Keller has grown from humble beginnings to become the largest geotechnical specialist contractor in the world.
It all began in 1860 when Johann Keller founded his company. Many years of exciting growth and acquisitions have followed and we’ve celebrated lots of industry-leading innovations along the way.
![Johann Keller](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2018-10/johann%20keller.jpg?h=fc4c879e&itok=ODUkVokO)
1860
Established by Johann Keller in Renchen, Germany
![Keller vibro rig form 1930s](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/1930s-keller-invented-vibro_0.jpg?h=aa35fca8&itok=959A8hgX)
1930s
Invented the vibro ground improvement method
![Keller compensation grouting a shaft](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/compensation-grouting.jpg?h=61a1d092&itok=2CEljlkL)
1970s
Licensed jet grouting technology from Japan to Europe and North America
Invented compensation grouting technique to correct building settlement
1972
Acquired by GKN in the UK to form Keller GKN Foundations
![Keller company Hayward Baker vest](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/keller-hayward-baker_0.jpg?itok=TRvi0Xea)
1984
Acquired Hayward Baker (North America)
1990
Renamed Keller after management buyout
![Entrance to London Stock Exchange](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/london-stock-exchange_0.jpg?h=bd43c2b5&itok=hwUD8xhk)
1994
Listed on the London Stock Exchange
![Keller company Case foundation working on site](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/keller-case-foundation_0.jpg?h=0e9f2fc1&itok=nnIuB69b)
1994
Acquired Case Foundation Company (US)
![Keller company Suncoast post-tensioning](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/keller-suncoast_0.jpg?h=278a7ac2&itok=bJ_rHNmj)
2001
Acquired Suncoast Post-Tension (US)
2002
Acquired McKinney Drilling Company (US)
![Keller company HJ Foundation's Auberge site](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/keller-hj-foundation-auberge_0.jpeg?h=c46f97f8&itok=GX3me6nS)
2007
Acquired Systems Geotechnique (UK) and HJ Foundation (US)
![Keller company Anderson Drilling on site](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/keller-anderson-drilling.jpg?itok=Pz3aoTp4)
2006
Acquired Piling Contractors (Australia) and Anderson Drilling (US)
![Keller company resource Piling on site](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/keller-resource-piling-singapore_0.jpg?h=b7c7120c&itok=gR38xtVC)
2009
Acquired Resource Piling (Singapore)
![Keller piling rig at Wheatstone Project in Australia](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/wheatstone-australia_0.jpg?h=b67116c0&itok=jvRmxX1A)
2011
Executed Wheatstone project: One of the world’s largest foundation contracts involving more than 25,000 driven piles
2013
Acquired Geo-Foundations Contractors Inc (Canada) and North American Piling (Canada) and Esorfranki Geotechnical (South Africa)
![Keller company Austral on site](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/keller-austral_0.jpg?itok=_IHMb2Es)
2015
Acquired Bencor (North America) and Austral (Australia)
2016
Acquired Tecnogeo (Brazil)
Asia and Australia divisions merged to form Asia-Pacific Division
Global product teams established to share knowledge, enable transfer of technology and lead product development and strategy
![Keller piling rig on Caspian region project](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/keller-piling-caspian-region_0.jpg?h=0698ff83&itok=jebunBYn)
2017
Executed €150 million Caspian Region project: another one of the world’s largest foundation contracts involving 42,000 pre-cast piles
![Keller company Moretrench on site](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/keller-moretrench_0.jpg?h=f5a702e3&itok=1mIy_ryb)
2018
Acquired Moretrench (US)
2019
Our instrumentation and monitoring businesses were rebranded GEO-Instruments
![Graphic showing logos of Keller North America companies rebranding to Keller](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2021-01/keller-north-america-reorganisation.jpg?itok=8SK2CHKC)
2020
Integrated Keller’s foundation businesses in North America and rebranded them as Keller
2020
As part of strategy to become a more focussed, higher quality business:
- Sold Tecnogeo and exited Chile and Peru
- Sold non-core businesses Wannenwetsch in Germany and Colcrete Eurodrill in the UK
![keller rig in sandy area](/sites/keller-group/files/styles/milestone_image/public/2022-08/keller-rail-project-dubai.jpg?h=558e53b0&itok=MTetCCUJ)
2021
Integrated Franki Africa and Middle East to become our Middle East Africa Business Unit, and moved it into new Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) Division
EMEA Division then became Europe Division
Acquired RECON (US), extending our remediation solutions
Acquired NordPile (KFS in Norway)
Acquired Voges Drilling (US)
Acquired Subterranean (Canada)
2022
Exited Denmark and Côte d'Ivoire
Acquired GKM Consultants (Canada)