On 27 August 1844, Christian Eckhardt started the porcelain production site in Kahla with 20 employees. The factory quickly developed into a leading manufacturer, first in Thuringia and later in the whole of Germany. In 1914 the porcelain factories in Arzberg, Hutschenreuther and Schönwald were affiliated.
The GDR made the porcelain factory in Kahla into a state owned operation and furtherexpanded the production site. Over the course of time it became the headquarters of "VEB Feinkeramik", which included a total of 17 porcelain factories in 1979.
After the fall of the wall the trust privatised the company, which however had to file for bankruptcy two years later. In 1994 it was refounded as KAHLA/Thüringen Porzellan GmbH by Günther Raithel as a majority shareholder. Since 2000 KAHLA is held by the Raithel family.
In 2014 the Kahla brand celebrated its 170th anniversary. The company employs about 300 workers.
