Anniversary
Today, NAP looks back on 30 moving and eventful years – with its gaze fixed forward to continue growing, conquering new industries, and writing new stories.
To mark this occasion, an anniversary book has been created, from which we provide a small insight into our company history here.
On May 2, 1994, Roland Klein founded NAP automotive Produkte GmbH to take over the series production of electronic products for the sister company Helmut Klein GmbH, as well as various mechanical and electronic components to ensure the supply of spare parts for well-known manufacturers. This brought electronics production more sharply into focus and set the course for the future. After only a short time, regional companies became aware of NAP’s electronics expertise.
A successful collaboration spanning decades began with a business partner from the “building technology” sector, which continues to play a central role today.
With the goal of developing NAP into a mechatronics specialist in Southern Germany, three business areas of Bosch GmbH in the field of small-series production were acquired in January 1996.
This was followed in 2001 by the relocation to Pforzheim, for which the former company building of the ballpoint pen manufacturer Diplomat in Fritz-Neuert-Straße in Eutingen had already been purchased at the end of 2000.
In two construction phases, the existing old building was first renovated and then expanded. These measures allowed the production area to be expanded to 6,000 square meters. This provided space for the development and production of vehicle instrumentation and OEM assemblies for special-purpose vehicles.
Perhaps some of you have wondered: What do the three letters NAP actually stand for? Here is the answer:
Over 30 years ago, Roland Klein took over the company “Nagel Apparate und Poliermaschinen” (Nagel Apparatus and Polishing Machines). When Mr. Klein decided in 1994 to focus on electronics production and spin it off from his then newly founded Helmut Klein GmbH, “Nagel Apparate und Poliermaschinen” was simply renamed “NAP automotive Produkte GmbH.” The original name was replaced by the three letters, and the logo design visually alluded to the origin of the polishing machines.
Over the years, however, the “sanding arcs” were phased out and the three letters were somewhat “modernized.”
With this logo, the hexagon or “honeycomb” was introduced as a graphic element and used, for example, in the image folder.
In 2019, it was time for a complete redesign of the “NAP brand.” This was based on the idea of moving away from the term “automotive” and thus from the seemingly one-sided focus of the product range – the new “NAP technology” logo was born. The professional blue was supplemented with the complementary color orange, and completed with the honeycomb signet, the logo has since presented itself as technical, modern, and contemporary.
For this year’s anniversary, the new logo was supplemented by a symbol that fits the logo perfectly due to its “clean” structure, but can just as easily stand on its own. It shows the glass tower of the company building in a stylized form.
Today, the three letters NAP are increasingly developing into a brand associated with electronic manufacturing services and serve as a reminder of where NAP came from.
It is not only the logo that has adapted to the times over the years; the development is also particularly recognizable in the products: where components used to be produced in standard plastic housings that looked “carved,” today’s components with the same function are significantly smaller, the technology is more delicate, and they are designed and manufactured in-house.
What began with the series production of complete products 30 years ago has been further developed over the years and has sustained NAP for decades. This remains true today and will continue to be a strategic focus for NAP in the future.
Based on long-term business relationships and orders, investments are made in new manufacturing processes and technologies, such as laser marking, intelligent soldering processes via piston soldering robots, or the automation of multiple work steps.
Combined with modern machinery and innovative ideas and solutions, NAP will continue to develop and manufacture high-tech products in the future and remains a reliable, flexible, and long-term partner for customers from a wide variety of industries. This contributes overall to a substantial, constant, and stable corporate development.
