In Osnabrück, tobacco worker Johann Friedrich Christian André from Hanover-Hainholz sets up his own business as a tobacco producer.

His four sons, among them Georg Rudolf André (1809-1861) as the driving force and brains behind the tobacco factory, continue the business under the name of André brothers.

Cigar manufacturing plant set up in Bünde. Already in 1853, André brothers employs 130 people here and is therefore the biggest employer in the district.

After termination of production in the Osnabrück parent branch Arnold André (1838-1884), grandson of the founder, continues the family business in the Bünde branch. The inclusion of the Arnold André company on the companies register on 17.05.1867 signals the birth of the company in its currently existing form.

Georg André (1863-1940), the eldest son of Arnold André takes over as managing director of the company until the transition to a limited company in 1923, in which he takes the chair of the management board.

Construction and move to a central production facility in Bünde, which is modern and sophisticated in terms of the way in which work is organized - still the headquarters of the company today.

With Fritz (1892-1945) and Walter André (1899-1991) on the board of the family company the sons of G. André continue as successors.

Company transformed into a partnership.

Registration and extensive distribution of the HANDELSGOLD brands / symbol (picture of two globes connected by the brand name written in capital letters), based on the HANDELSGOLD logogram already registered in 1935.

The son of Walter André, Ernst Arnold André (1926 - 2003) becomes a partner of the company.

The abolition of machine prohibition in place since 1933 ("law restricting the use of machinery in the cigar industry") makes extensive technical rationalization measures possible.

New production plant set up in Osterholz-Scharmbeck near Bremen (production there until to 1992).

Arnold André achieves record employment levels with over 6,000 workers. These figures include the approximately 30 branches and home workers.

Launch of a further production facility in Königslutter (1964 expansion, 1992 construction of a high-rack warehouse. Since 1993 all production has been based at this location).

Takeover of the Bünde cigar factory ELBACO, L. Bastert & Co., specialist in Sumatra-quality cigars in higher price ranges.

ELBACO takes over the Upper Franconian company C. F. G. Schmidt KG, producer of slim cigarillos and panatelas ("Bachschmidt").

Introduction of CLUBMASTER on the market, today still one of the strongest selling cigarillo brands in Germany and Arnold André's leading brand for export.

Takeover of Friedrich GARVES KG based in Lippe-Alverdissen since 1921, producer of Brazilian-specialties.

Start of cooperation with Dutch cigar producer Elisabeth Bas ("La Paz") after transfer of 25 % of the shares by Arnold André. After takeover of the Dutch company WILLEM II in 1989, renamed as the EBAS GROUP B.V. Today, the EBAS GROUP, based in Valkenswaard/NL, is completely integrated into the group SWEDISH MATCH/Stockholm which is operational on an international level and has a 40% holding in Arnold André.

Ernst Arnold André takes over as chairman of the board of directors.

Sales of high quality longfiller cigars begin with the introduction of the MONTAGUE brand.

Introduction of the INDEPENDENCE brand, which due to its unorthodox entrance, successfully appeals to new target groups and is consistently geared towards distribution channels focused on impulse-buying. In the following years, new flavour varieties provide a lot of variety.

Takeover of Swedish Match snuff brand (main brand SINGLETONS).

The MOJITO cigarillo with and without filter is introduced. Name and blend based on the famous cocktail.

CLUBMASTER MINI FILTER - a small-sized cigarillo in blue, aromatic and full flavour varieties - comes onto a market desperate for value for money, small-sized brands.

Axel-Georg André, son of Ernst Arnold André, takes over in June as the chairman of the board of directors.

The VASCO DA GAMA PORT WINE CIGAR, the first port-matured cigar, is presented at Inter-Tabac (international trade fair for tobacco products) in Dortmund.

MACANUDO, one of the world's bestselling brands of cigars, joins the Arnold André range.