaten-Bredt GmbH & Co. KG is a company in Herdecke, Germany. The company employs about 70 people and manufactures shovels and other hand tools for construction and gardening.

History
The company was founded as "Schaufel- und Spatenfabrik Eckardt Sondermann & Comp., Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung" in 1899 by the factory owner Emil Eckardt († 1928), the entrepreneur Gustav Vorsteher and Christian Sondermann, a grandson of the industrial pioneer Johann Wilhelm Sondermann. The foundation stone of the company was laid on 15 April 1899. Around 1906, the company established a small workers' residence of 6 houses with 4 flats each in Herdecke, which is today a listed historical building. Emil Eckhardt died in 1928 and the company ran into financial difficulties shortly afterwards. On 21 December 1928, bankruptcy had to be declared and around 240 workers became unemployed. The assets of the company were eventually taken over at the end of 1929. Otto Thomashoff and Karl Gapp from Hagen, a neighboring town, were among the new shareholders. The new company was named "Idealspaten- und Schaufelwalzwerke vorm. Eckardt & Co., G.m.b.H., Herdecke (Ruhr)".

1935 to 1945
During the Second World War, the company, like many others, experienced a shortage of labour. Several hundred prisoners of war and foreign workers, mainly from Poland and Russia, were deployed from 1941 in a fenced-in barracks camp guarded by a unit of the Wehrmacht. In 1943, another camp was built on the company grounds. Camp conditions included starvation and mistreatment. Several forced labourers lost their lives.

Post-war period
After the Second World War, the company experienced a resurgence and for a time had more than 500 employees. During the 1960s, competition from international products became stronger. This development drove the mechanisation and rationalisation of production.

In 1964, Carl-August Thomashoff (son of Otto Thomashoff) joined the company and from 1974 on he headed the business. In 1971, the company merged with A. Bredt & Co. KG from Witten. From then on, the company was called Idealspaten- und Schaufelwalzwerke A. Bredt GmbH & Co. KG or Idealspaten-Bredt GmbH & Co. KG. By 1989, the company had produced a total of over 100 million hand tools, of which around 10 million were IDEAL spades.

Products
Idealspaten's product range consists mainly of spades and shovels, supplemented by construction equipment and forestry tools. The majority of the products are used professionally. One example is the Kraftspaten („Power Spade“), which was developed for clearing work and can lever loads of up to 2 tonnes.

Due to considerable regional differences in soil quality, almost every region in Germany developed its own type of spade from the 19th century onwards. On sandy soils, for example, people typically work with broad and straight spade blades, whereas on stony soils they tend to work with pointed blades. In 1930, about 2500 regional types existed throughout Germany. Until the middle of the 20th century, most of these spade types were traditionally made in small spade forges. With the decline of traditional rural spade forges, Idealspaten is now the most important industrial manufacturer of many regional spade models, such as spades in the „Geestemünder" shape, in the „Auricher" shape or the „Kieler" shape.

Production
In 2012, a newly developed, material- and energy-efficient plant for spade production for the mid-price segment was put into operation. Asides from this, Idealspaten still uses machines from the company's founding days. Selected products, such as the IDEAL-Spaten, are manufactured using traditional and craftsmanship methods. One of the special features of the production is the special rolling technique, in which the spade blade is rolled conically and therefore self-sharpening. In addition, the spade blade and the spring (the handle attachment) are not welded together, but are made by hand from a single piece of steel.

Social Engagement
The company is committed to supporting local sports clubs, schools and social institutions through its parent company REITHO Holding GmbH. Idealspaten also supports sustainable forestry and international sustainability projects, such as the NaDEET Trust Namibia.

Literature

 * Willi Creutzenberg: Nun mit Mut, Ausdauer und Gottesvertrauen weiter ans Werk! Schlaglichter aus der hundertjährigen Geschichte der Herdecker Schaufel- und Spatenfabrik. Teil 1. – Article in: Herdecker Blätter. Issue 15, pp. 11–18 (May 1999)
 * Willi Creutzenberg: Wir bitten, den Flüchtling in Haft zu nehmen und der Geh. Staatspolizei zu übergeben. Schlaglichter aus der hundertjährigen Geschichte der Herdecker Schaufel- und Spatenfabrik. Teil 2. – Article in: Herdecker Blätter. issue 16, pp. 23-30 (November 1999)
 * Willi Creutzenberg: Kriegsgefangene und Zwangsarbeiter bei der Firma Idealspaten. Arbeiten für den Feind - Zur Situation der Zwangsarbeiter in Herdecke während des Zweiten Weltkrieges – Teil 2. – Article in: Herdecker Blätter. Issue 19, pp. 15-22 (November 2001)

Weblinks

 * Company Website
 * Reitho Holding (parent company)