HOW IT ALL BEGAN
On April 15, 1919, Martin Wess ventured the step into independence.
independence. As a master fine carpenter, he served customers such as Goldpfeil
with cigar cases and numerous renowned watch manufacturers with leather cases.
THE 30S
In the late 30's, the leather goods production finally experienced its heyday
and the company employed about 100 people.
Among other things, Martin Wess also operated a small production facility
with an attached sales office on New York's Fifth Avenue.
GOTTFRIED & FREDERIKE WESS
He received support from his two children Gottfried and Frederike.
Later, Frederike's husband, Friedrich Kopp, also joined them.
DURING THE WAR
The grandson of the company founder was born in 1940, in the midst of the turmoil of war. But the war did not pass the Kopp family by without consequences. His father was killed just a few days before the Allied victory. The company building had been almost completely destroyed by incendiary bombs. The founder of the company, Martin Wess, died in 1947 and was followed only two years later by his son Gottfried. As was not unusual after the war, the surviving wives and widows played a significant role in the reconstruction. Frederike continued to run the business together with her authorized signatory Karla Kühn until 1954, when she fell victim to tuberculosis, which was incurable at the time.
BERND KOPP
At the young age of 18, Bernd Kopp seized the opportunity and took over the shares from his aunt Alice Wess in 1958. Together with the Kurth family of fine bag-makers, he successfully restructured the model range. Seven years later, instead of leather travel alarm clock cases, pipe bags and tobacco pouches were produced.
Kopp Pipes & Kopp Tobaccos
In 1971, Bernd Kopp founded Otto & Kopp with Lothar Otto, an import company for tobacco pipes.
In 1979 Bernd Kopp took over the shares of Michael Kohlhase's previous partner Mr. Bühler.
2009 after Lother Otto died, Bernd Kopp took over his shares.
2011 the companies Martin Wess and Otto & Kopp merged to Kopp GmbH & Co. KG
2019 Oliver takes over the management of Kohlhase & Kopp from his father.
2022 the Kohlhase brothers leave the company
2023 the Kopp brothers are the sole owners and change the company name to Kopp Tobaccos
Oliver Kopp
Son Oliver joined the company in the late 90s.
Thilo Kopp
Son Thilo joined ten years later.
They succeeded in developing the business to become Europe’s leading supplier of brand pipes.
They succeeded in developing the business to become Europe’s leading supplier of brand pipes.
KOPP GMBH & CO. KG
After the retirement of Mr. Otto, the companies Otto & Kopp and Martin Wess merged in 2010 and now operate as Kopp GmbH & Co. KG.
BARLING
In 2020, Oliver Kopp succeeded in acquiring the worldwide naming rights for the Barling company, founded in 1812.
KOPP SMOKING SYSTEMS
In the anniversary year of 2019, Oliver and Thilo expanded the family's portfolio and took over the filter and cleaner producer Maderholz under the name Kopp Smoking Systems.
104 YEARS IN FAMILY OWNERSHIP
When Martin Wess founded the leather goods production company of the same name, he hardly expected that his company would still be in family hands 100 years later, thus laying the foundation for a group of companies that currently provides employment for 75 employees.
RESPICE FINEM
Whatever you do, do it wisely and consider the end.
(quidquid agis, prudenter agas et respice finem)