Personalities

True ’KAHLESians’

There undoubtly are a few fathers and mothers of the success story to name. Among them

Karl Robert Kahles – The founder and widely respected optics maker succeeds in 1898 to merge two traditional Viennese optical manufacturers into one pioneering enterprise in high end optics.

Both his sons, Ernst and Karl, successfully manage to grow the company to be one of the leading optical manufacturers of the Austrian Empire. The technical skills of Karl and the management skills of Ernst soon make KAHLES products popular around the globe.

Following severe damage of the KAHLES plant during World War II, Karl Kahles’ widow Elisabeth successfully re-builds the company with skills and passion.

Soon her son, Dipl. Ing. Friedrich Kahles, a skilled physician, leads the company to new levels of success. His passion for state-of-the-art machinery as well as his awareness of social responsibilities within the company are in line with the long-lasting family tradition. Some of his technical achievements in riflescope design and coating technology are setting milestones in the field of optics. More so they still are the benchmark today.

Following the end of the Kahles family dynasty and the creation of the KAHLES Ltd in the late 1980th, Johann Peternel successfully manages the operations in Vienna. His high technical competence and sound management skills soon find their expression in highly competetive KAHLES products.

From 2005 untill spring 2008 DI Dr Stephan Schäfer was leading the Company. Then Mr. Franz Hyden became general manager of Kahles. In September 2009 the managment of KAHLES GmbH has been given to Mag. Robert Artwohl.