Bosch 2 608 000 426

In 1886, Robert Bosch, a 25-year-old German engineer, founded an electrical engineering company in Stuttgart. He was returning from a long professional trip to the United States that had led him to work for Thomas Edison, one of the greatest engineers in history. Bosch improved the ignition magnet the following year, to be the first to adapt it to a car engine. This innovation allowed him to develop his business at a steady pace. In the 1920s, he converted his company from automotive supplier to electronics manufacturer. The company has been able to distinguish itself from other brands of DIY power tools by aiming for long-term and high-end, from its famous green drill to complex products such as rippers or garden tools (sculpts -hays, chainsaws ...). This was the success we know. Bosch currently employs 280,000 people worldwide and generates 46 billion euros in sales. Bosch spends up to 10% of its turnover on R & D, a rare effort in the industry. 92% of the capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by a charitable foundation Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH. Thus the profits of the company are donated to this foundation. The remaining 8% of capital is held by the descendants of Robert Bosch's family.