DBK David + Baader
Corporate brand
UnclaimedGerman medium-sized corporate group specialising in electrical heating and cooling systems for automotive, industrial and electronics manufacturing applications.
Last updated September 26, 2026
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Overview
DBK David + Baader GmbH is the parent company of the DBK Group, an internationally active German manufacturer of electrical heating and cooling systems. Founded in 1946 in Kandel in the Palatinate region as DaBa David & Baader by Josef David Senior and Theo Baader, the company began by producing wire-heating household products such as fan heaters and irons in the post-war period. Over more than seven decades it evolved into a technology-driven industrial group with more than 700 employees at 11 locations worldwide, headquartered since 2012 in Rülzheim in the Southern Palatinate. The group remains entirely owned by the David family. DBK's business is organised into three fields. Automotive supplies heating solutions to OEMs, including high-voltage water heaters for electric vehicles, fuel and urea heating, exhaust gas treatment, intake air preheating and battery and fuel cell heating. Industrial Thermal Management (ITM) provides heating and cooling solutions for industrial sectors, from PTC convection heaters for control cabinets to PTC pre-heaters for HVAC systems and thermoelectric Peltier coolers for mobile cooling. Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) offers custom component development, production of complex systems, logistics concepts and after-sales service, with SMD and THT assembly lines and quality management in accordance with ISO 13485. The company has a long record of innovation: it introduced the world's first mobile oil radiator, the first PTC industrial heater in 1986, the first electric interior heater with PTC technology for the Audi 100 in 1994, and the automotive high-voltage water heater used in the BMW i3 and i8, which entered series production in 2013. DBK has received the Innovation Prize of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate and the Global Foreign Trade Prize. Its international footprint includes subsidiaries in France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the United States, Austria, the Czech Republic, Sweden and China. The non-profit Josef David Foundation, established in 2001, supports cross-border cultural and social projects in the PAMINA region.
History
DBK David + Baader was founded in 1946 as DaBa David & Baader by Josef David Senior and Theo Baader in Kandel, in the Palatinate region of Germany. In the post-war period the company manufactured household products using wire heating technology, such as fan heaters and irons. In 1956 the industrial oven construction division was established. During the 1960s the first baby food warmer went into series production, and further developments of this traditional product were supplied to well-known baby product manufacturers until 2018. Another innovation was the world's first mobile oil radiator. In the 1980s a vaporiser for disinfecting baby bottles came onto the market as the first device of its kind. In 1983 Josef David Junior took over management of the company. In 1986 the company decided to enter PTC technology, which opened numerous new application fields in the industrial sector. In 1987 DBK began developing electrical vehicle heaters and delivered the first PTC diesel heater to a well-known Bavarian automobile manufacturer. In 1994 the world's first electric interior heater with PTC heating technology for the Audi 100 went into series production. In 1996 the Baader family left the shareholder group; members of the founding David family became the sole shareholders. In 1998 DBK founded the joint venture Catem with J. Eberspächer GmbH & Co. KG, focusing on electric passenger car interior heaters. Ten years later DBK sold its shares to Eberspächer. DBK began building its own Automotive business field and entered automotive power electronics. In 2009 DBK acquired the electronics service provider Lüdtke Elektronic GmbH & Co. KG (today: DBK EMS GmbH & Co. KG). With the development of "Drymatic", a novel solution for drying water damage, the company established itself in the building drying industry in 2010. The traditional industrial division developed into a system supplier for electrical heating and cooling solutions and became "Industrial Thermal Management". In 2011 the first sod was turned at the new company premises in Rülzheim, and in 2012 the move to the new buildings in Rülzheim took place. Only the industrial oven construction division remained at the original site in Kandel. In 2014 the company was awarded the Innovation Prize of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate in the category "Special Prize Industry" for the development of the high-voltage water heater used in the BMW i3 and i8 models. In 2017 it received the Global Foreign Trade Prize. The DBK Group today comprises subsidiaries in France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the United States, Austria, the Czech Republic, Sweden and China, with more than 700 employees at 11 locations worldwide. The group is entirely owned by the David family. The non-profit Josef David Foundation, founded in 2001 by former company owner Josef David, promotes cultural exchange and the growing together of the PAMINA region of Germany and France.
- 2018
DBK (Changshu) Automotive Co. Ltd. founded.
- 2017
Awarded Global Foreign Trade Prize.
- 2015
DBK Industrial Equipment (Chongqing) Co. Ltd. founded.
- 2014
Awarded Innovation Prize of Rhineland-Palatinate for high-voltage water heater used in BMW i3 and i8.
- 2013
Series launch of the automotive high-voltage water heater.
- 2012
Move to new buildings in Rülzheim; industrial oven division remains in Kandel.
- 2011
First sod turned at new premises in Rülzheim.
- 2010
Develops Drymatic for water damage drying; DBK Omega Electronic Technology (Guangzhou) Ltd founded.
- 2009
Acquires Lüdtke Elektronic GmbH & Co. KG (now DBK EMS); DBK Scandinavia AB founded.
- 2008
DBK sells its Catem shares to Eberspächer; enters automotive power electronics.
Products and positioning
Medium-sized German technology leader in electrical heating and cooling, combining traditional values with innovative engineering for automotive, industrial and EMS markets.
Automotive high-voltage water heater
Used in BMW i3 and i8; awarded Innovation Prize of Rhineland-Palatinate in 2014.
PTC diesel heater
First delivered in 1987 to a Bavarian automobile manufacturer.
PTC industrial heater
World's first PTC industrial heater, developed in 1986.
Drymatic
Novel solution for drying water damage, launched in 2010.
Baby food warmer
First series production in the 1960s; supplied to baby product manufacturers until 2018.
Vaporiser for baby bottle sterilisation
First device of its kind, introduced in the 1980s.
Mobile oil radiator
World's first mobile oil radiator.
Sources5 sources
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