Braun is a German electric appliance company known for its design style. Since 1967 Braun has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Gillette Company.

Products

Braun's products include the following categories:

• Shaving and Grooming (electring shaving, hair trimming, beard trimming)
• Oral Care (now under the Oral-B brand)
• Beauty Care (hair care and epilation)
• Heath and Wellness (ear thermometers, blood pressure monitors)
• Food and Drink (coffee makers, toasters, blenders, juicers)
• Irons
• Clocks and Calculators (clocks for arms, tables, walls; calculators)

Braun no longer makes high fidelity sound systems or cameras.

History

Engineer Max Braun established a small engineering shop in Frankfurt am Main in 1921. In 1923 he began producing components for radio sets. In 1928 the company had grown to such an extent, partly due to the use of certain plastic materials, that it moved to new premises on Idsteiner Strasse in Frankfurt.

Eight years after he started his shop, Max Braun began to manufacture entire radio sets in 1929. Soon after, Braun becomes one of Germany's leading radio manufacturers. This development continued with the launch of one of the first combined radio and record players in 1932.

In 1935 the Braun brand was introduced, and the familiar logotype with the raised A took form. At the 1937 World's Fair in Paris, Max Braun receieved the award For special achievements in phonography. Three years later, the company had more than 1000 employees.

1950 marked origin the product that Braun is most known for today: the electric shaver. The S 50 was the first electric shaver from Braun and featured an oscillating cutter block with a very thin, yet very stable steel-foil mounted above it. This principle is still used in Braun's shavers of today.

A controlling interest in Braun AG was sold to The Gillette Company in 1967 by the heirs of Max Braun, complementing the razor offerings of that company. Braun became a wholly-owned subsidiary in 1984.

External Links

Company Website: Braun