The ODU Group - then and now.

We invite you to take a look at our values and our history archive. 

ODU in 81 seconds

Take a short trip with us through the ODU factories and get a look behind the scenes. See how the first idea develops into a real product. No matter where in the world you are or how unusal your application might be.

Executive Management

ODU is managed by Dr. Josef Leitner, Dr. Henner Spelsberg and Robert Klemisch. Together, they shape ODU’s motto: With creativity, inventiveness and innovative strength, we actively shape our company’s future and create value for our customers.

Otto Dunkel's revolutionary idea

How ODU became what it is today

As the saying goes, there is magic in every beginning. The inventor Otto Dunkel quickly recognised the magic behind an everyday observation – and used it to develop the world’s first spring contact.

His observation

Otto Dunkel experienced one of his most profound flashes of inspiration when he observed a man sweeping leaves with a twig broom. This moment was nothing less than the birth of the springwire contact.

The idea

Analogous to the individual brushwood branches of the broom, Otto Dunkel divided his new contact into lines, i.e. small, individual springs. Like the twigs in the broom, these also expand on contact.

 

The result

The result was a revolutionary contact – characterised by consistent contact resistance and pressure. Thanks to the new connector, a major shortcoming of the message transmission equipment in use at the time, namely the unreliable plug-in contacts, had finally been overcome.

 

1955 ODU SPRINGTAC®

Otto Dunkel GmbH receives the patent for producing the „spring‐loaded plug pin“ – inspired by a twig broom – known today as „ODU SPRINGTAC®“.

1986 ODU‐MAC®

The ODU‐MAC® Modular Rectangular Connector System takes off and quickly becomes an important pillar of the product range.

1992 ODU MINI‐SNAP®

The ODU MINI‐SNAP® Circular Connector series celebrates a successful market launch.

2011 ODU AMC® Circular Connector system

The new ODU AMC® Circular Connector System is launched.

2020 Mass interconnect system

ODU unveils its proprietary mass interconnect solution – the ODU‐MAC® Black‐Line.

Where to find us

2023 ODU Austria

Founding of ODU Austria GmbH

2020 ODU in Hong Kong

Direct sales in Taiwan, South East Asia and New Zealand via ODU Hong Kong

2019 ODU in Korea

Founding of ODU Korea Inc.

2018 ODU production in Romania

The new production building in Sibiu was completed on schedule in September 2018.

2016 ODU in Mexico

ODU opened a new production facility near Tijuana, Mexico.

2015 ODU in Japan

Founding of the subsidiary ODU Japan K.K.

2014 ODU in Italy

Founding of the subsidiary ODU Italia S.R.L.

2014 ODU in Denmark

Founding of the subsidiary ODU Denmark ApS

2012 ODU in China

Founding of the Product Development Center (PDC) in Shanghai, China

2006 ODU in Romania

Founding of the subsidiary ODU Romania Manufacturing SRL

2001 ODU in Shanghai

Founding of ODU (Shanghai) Connectors Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

1999 ODU in Scandinavia

Founding of ODU Scandinavia AB

1996 ODU in France

Founding of the subsidiary ODU-France SARL

1987 ODU in the United Kingdom

Founding of the subsidiary ODU-UK Limited

1985 ODU in the USA

Founding of the subsidiary ODU-USA, Inc.

1942 ODU in Mühldorf

Founded by Otto Dunkel

Corporate Responsibility

Corporate policy

Quality secures the future of our company! That is why we work according to a quality strategy that involves all areas of our company - our customers, suppliers, employees, but also the environment and the public. 

Social responsibility

We view compliance as a central pillar of effective and sustainable corporate governance. For us, it means much more than merely complying with the law. ODU stands for social responsibility – we have embedded this in our own Code of Conduct.

Product safety policy

Connectors from ODU are used in a wide range of demanding applications with the highest quality and safety requirements. That is why ODU pursues a consistent strategy that encompasses all stages of the development and production process.