Company History

The fascination and passion for mechanical engineering can be traced back continuously through the history of KraussMaffei to 1838. The following section contains a chronological overview of the company's development.

Overview Corporate Development

1945 – today

2019
The KraussMaffei Group is merging its divisions and all previous brands (KraussMaffei, KraussMaffei Berstorff and Netstal) into a single brand: KraussMaffei

2016
China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina), a Chinese chemicals group, completed the acquisition of KraussMaffei Group.

2012
Onex Corporation, a North American private equity firm, completed the acquisition of KraussMaffei Group.
KraussMaffei Group doubles production capacity in Slovakia.

2011
The KraussMaffei Group expands its production capacity in Automation in Schwaig and starts the expansion stage of its production plants in Sučany (Slovakia) and Haiyan (China). At the Munich plant, a new TechCenter for lightweight construction and fiber-composite applications is opened.

2010
The KraussMaffei Group opens a production plant in Sučany (Slovakia) and doubles the production area for tooling and mold making in Georgsmarienhütte (Germany).

2009
KraussMaffei opens a new Surface Treatment Center in Munich.

2008
Founding of KraussMaffei AG.

2007
Krauss-Maffei concentrates the extrusion activities of the company under the new brand name KraussMaffei Berstorff. A new development center for injection molding machinery is opened in Munich.
Netstal-Maschinen AG in Näfels celebrates its 150th anniversary.

2006
Krauss-Maffei opens the production plant in Haiyan (China).
The American investor Madison Capital Partners, under the name Mannesmann Plastics Machinery Equity, takes over the individual plastics machinery companies in the former Mannesmann Group.

2005
Krauss-Maffei extends the portfolio of Reaction Process Machinery. The classic product portfolio of mixing heads, dosing machines and plants for polyurethane processing is supplemented by the complete tooling and mold making technology, including punches and robot cutting processes.

2002
Expansion of the portfolio with automation solutions in production processes: Krauss-Maffei acquires Neureder AG in Schwaig beside Munich.
In Abbiategrosso in Italy, Krauss-Maffei founds a center of excellence for white goods (production plants for foaming refrigerators and washing machines).
The American investor KKR and Siemens found Demag Holding and integrate the plastics machinery producers of the former Mannesmann Group, including KraussMaffei, Berstorff and Netstal.

2001
Krauss-Maffei establishes the first subsidiary in China.

2000
The Brazilian branch of Krauss-Maffei starts up business operations.

1999/2000
The Mannesmann Group is dissolved and Krauss-Maffei specializes in plastics and rubber machinery.
The business division Locomotive Construction is taken over by Siemens and the business division Defense Technology is taken over by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.

1998
Aquirement of a majority of Berstorff GmbH.

1996
Mannesmann acquires the remaining shares of Krauss-Maffei AG.

1992
Krauss-Maffei AG acquires a share majority of Netstal-Maschinen AG.

1989
Mannesmann acquires the majority shares of Krauss-Maffei AG.

1986
The Plastics Technology division is transformed into an independent subsidiary of Krauss-Maffei AG, (Krauss-Maffei Kunststofftechnik GmbH).

1976
Netstal AG is renamed Netstal-Maschinen AG.

1971
Krauss-Maffei starts building extruders.

1968
Krauss-Maffei establishes the business division Reaction Process Machinery. The first products are dashboards for passenger cars and bumpers.

1966
A subsidiary is founded in the USA. Since 1986, the head office has been in Florence (Kentucky).

1964
Krauss-Maffei takes over the injection molding machine manufacturer Eckert & Ziegler GmbH in Weißenburg who has been producing injection molding machines since 1926.

1961
Netstal AG moves into the current plant in Näfels.

1945 - 1967
Krauss-Maffei AG extends business operations to include traffic engineering, defense technology, processing engineering and plastics technology. In the plastics area, the company concentrates on the development and production of injection molding machines.

From the family enterprises Krauss, Maffei, Berstorff and Rietmann (now Netstal) to the group structure

1838 – 1945

From 1944
Krauss-Maffei produces a mixed portfolio of civilian and military vehicles, centrifuges, butchers' requisites, locomotives, buses and the first precursors of plastics machines.

1934
Apart from locomotive building, Krauss-Maffei starts building tanks.

1931
The two competitors Maffei and Krauss merge to form Krauss & Comp.-J. A. Maffei AG and move into the new company headquarters in Munich-Allach. As before, the core business area is locomotive building.

1925
Maffei, Siemens-Schuckert and AEG (= Allgemeine Electricitäts-Gesellschaft) build the first 35 electric locomotives.

1922
The machine factory Rietmann becomes Maschinenfabrik & Gießerei Netstal AG.

1919
Berstorff acquires the present-day production center of KraussMaffei Berstorff in Hanover (an der Breiten Wiese).

1892
The crafts enterprise Hermann Berstorff is founded in Hanover and begins production of hose production machines for the rubber industry.

1866
The company Krauss & Comp. is founded as a limited partnership by Dr. Ing. e. h. Georg von Krauss (1826-1906) on the Marsfeld in Munich.

1857
Founding of the Maschinenfabrik Eisen- & Messinggießerei Ulrich Rietmann & Cie. in Netstal.

1839
The English engineer Joseph Hall becomes the first director of Maffei and begins with the assembly of six locomotives. The prototype from the Maffei factory in Hirschau was named "Der Münchner" by King Ludwig I.

1838
The merchant Joseph Anton von Maffei (1790 – 1870) founds the "Eisenwerk Hirschau" in Munich-Schwabing.