The KERN Group – Your partner for all languages for more than 50 years

The KERN Group always keeps pace with the drive towards globalization and the ever-changing world of digital media. Thanks to a young and dynamic team of employees, continuous innovation and constant growth in the German and international markets, the KERN Group always opens up new possibilities to you for better team work and communication. As a well-run family business with over 50 years of experience and over 60 branches worldwide, the KERN Group is always on hand to offer you a comprehensive range of foreign language services.

The development and innovation group of the KERN Group focuses on the integration of translation tools, software solutions and digital media. The following development projects have already been realized:

  • Our own portal solution
  • Machine translation solution
  • E-learning solution
  • Wiki intranet (search and information solutions)

The key to your success

Since its founding you have always been the focus of the KERN Group. Having specifically defined contact partners and fast access to expertise and experience, the KERN Group guarantees that projects will be carried out and completed reliably and competently. With more than 60 branches, the KERN Group is always close by.

Our team

Qualified and motivated team members are one of the keys to the KERN Group's success. It is our team members that make a significant contribution to your satisfaction through their work. It is because of their competence, motivation and performance that the KERN Group is able to realize its corporate goals.

Alongside our permanent employees, carefully selected members of staff are also part of the KERN Group’s team, including

  • specialist translators, language professionals and proofreaders,
  • terminologists and linguists,
  • trainers and lecturers,
  • interpreters and speakers,
  • engineers and technical writers,
  • Web specialists and programers as well as
  • graphic designers and DTP specialists.

Alongside their training and experience in their respective fields, their additional specialist knowledge of the economy, technology, law, science and finance are used to your advantage. Their knowledge and reliability contributes to the strength of the KERN group. Your competent, motivated and friendly KERN language team is always on hand to respond to your questions and requests.

Philosophy

In an era where the world is ever more interlinked, the KERN Group's vision is to enable foreign language communication at the highest level of quality possible. It has been successfully serving industry and economy for more than 50 years as a sound and independent family business. Our comprehensive, flexible services in foreign language communication has given the KERN Group a reputation reaching far beyond the borders of Germany. We offer a diverse and innovative range of services. In order to meet the challenges of a changing world, healthy growth and continuous further development are crucial. The KERN Group's structures are therefore customer-friendly, flexible and forward-looking.

Partnership:

The KERN Group thinks and behaves in a customer-focused manner by listening and providing comprehensive customer consultation. Our company culture is fair, tolerant and friendly. It promotes the professional and personal development of our team members.

Quality:

The KERN Group's most important objective is your absolute satisfaction. Using state-of-the-art resources, we work cost-consciously and are guided by the latest in technological progress.

Sustainable economic success:

In the interest of its customers, suppliers and team members, the KERN Group strives for a strong market position. As an independent family-run business, we would like to sustain and develop our own corporate identity.

Customer focus:

The KERN Group is well aware of the high-level demands of the market and strives for long-term customer satisfaction. We seek a dialog with the customer and take on your suggestions in order to optimize our processes and resources. The KERN Group would like to fulfill your wishes and quality standards in an objective and user-oriented manner. As your long-term partner, the KERN Group would like to do everything possible to contribute to your success. Your success is also the KERN Group's success.

Customers of the KERN Group include:

  • large companies from industry and business
  • small and medium-sized businesses
  • institutions and the public sector
  • private customers/end users of all nationalities

Innovation:

The KERN Group is constantly further developing its processes and resources. By working in cooperation with you, we establishes innovative concepts that contribute to the realization of your objectives.

Reliability:

The KERN Group makes clear decisions, sticks to its word and keeps its promises. In a rapidly changing environment, it provides a reliable constant, resulting in long-standing successful customer relationships and partnerships. With dedication, a wealth of ideas and professional effort from all team members, the KERN Group has the opportunity to establish itself as a market leader in foreign language communication.

Our story

For more than 50 years, KERN has been working together with its customers from all industries to face the challenges of internationalization. While the focus of business activity in the early 70s was still on foreign language print products and translations, KERN nowadays offers a full service range in translation, interpreting, language training, terminology and translation memory management, software and website localization, as well as multilingual desktop publishing and consulting and training in these areas.

  • 1969

    Founding of KERN GmbH by Manfred and Birte R. Kern. Headquarters in Frankfurt am Main. Focus of the business activities: foreign language marketing and print materials, translating and interpreting.

  • 1980

    Opening of the first branch in Düsseldorf. Expansion of services to the leasing of interpreting equipment as well as foreign language instruction. Today, the KERN Group is active in over 45 locations around Germany.

  • 1983

    Foundation of the first international subsidiary in Paris (KERN SARL, Traduction et Interprétation). Further subsidiaries in New York, London, Lyon, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Salzburg and Vienna.

  • 1985

    The KERN & Partner Werbeagentur GmbH assumes responsibility for the development of foreign language advertising materials as well as multilingual desktop publishing.

  • 1997

    Renaming of KERN GmbH to KERN AG, Sprachendienste (KERN Global Language Services). First use of translation and terminology management tools, now server-bound installations of Across and SDL.

  • 2005

    Founding of KERN AG IKL Business Language Training & Co. KG through the integration of IKL Business Language Training GmbH (today KERN AG Training). Consolidation of all Frankfurt offices and classroom facilities at current headquarters at Kurfürstenstraße 1 in Frankfurt am Main.

  • 2008

    The self-developed, customer-specific translation and terminology management portals clicktranslate™ and term4client™ are established.

  • 2009

    Certification of the KERN IKL Business Language Training through the Technical Control Board in Hesse, accreditation and admission regulation, promotion of work, as an accredited educational institution in accordance with the SGB III. The language test "lingoscore”™ is developed for personnel development in companies.

  • 2010

    The customer-specific, browser-based translation management portal "portal4client”™ is launched.

  • 2012
    Founding of KERN Austria GmbH with its head office in Vienna.

  • 2014
    Range of services increased with the addition of the area of technical documentation.
    Founding of KERN Polska s.p. z.o.o. with its head office in Warsaw.

  • 2016
    Expansion of foreign language teaching in Austria due to the integration of Institut CEF into KERN Austria GmbH.

  • 2017
    Founding of KERN Services GmbH.

  • 2018
    Acquisition of translingua KG in Austria and integration into KERN Austria GmbH.
    Development of the interface API4client™.

  • 2019
    Development of the company’s own machine translation software MT4client™.

  • 2020
    Further development of the AI solutions.

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