Original CHERRY
The CHERRY Corporation was founded by Walter Lorain Cherry in 1953. The first microswitches were produced in the basement of a restaurant in Highland Park, Illinois. From humble beginnings, the company quickly grew in size and reputation after entering the US automobile market. In the early 1960’s, Walter Lorain Cherry ventured across the pond to Europe.
American Entrepreneurship coupled with German Engineering encompasses the history and future of CHERRY. Today, CHERRY is regarded as the epitome of quality, innovation, design and sustainability. A unique feeling.
The success story
1953
The "Cherry Electrical Products Corporation" is founded by Walter L. Cherry in Highland Park, Illinois, USA as manufacturer of microswitches (e.g., for arcade machines).
1963
CHERRY establishes first operations in Europe via a joint venture.
1967
CHERRY relocates its production facilities to Bayreuth, Germany. The first ancestors of keyboards (for industrial machine controls, for example) are manufactured for the European market. American entrepreneurship meets German engineering.
1973
CHERRY starts manufacturing computer keyboards, a milestone in the company’s history, leading the way forward. Today, CHERRY is the oldest manufacturer of computer keyboards, a pioneer in the computer hardware industry.
On 6 February 1973, the first keyboard switch is patented in the USA.
1979
CHERRY opens new Headquarter and factory in Auerbach, Germany.
1983
The "MX" key switch is introduced and quickly becomes a success. It is still produced today: Billions of MX switches equip millions of keyboards around the globe which rely on this technology. The ‘must have’ for the most professional of all users.
1988
Launch of the G80-3000, one of the most successful and now oldest keyboard series in the world. In its current variant (CHERRY G80-3000N RGB), it is still popular today.
1994
CHERRY launches its first health card keyboard (G80-1501) in Germany. With 102 keys and an integrated chip card reader for health insurance cards, CHERRY is thus also represented in the healthcare market at an early stage.
1998
The first "green" product line (CHERRY Greenline) is introduced. CHERRY thus sets early standards in terms of environmental friendliness. Since then, an increasing number of CHERRY products are awarded the German government's environmental label "Der Blaue Engel".
2014
CHERRY introduces the MX RGB key switch. Since then, the mechanical MX gaming keyboards can be illuminated by LEDs with up to 16.8 million colours.
2018
CHERRY launches the MX LOW PROFILE switch at the CES in Las Vegas. Thanks to the lower height, the CHERRY MX LOW PROFILE switch enables a slim keyboard design and ergonomic working.
2019
The new factory and corporate Headquarter building in Auerbach, Germany with increased capacity is opened.
2020
CHERRY acquires hardware and software producer Theobroma Systems and the first e-Health terminal for the German telematics infrastructure is presented.
2021
IPO
Acquisition of Active Key GmbH, the specialised manufacturer of hygienic and washable keyboards and mice.
CHERRY introduces the MX ULTRA LOW PROFILE switch.
2022
Integration of the Swedish e-sports specialist Xtrfy Gaming AB.
Who is behind CHERRY?
In 2008, Peter Cherry, the son of Walter L. Cherry, sold his company. After an eight-year partnership with the German automotive group ZF Friedrichshafen AG, the iconic CHERRY brand has been in the loyal hands of GENUI Partners since 2016. GENUI Partners is a Hamburg-based investment company founded by outstanding entrepreneurs and investment professionals. In addition to capital, it provides active support for the strategic development of companies.
In September 2020, Argand Partners, a private equity firm based in New York and the San Francisco Bay Area, joined GENUI Partners as a new majority investor in CHERRY. Argand Partners acquires market-leading specialty manufacturing and business services companies with sustainable competitive advantages and strong growth potential.
The headquarters of CHERRY Europe GmbH is located in Auerbach in der Oberpfalz. The managing directors are Oliver Kaltner (CEO) and Dr. Udo Streller (COO).
CHERRY has stood for quality, innovation, design and sustainability for many years. We will use the anniversary year to further sharpen our brand profile both internally and externally: As a newcomer, may I confirm that the CHERRY team has already had sustainable thinking stored in its DNA for many years, from product development to production and packaging. Serious and verifiable sustainability is thus also an integral part of the CHERRY legacy. Looking ahead, employer attractiveness, employee retention, recruitment, engagement and satisfaction are of growing importance to us in order to secure and further strengthen CHERRY's relevance in the market for the future after the company's very impressive seventy-year history.
Locations
We are an international powerhouse. Our design, development and manufacturing teams work across different countries.
Germany
Cherry SE
Rosental 7, c/o Mindspace
80331 Munich
Germany
Cherry Europe GmbH
Cherrystrasse 2
91275 Auerbach/OPf.
Germany
Cherry E-Commerce GmbH
Rosental 7, c/o Mindspace
80331 Munich
Germany
Cherry Digital Health GmbH
Rosental 7, c/o Mindspace
80331 Munich
Germany
Austria
CHERRY Embedded Solutions
Seestadtstraße 27
1220 Vienna
Austria
Sweden
CHERRY XTRFY AB
Rattgatan 7
261 51 Landskrona
Sweden
France
CHERRY S.A.R.L.
52 Boulevard de Sébastopol
75003 Paris
France
Great Britain
Cherry Europe GmbH
Cherrystrasse 2
91275 Auerbach/OPf.
Germany
USA
Cherry Americas, LLC
C/O Industrious 5th Floor
111 W. Illinois St
Chicago, IL 60654
USA
Cherry Americas, LLC
9522 58th Pl.
Suite 100
Kenosha, WI 53144
USA
China
Zhuhai Cherry Electronics Co. Ltd.
No. 8 Plant, Jinyuan 1st Road, Tangjiawan Town
High Tech Industrial Zone
519060 Zhuhai City - Guangdong Province
PR China
Cherry Electronics (Hong Kong) Company Limited
Room 19, Unit 509-511
5/F Silvercord Tower 2
30 Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Cherry Taiwan Electronics Limited
Shih-Jing Business Center
2F, No.73, Lane 72, Guangfu South Road, Da’an District
106 Taipei City
Taiwan, China
The Portfolio
Original CHERRY quality is the benchmark for input devices in a variety of applications. In gaming and eSports, at the point of sale, at industrial plants or on the desk. Desktop sets, mice, keyboards, mechanical MX switches and card-reading terminals are the core of the CHERRY brand today.
