Julius Koch is named after its founder, a Danish engineer named Julius Koch.  In 1894 at age 27, Koch returned ashore after several years at sea with the idea for a company to develop textile machinery, weaving equipment and handwoven yarn. The new company was born in Copenhagen, Denmark on June 1, 1895 and Julius Koch headed the company for the next 36 years.

In 1931 the management of the company passed on to Poul Hansen, a forward-looking and progressive engineer who left the company after 58 years as managing director at the age of 90. In 1949 Julius Koch began to produce cords and ladder strings for the sun-screening industry and sewing thread for the international shoe and leather goods industry. From 1961 the company began expanding internationally with the establishment  of subsidiaries in a number of countries. Today the production of sun-screening articles is mainly located in Germany and Ukraine and the production of sewing thread takes place in Italy.