History & Heritage
Who we are, who we were
The courage to change was and is ewo's strongest driving force: The courage to turn a craftsman's workshop into a company for high-quality lighting systems in 1996, as well as the confidence in its own innovative strength, which has now made ewo a fixed star in the international lighting industry.
The ewo headquarters in Cortaccia
The Forge
Ernst Wohlgemuth learned the trade of blacksmith from his father, and in 1980, together with his wife Flora Emma Kröss, he combined his talent with his dream of self-employment: with a metal workshop in Sarentino (South Tyrol), which became the basis for the young couple's family and future together. With an increasing number of international commissions, which early on also included lamp design.
ewo's Birth
In 1996, the ideas became too big for the workshop, which had long since gained an international reputation, and the name Wohlgemuth too small. After a majority vote, the name ewo (for the name of the company founder Ernst Wohlgemuth) was chosen from several proposed names. Continuous growth was followed by the move to Cortaccia in 2004, where work and innovation finally had sufficient space to develop.
Technology & Design
As the size of the rooms to be illuminated grows, so do the demands on the lighting technicians. The first reflectors for better light control are developed together with a German physicist and lighting designer, and high-quality mirror elements are developed in cooperation with a Tyrolean lighting designer from 2000. The first LED optics were finally created in 2009. ewo has been working with its own physicists to further develop its lighting technology expertise since 2015.
Generation Change
With the arrival of their son Hannes Wohlgemuth in 2012 at the latest—and already in the years leading up to this—ewo became even more active in art, design and architecture circles. Since 2019, he has been driving both the internationalization and the innovative spirit of the company as Managing Director and—together with his parents—has made it an internationally active fixed star in the lighting industry.
Flora Emma Kröss, Hannes Wohlgemuth, Ernst Wohlgemuth © Luca Meneghel
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