▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁management ▁wanted ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁range ▁of ▁its ▁products , ▁and ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁company , ▁Hans ▁G f eller , ▁was ▁himself ▁sever ely ▁hearing - im pa ired . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁hans ▁G f le ll er ' s ▁son ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁fellow ▁students ▁started ▁building ▁their ▁own ▁hearing ▁instruments . ▁The ▁first ▁model , ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁saw ▁the ▁device ▁and ▁its ▁battery ▁hous ed ▁in ▁two ▁separate ▁le ather ▁cases . ▁It ▁was ▁therefore ▁given ▁the ▁name ▁A 1 ▁ 2 - Pack . ▁The ▁device ▁was ▁soon ▁in ▁demand ▁and ▁hearing ▁instruments ▁rapidly ▁became ▁an ▁integral ▁part ▁of ▁G f eller ' s ▁product ▁range . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁G f eller ▁AG ▁merged ▁with ▁Aut oph on , ▁Has ler ▁and ▁Z ell weg er ▁Tele communic ations ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁As com ▁group . ▁This ▁group ▁em po yed ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 1 4 , 0 0 0 ▁workers ▁and ▁was ▁ranked ▁ele vent h ▁among ▁the ▁world ' s ▁tele communic ation ▁fir ms . ▁ ▁A ▁further ▁expansion ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁with ▁the ▁take over ▁of ▁the ▁hearing ▁instrument ▁activities ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁firm ▁Robert ▁Bos ch ▁GmbH . ▁The ▁integration ▁of ▁Bos ch ’ s ▁hearing ▁instrument ▁activities ▁and ▁the ▁simultane ous ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁production ▁line ▁in ▁Australia ▁proved ▁too