The young country postman, Heinrich Kalkhoff, covered the Cloppenburg lowland area throughout the war years, sometimes on foot, sometimes by bike. His job was to deliver letters and parcels to the farms scattered far apart. This included circulars, or 'junk mail' as we would say today, which he used to read through during his breaks. One day he found himself holding a catalogue from a company in Bielefeld which sold cheap bicycle tyres.

Kalkhoff began by selling bicycle tyres as a sideline, but by 1920 he was already dealing in second-hand, "... but in perfect condition ...!" gentlemen's and ladies' bicycles and spare parts. In 1923 he began producing his own bicycles together with two employees. As early as 1927 complete bicycles were leaving the "Kalkhoff Production Plant". The ambitious Kalkhoff built up his

At first Heinrich Kalkhoff operated from the family home at the Kessener Weg in Cloppenburg. This was in fact an extension, built like stables, and around 250 square metres in size. Only eight years later he had already enlarged the extension to such a degree that it could not only accommodate offices, production facilities, a warehouse and sales area, but also sleeping quarters for his then 15 employees. Over the years the site was constantly altered and extended as both the workforce and production grew. By the start of the war 700,000 bicycle frames had already been produced in Cloppenburg. With a workforce of 70, the "Kalkhoff-Werke" were then one of the major employers in this economically weak region. In the winter months a large proportion of the farming community was employed to lace the spokes of the wheels, for many a vital source of extra income. During the war, however, bicycle production came to a complete standstill. The company was forced to build armaments (armour bolts).

Likewise, in the early post-war years, under the orders of the occupying powers, the company was only allowed to manufacture agricultural products:

Sensational publicity and a product range tailored to the spirit of the age were crucial to the success of Kalkhoff bicycles. Uschi Obermeier, icon of Germany's political protest movement of the 1960s, advertised for the Kalkhoff brand on billboards, and other celebrities were photographed on or with Kalkhoff products. And that's not all: as early as 1950 Kalkhoff was advertising with show trucks and had its own exhibition vehicle at major trade fairs. In 1965 the first catalogue was presented to customers. In 1968 Heinrich Kalkhoff passed on the management of the business to his three sons,

Today the traditional brand is a part of Derby Cycle Werke GmbH, the largest cycle manufacturer in Germany and the third-largest in Europe. Kalkhoff firmly believes in manufacturing bikes in Germany, choosing to remain in the former "Kalkhoff-Werke". For this reason the "Made in Germany" quality mark on the bikes is much more than just a sales tag – it is a conviction the company lives by.