History

The Founders. Olten, Switzerland, 1947: Electrical engineers and good friends, Kurt Loosli and René Thalmann, founded Elektro-Apparatebau Olten AG, now EAO Group.

Pioneering spirit, innovative ideas, quality and reliability have been the core values of EAO since 1947, shaping our corporate culture and guiding us as we create true partnerships with customers. These values are anchored in EAO’s employees, products and business processes so that we achieve Total Customer Satisfaction.

EAO was founded to develop and market switchgears, high-voltage rectifiers, static converters, transformers and customer specific control apparatus. In 1958, a breakthrough in product design combined with engineering expertise led to the creation of EAO’s first illuminated pushbutton, the Series 02, which set a new standard for the industry.

EAO focussed on developing a range of modular products, and again set a new benchmark when we introduced a 16mm diameter industrial pushbutton. The design and its aperture size became an international industry standard – respected by customers and copied by competitors. Today, EAO’s products, like our touch sensitive keyboards, set new standards in Series 95 design and durability in modern Human Machine interface applications.

From the early stages of development, EAO has continuously invested in its engineering and manufacturing capabilities. We build our own automated assembly lines to guarantee our strict standards of engineering and manufacturing excellence. And because we produce in high volume, our prices remain competitive. Strong partnerships with suppliers and a worldwide sales and services network have been established to ensure a fast and uninterrupted flow of products from the factory to the customer.