1938

The Wilhelm Otte Company, based in Westerstede, was founded on May 1, 1938 as a construction business. In addition to building above ground, the company also started to produce the first prefabricated parts made of ferroconcrete, i.e. concrete girders, laundry poles, etc. After several attempts, the founder Wilhelm Otte succeeded in constructing the first machine to produce pavement flagstones.

1952

The Second World War brought the continual development of the company to a halt. After the war the Wilhelm Otte Company went through a long and difficult period of recovery. In 1952, the company branched out into a new field by producing tables made of prefabricated ferroconcrete parts for greenhouses. Gardening businesses, nurseries and garden centres were quick to recognise the advantages of these systems with regard to facilitating work and enhancing efficiency. In addition to the production of greenhouse tables, the Wilhelm Otte Company was also a pioneer in the development of cold frames, parts for flowerbeds, flower basins and façade elements made of washed concrete as well as further concrete products.

1960

It very quickly became difficult for the company to fulfil all its delivery obligations. In the 60s, the plant was considerably expanded in order to satisfy the constantly increasing demand for Otte products. At the beginning of the 70s, 140 employees were producing more than 500 different specialised concrete products on a total floor space of about 42,000 m².

Due to the excellent quality of Otte products and constant extension of its range of products, the Wilhelm Otte Company developed into the most important producer of prefabricated ferroconcrete parts for horticulture and landscaping in Europe. Otte tables, Otte cold frames, Otte garden center equipment as well as the “Otte’s Echte Westersteder” garden and pavement flagstones became brand names.

1974

In March 1974, the company’s name was changed to Otte Beton GmbH & Co KG.

In 1976, rolling benches made of aluminium for gardening firms were designed and produced at Otte for the first time. The launch of this product was a great success. At the time hardly anyone could anticipate what kind of an impact this innovation would have on an entire industry.

1980er

At the beginning of the 80s, Otte Beton GmbH & Co. KG developed a system of mobile and rolling mobile benches especially for gardening firms in which the benches could be moved within a highly efficient logistics system. Thus, Otte bench systems, also called container systems, have had a considerable impact on the workflow in gardening firms up to the present day.

1989

In the course of this enormous development with regard to the market and the company, the name was once again changed to Otte-Beton and Metallbau GmbH & Co. KG in February 1989.

The production of prefabricated concrete parts for horticulture, for the protection of coastlines and especially for the agricultural sector grew simultaneously along with the development and production of bench systems, internal logistics systems, specialised machines and irrigation plants.

2005

In April 2005, the company was split up into Otte Metallbau GmbH & Co. KG and Otte Beton GmbH.

Today, the Otte Metallbau GmbH & Co. KG is an expert in the field of greenhouse equipment/furnishings and individual systems solutions to optimise the workflow in gardening firms and garden centers. Simultaneously our systems make efficient use of the existing space in your company.

We offer a large range of high technology products:

Work tables
Sales table systems
Rolling bench and mobile bench systems
Internal transport systems (fully automatic transport vehicles, crane systems, forklifts for tables, telpher systems)
Construction of specialised machines and technical equipment such as container washing bays or lift systems
Irrigation plants

Furthermore, we offer planning services which an increasing number of customers all over the world are highly satisfied with. Today, the Otte Metallbau GmbH & Co. KG stands for competent and highly qualified support with regard to the completion of projects.

To us planning means analysis and development by taking into consideration individual requirements regarding function, operation and profitability within the framework of a technically co-ordinated solution.

Watering Systems Brochure