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1872

One year after the foundation of the German Empire, the two companies move from Wetter Castle down into the Ruhr Valley. The new site, directly on the river and next to the railway station, offers Stuckenholz (picture) and Mechanische Werkstätte excellent transport connections and room for growth. �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� & Components is still located here today.

1873

At the World Exhibition in Vienna, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ�'s three predecessor companies impress with their products: Duisburger Maschinenbau AG presents hoists, chains and cranes. Mechanische Werkstätte, now called Märkische Maschinenbauanstalt AG, exhibits a steam hammer and Ludwig Stuckenholz an overhead travelling crane with steam drive and rope hoist (picture).

1880

Duisburger Maschinenbau AG's rock drilling machines are used in the construction of the Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland (picture: opening). In the solid granite of the Alps, these machines achieve daily progress of four to five metres. During these years, the Duisburg factory develops into a specialist for tunnelling and mining.

1887

At Stuckenholz, Rudolph Bredt develops the world's first crane with electric drive for the shipyard Blohm & Voss in Hamburg. With a load capacity of 150 t and a reach of 19.5 m from the pivot axis to the load hook, it is considered the world's largest crane in 1887. The combination of iron construction, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering is a ground-breaking approach to the construction of harbour cranes. (Image: Stadtarchiv Wetter)

1893

Ludwig Stuckenholz publishes the first ever crane catalogue. On more than 80 pages, the company shows a wide range of "Crane types" with many details. The catalogue is intended not only as a service for customers but also to protect the copyright of Stuckenholz.
(Image: Stadtarchiv Wetter)

1896

Wilhelm de Fries (picture) founds �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ�'s fourth predecessor, Benrather Maschinenfabrik, in Benrath near Düsseldorf. The young company initially develops an overhead travelling crane with several separate electric drives and builds robust electric harbour cranes. Benrather Maschinenfabrik becomes a serious competitor for Stuckenholz.

1899

Wolfgang Reuter (picture from 1938) succeeds Rudolph Bredt at the head of Ludwig Stuckenholz in Wetter. The engineer has worked for the crane manufacturer since 1888, having previously studied in Helsinki, Finland. Wolfgang Reuter is the key figure in the later founding of Deutsche Maschinenfabrik �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ�.

1906

Märkische Maschinenbauanstalt and Ludwig Stuckenholz merge to form Märkische Maschinenbauanstalt Ludwig Stuckenholz AG. A tunnel under the road creates a direct connection. The new company under the management of Wolfgang Reuter has many different products in its range: cranes and hoists, steel and rolling mills, steam and gas engines, hammers and presses (picture).

1906

Märkische Maschinenbauanstalt Stuckenholz AG starts building its own company apartments on a hill above the town. The "Stuckenholzhöhe" housing estate (picture) consists of exemplary multiple dwellings with large community gardens. The company provides comprehensive protection for its several hundred workers by means of health and support funds.

1908

Benrather Maschinenfabrik delivers a floating crane more than forty metres high to the Northern Irish shipyard Harland & Wolff. The gigantic crane can carry up to 150 t and is used to build the luxury ships of the White Star line: the "Olympic" (picture), the "Gigantic" - and the famous doomed ship, the "Titanic". (Image: Deutscher Titanic-Verein von 1997)

1910

The major competitors in the crane & lifting equipment and metallurgical plant construction sectors merge to form Deutsche Maschinenfabrik AG. The driving force is Märkische Maschinenbauanstalt Stuckenholz AG, managed by Wolfgang Reuter; the other two partners are Duisburger Maschinenbau and Benrather Maschinenfabrik. The telegram abbreviation “�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ�” soon becomes the brand.

1911

Managing Director Wolfgang Reuter and his administrative staff move from Wetter to Duisburg. The administrative headquarters of Deutsche Maschinenfabrik are built there (picture). An electric hoist factory is set up at the empty premises in Wetter. Deutsche Maschinenfabrik also maintains the central foundry here and manufactures load magnets, gear wheels and overhead travelling cranes.

1912

The first electrically driven rope hoist from Deutsche Maschinenfabrik comes onto the market. The design is based on older models of the predecessor companies in Benrath and Duisburg but uses a rope instead of a chain as well as a planetary gear. The Group promotes electric hoists with a load capacity of up to 5,000 kilograms as a "new type of smaller hoist".

1913

Deutsche Maschinenfabrik supplies the world's largest crane to the shipping company Blohm & Voss in Hamburg. The colossus can lift up to 250 t and is built as a hammerhead luffing crane with a folding load jib. This allows its height to be increased by another 22 metres to 66 metres.

1914 - 1918

During the First World War, many employees of Deutsche Maschinenfabrik are called to military service. Women and apprentices work in their place in production. The Group is integrated into the war economy of the German Reich. It not only supplies armaments companies but also manufactures its own weapons, such as daggers, mortars and grenades. (Image: Deutsches Historisches Museum)

1921

Deutsche Maschinenfabrik sets up an apprentice workshop in Wetter. The Group also trains its own junior staff at the other two locations. In a complex procedure, the most capable candidates are first selected and then comprehensively trained over several years. Excellent training is one of the cornerstones of the success of the �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� brand to this day.

1923

The occupation of the Ruhr and inflation weigh heavily on the plants in Wetter, Duisburg and Benrath. As the currency continues to devalue, Deutsche Maschinenfabrik issues its own emergency money (picture). Employees receive their wages and salaries in the form of vouchers, which they can exchange at banks. The introduction of the Rentenmark in late autumn 1923 ends inflation. (Image: Stadtarchiv Wetter)

1924

In the stable years of the Weimar Republic, Deutsche Maschinenfabrik grows through takeovers and investments. Among the companies with which it is linked are the Berlin engine manufacturer Carl Flohr, Maschinenfabrik Rybnik in Upper Silesia, Schiess AG and Defries Werke, both in Düsseldorf, as well as Maschinenbau AG Tigler in Duisburg. The group is therefore also referred to as "Reuter's collected works".

1925

Deutsche Maschinenfabrik introduces the electric rope hoist N. The second-generation model is simpler, smaller and safer than its predecessor and uses a sliding rotor motor to drive it. The success is huge: By the early 1930s, more than 40,000 electric high-speed hoists have been sold in all industrialised countries of the world. A new production hall is built in Wetter for series production.

1926

Deutsche Maschinenfabrik and Vereinigte Stahlwerke agree on a division of areas of interest. The new �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� AG is founded jointly and combines the entire mechanical engineering activities of both partners. This means that the Thyssen engineering works in Mülheim an der Ruhr also comes to �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ�. In return, Deutsche Maschinenfabrik transfers its entire steel production to Vereinigte Stahlwerke.

1929

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� launches the Model K electric rope hoist on the market. The conical hoist is smaller and more powerful than the older N hoist and becomes a classic for decades. Following the closure of the foundry at the Wetter site, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� concentrates on the production of wire rope hoists, cranes and load magnets.

1930

During the global economic crisis, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� develops a new small hoist. The first double winches are launched on the market in three sizes with a load capacity of up to 500 kilograms and are initially intended for use in agriculture. The double winches, which are manufactured in Wetter, will soon be used in industry, for example to transport sacks, crates or meat. (Image: Deutsches Historisches Museum)

1930

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� supplies the steel scaffolding for Europe's tallest building: the "Boerentoren” tower, which is erected by a banking association on the occasion of the World Exhibition in Antwerp. Thanks to major orders from abroad, the Group holds its own better than other manufacturers in the years of the global economic crisis. At times, exports account for more then 80 percent of �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� sales.

1934

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� acquires Aktiengesellschaft für Eisenindustrie und Brückenbau formerly Caspar Harkort in Duisburg and integrates it into the Group as the "Harkort department”. In 1934 �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� builds a large bridge over the Rhine connecting the Duisburg districts of Rheinhausen and Hochfeld (picture). Following the end of the global economic crisis, the construction of large bridges becomes a successful pillar of �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� business.

1936

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� terminates the relationship with Vereinigte Stahlwerke and thus becomes the largest independent mechanical engineering group in Germany (picture: crane construction hall in Wetter). The company is successful at home and abroad and grows thanks to the acquisition of other companies, such as the Lauchhammer department of Mitteldeutsche Stahlwerke and Norddeutsche Maschinenfabrik Nomag.

1937

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� is represented with its own pavilion at the Reich’s Exhibition “Productive People" in Düsseldorf (picture). Like other large companies, the group is closely integrated into the National Socialist economic system and into armaments. The Wetter plant builds the D7 “half-track motorised vehicle 10" by order of the Wehrmacht. (Image: Stadtarchiv Düsseldorf)

1937

In Düsseldorf-Benrath, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� sets up a new production facility alongside the existing crane plant. The �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� excavator factory benefits from the boom in the construction industry. In Duisburg-Hamborn, the recently acquired Norddeutsche Maschinenfabrik Nomag becomes the �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� grab factory.

1938

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Zug GmbH is founded with headquarters in Wetter. As an independent subsidiary of �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� AG, it is responsible for the design and sale of small hoists. However, the actual construction of the electric hoists and double winches remains under the umbrella of �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� AG, This means that there are two different employers at the Wetter site for decades.

1940

Hans Reuter succeeds his father Wolfgang and becomes General Director of �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ�. Reuter has been working in Duisburg since the 1920s, where he was first responsible for exports, then for metallurgical engineering and finance. During the war, Hans Reuter is closely involved in the war economy of the Nazi state as "armaments chief”.

1940

At the Wetter plant, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� produces diesel locomotives in series for the Wehrmacht. The beginnings of production probably date back to 1936, and even after the war locomotives remain part of the production programme (picture). �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� in Wetter also produces military vehicles and engines for the Wehrmacht.

1940 - 1945

In order to maintain production during the Second World War, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� increasingly resorts to using forced labourers. They include prisoners of war and labourers from the occupied territories. At the main plants in Wetter, Duisburg and Benrath alone, the number of forced labourers grows to more than 3,600 by 1944. In Oberwengern on the other side of the Ruhr, the Wetter plant sets up its own large forced labour camp. (Picture: construction plan - Stadtarchiv Wetter)

1943

The war is also felt in Germany. Bombing raids affect operations at all sites. The �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Duisburg headquarters are hit hard several times. In Wetter, a flood caused by the destruction of the Möhnetal dam (picture) stops the production of electric hoists for weeks.

1945

After the end of the war, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� factories in Wetter, Duisburg and Benrath are located in the British occupation zone. All locations are allowed to resume production quickly. The Allies use �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� expertise and machines for clean-up work. In Wetter, the British confiscate part of the factory and set up the REME repair shop.

1947

Hans Reuter returns to the top of �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� AG as General Director. In 1945/46, the British intern him for several months together with other Ruhr industrialists. Once his denazification procedure has been completed, he takes over management of the Group again. Hans Reuter renders outstanding services to the reconstruction of �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� and is awarded the Federal Cross of Merit in 1954.

1948

The Allies have 238 machines taken away from the three main �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� factories in Wetter, Duisburg and Benrath. These removals cause nervousness in the plants but are ultimately easy to withstand. When the lost machines are replaced shortly afterwards with the help of loans from the American Marshall Plan, production is extensively modernised.
(Image: Landesarchiv NRW)

1950

In the young Federal Republic of Germany, exports quickly pick up again. �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� is successful all over the world with cranes and hoists but also with the construction of metallurgical plants and rolling mills. Particularly spectacular are major projects in Egypt, India and Norway, where the German group builds Europe's largest ore loading facility (picture). �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Zug also has an international focus and founds its first foreign subsidiary in Italy.

1953

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� launches its first chain hoist on the market. The “little �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ�" is serially produced in the factory in Wetter. It uses a roller chain and is available in three sizes for loads up to 125, up to 250 and up to 500 kilograms. Craftsmen and traders are thrilled. With the chain hoist, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� is opening up new sales markets in the small commercial sector, too.

1953

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� starts production of mobile cranes at the Wetter plant. Equipped with overhung cranes and diesel engine, these robust vehicles can also be used on difficult terrain. The demand is great – even abroad. Just one year after the start of production, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� delivers mobile cranes worth around DM 4 million to the UK.

1954

The Wetter Works Orchestra plays for the first time. The twenty or so musicians create the musical programme for special occasions and give concerts - often together with the choir, whose members are also from the company. Musical projects across sites strengthen the feeling of togetherness within the Group.

1956

In the Otto-Oehme-Saal hall (picture), the employees of the Wetter plant have a good lunch or come together for concerts and festivities. The hall is part of the new administration building that �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� opens in Wetter. The Group encourages joint activities and employees participate in the success of the company through loyalty bonuses and employee shares.

1957

In Toronto, Canada, the �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Material Handling business unit founds the first foreign subsidiary on the North American continent. It is initially responsible for the sale of cranes and hoists and is later expanded into a production facility. Material Handling also builds factories and companies in other parts of the world. At the major international trade fairs (picture: Hanover), customers can find out more about the �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� range.

1959

The electric rope hoist model P comes onto the market. The new �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� hoist is designed for load capacities up to 32 t and can be individually adapted (picture: paper industry). Drive, gear, rope drive, electric motor and brake are combined in constructional terms according to the sliding rotor principle.

1961

The great success of �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� chain hoists means that more capacity is required. �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik builds a factory in Bad Bergzabern, Rhineland-Palatinate, in which only chain hoists are manufactured. The new site grows rapidly because the small hoists are becoming the Group's most successful series product.

1962

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� builds Germany's first automatic high-bay warehouse for the Bertelsmann publishing house. It is twenty metres high and holds up to seven million books – a pioneering achievement. Further orders follow, so that “distribution technology” at the Wetter site quickly becomes an important pillar of Material Handling.

1962

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik acquires the motor manufacturer Conz in Hamburg, in which it has held a stake since 1927. In the following years, Conz expands into a new large engine plant for the electric hoists. Here, brake motors are built according to the conical rotor principle (picture), while motor construction at the Wetter plant is completely discontinued.

1963

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� launches the new PK chain hoist, known as "the Junior". It is available in four load capacities up to 1,000 kilograms. A sliding rotor brake motor serves as the drive motor and a high-strength round link chain as the supporting element. If required, the chain hoist can be equipped with a microspeed hoist and converted into a travelling hoist with a manual or electric trolley. More than 1 million PK chain hoists will be sold before it is replaced.

1963

The advertising department of �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Zug hires Vicco von Bülow to work with them. The cartoonist known under his stage name Loriot illustrates a series of ads for Material Handling in Wetter that humorously address the themes of lifting, moving and conveying.

1965

The PK "Junior" chain hoist is the basis for the innovative �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� KBK crane construction kit. The chain hoist and crane construction kit together form the "Junior System", which is a great success. This allows light suspension cranes and tracks as well as wall-mounted and pillar-mounted slewing cranes and gantry cranes (picture) to be constructed from standardised components.

1967

Otto Blank (picture) remains on the �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� AG Management Board with responsibility for Material Handling and continues to push ahead with the internationalisation of the business unit, even when the Group gains a new General Director. From 1967, Wolfgang Reuter, the only son of Hans Reuter, is the third generation to head �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� AG, following his father Hans Reuter and his grandfather Wolfgang Reuter, the founder of Deutsche Maschinenfabrik.

1969

Wolfgang Reuter has �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� restructured according to the principle of business units. The development and sales company �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Zug is dissolved and merged with other material handling divisions to form �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik, based in Wetter. The new unit now also includes the grab factory in Duisburg-Hamborn. Construction of mobile cranes is moved from Wetter to the Construction Machinery business unit in Benrath.

1972

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik opens a new engine plant in Uslar. At its new location in Lower Saxony, the company soon builds smaller and medium-sized brake motors based on the patented conical rotor brake principle. Larger engines, on the other hand, continue to be produced at the former Conz plant in Hamburg.

1973

The Mannesmann Group holds the majority of �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� share capital for the first time and takes over the company in its entirety in subsequent years. Under the Mannesmann umbrella, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� gains production areas and tighter structures. Thanks to the takeover, Mannesmann grows into to one of the largest mechanical engineering companies in the world.

1973

In Hagen-Vorhalle near Wetter, the test track for an innovative means of transport goes into operation. The "Cabinentaxi" is an elevated railway developed by �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� together with a partner company on behalf of the Federal Government. The cars travel fully automatically and independently of each other - above and below the rail.

1974

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik opens its own production facility in Brazil. The Movicarga joint venture near São Paulo produces chain and rope hoists as well as overhead travelling and suspension crane systems and rapidly develops into the leading supplier in South America. In 1979, the Brazilian partners withdraw and Movicarga comes completely into German hands as Mannesmann �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Movicarga.

1975

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik has a new administrative building in Wetter/Ruhr. The state-of-the-art headquarters are located on a hill above the town and are connected to the plant in the valley by a shuttle service. The building is fully air-conditioned and, with open-plan offices, offers employees a modern working environment and advanced technology.

1975

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� adds Manulift to its range. With this hoist, loads can be moved quickly and safely with just one hand. The Manulift is based on the lifting unit of the PK chain hoist, supplemented by a universal, two-handed control unit.

1976

The Distribution Technology business unit is founded under the umbrella of �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik, into which �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Systemtechnik, which was founded in 1970, is integrated. At its sites in Wetter, Mannheim and Offenbach, the new business unit successfully develops roller conveyors and high-bay warehouses (picture: IBM Milan).

1976

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik opens its own large factory in the US state of Ohio. Capacities in Canada are also be expanded to better serve the North American market. �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik also inaugurates new production facilities in Spain, the UK and Sweden. In 1976, the business unit has a total of 11 foreign subsidiaries.

1979

With the DST control pendant, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� is launching a genuine "all-rounder" onto the market. The DST can be used to control cranes as well as hoists or machines. Thanks to its ergonomic design, it fits comfortably in the hand and can be operated conveniently and safely even over long periods. It is available in different sizes.

1980

Wetter receives a spectacular order worth millions: �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik supplies a complete suspension crane system, which can transport loads of up to 40 t, as well as sliding bridges and branch lines, for an aircraft factory that the Soviet Union is having built in Ulyanovsk. In the same year, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� AG changes its name to Mannesmann �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� AG.

1980

Mannesmann �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik presents the RS wheel block system. With its sheet steel housing, it is optimised for impact loads and high temperature applications. Various travel wheel types and mounting options make the wheel block system universally applicable. It continues to prove itself as a "solution for tough applications" to this day.

1985

At the Hanover Fair, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� presents the DH hoist, an innovative successor to the P electric hoist. The DH is robustly built and has a second brake. It also scores points thanks to the new rope hoist with integrated electrics in the form of a reversing contactor circuit, a load measuring device and the fact that it can be mounted universally.

1986

Mannesmann �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik (MDF) takes over half of the shares in Mechanical Handling Engineering (MHE) in Asia. The crane manufacturing company is based in Singapore and operates factories in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. The successful joint venture has existed since 1993 under the name MHE-�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ�.

1988

A milestone in industrial history: �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� manufactures the one millionth PK chain hoist. Introduced in 1963 as "Junior", the chain hoist proves its worth for decades in a wide variety of applications and becomes a classic in the field of small hoists.

1990

The DK chain hoist is introduced and replaces the globally successful PK predecessor model. The highlights: Numerous options for hoisting and trolley applications, making the DK a universal hoist for almost all applications.

1990

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Mannesmann �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik takes over part of the production of the former GDR crane manufacturer Takraf. The Mannesmann �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Takraf joint venture is founded to continue the lifting technology plant in Luisenthal, Thuringia. �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� subsequently concentrates its entire production of standard overhead travelling cranes at the new Luisenthal site for years to come.

1991

Mannesmann �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik acquires the US company Rapistan in Michigan. With around a thousand employees, Rapistan is the market leader for conveyor technology in the food and beverage industries. With the integration of Rapistan and the smaller Buschman Company, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� achieves a breakthrough on the American market for roller conveyors.

1992

Mannesmann separates conveyor technology from the Mannesmann �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� AG group and founds Mannesmann �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik AG. The new company employs around 11,000 people, one third of them abroad, and is divided into the Crane and Handling Technology, Systems Technology and Components business units. It is headed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rüdiger Franke.

1997

Mannesman �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Fördertechnik AG is renamed Mannesmann Dematic AG. The new name not only reflects the international orientation, it is also motivated by the great successes and new developments in the field of automation and systems. Mannesmann Dematic is a leader in postal automation.

1997

Dematic presents its range of geared motors to the public. With the modular system of motors, gears, geared motors and wheel systems now available, customer requirements can be implemented to measure. Complete travel units can be created from these precisely matched components.

1998

In Kuala Lumpur, MHE �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� is involved in the construction of the world's tallest building, the Petronas Towers. It supplies 13 building maintenance units for the construction site of the twin towers at a height of more than 400 metres. To this day, MHE �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� maintains a service depot at Petronas Towers for maintenance work.

1999

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� wheel block system for Reichstag dome

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� has also been represented here since the Reichstag reopened in Berlin as the seat of the German parliament after a long reconstruction phase. A mirror element is installed in the glass dome of the building, which reflects diffuse daylight into the plenary hall 10 m below. The RS wheel block system ensures movement and precise positioning of the light deflection element.

2000

The last joint appearance: in 2000 Mannesmann Dematic presents its complete portfolio at the Hannover Messe Industrie, right next to its parent company Mannesmann, whose industrial division is already known as Atecs.

2000

The British mobile phone provider Vodafone takes over the Mannesmann group after a spectacular bidding battle. For Mannesmann Dematic and its �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� brand, the future is uncertain, as Vodafone is exclusively interested in Mannesmann mobile communications. Plans to float the entire mechanical engineering business on the stock exchange as a separate group under the name Atecs fail.

2000

With the commissioning of the distribution centre at the Wetter site, a major step is taken towards customer proximity. More than 5,000 pallet spaces and almost 20,000 storage containers are available to store spare parts and crane components. In the large parts hall, for example, rope hoists are prepared for worldwide dispatch. Today, around 13,000 different spare parts can be shipped to customers within 24 hours.

2001

Vodafone smashes the Mannesmann group and sells parts of the mechanical engineering business to Siemens. The material handling activities combined in Mannesmann Dematic are divided. While Distribution Technology with high-bay warehouses and roller conveyors is integrated into the new Siemens Dematic, the Crane and Hoist unit operates under the name �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� and Components GmbH and is sold in 2002 to the American financial investor Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR).

2003

The US investment company KKR closes the �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� chain hoist factory in Bad Bergzabern and relocates production to Wetter. In return, Wetter transfers the construction of process cranes all the way to Slany in the Czech Republic. �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� & Components invests several million euros in a modern crane plant there.

2003

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� & Components launches the new DR electric rope hoist onto the market. Unlike its predecessors, the DR does not have a universal orientation but is deliberately designed for use in cranes and is available in combination with a monorail hoist. It is also the first rope hoist in the world to be equipped with a pioneering electronic control system.

2004

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� & Components presents the new DC chain hoist in Wetter. This is a robust small hoist that is flexible to use and easy to install. The DC is serially manufactured in Wetter/Ruhr and proves itself in many different fields of work.

2006

US owner KKR floats �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� & Components on the stock exchange together with Düsseldorf-based crane manufacturer Gottwald. The new company, named �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� AG, brings together two global brands: �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� with industrial cranes, hoists and service - and Gottwald, a leading provider of port logistics services. The IPO is successful and �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� can establish itself as a separate stock corporation.

2009

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� equips a dispatch warehouse for paper rolls in Corlu, Turkey with seven automated process cranes. With a storage capacity of more than 70,000 t of paper, it is the largest newly built shipping warehouse in the world. The scope of supply, which �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� implements together with its long-standing agency Genel Makina, includes the complete warehouse management computer and control of the roll transport system.

2010

The Wetter plant receives the Industrial Excellence Award as "Best Factory 2010", after production is modernised with high investments and great employee commitment. The new work organisation also includes "island production", for example, in which several work steps are carried out flexibly and directly one after the other.

2010

The Wetter plant invites employees, families, customers and other interested parties to come to Wetter for the open day. Thousands of visitors came to look behind the factory gates and to learn about the production processes.

2011

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� becomes American when the US crane group Terex acquires a majority stake in �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� AG. The integration of �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� and Gottwald creates the new Terex Material Handling & Port Solutions (MHPS) division. The world-famous �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� brand remains in place for the Industrial Cranes division, with the addition of "A Terex Brand".

2012

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� adds a new chain hoist model to its range for special tasks. The �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� LDC-Q quadro chain hoist with four chain lead-offs is used wherever four attachment points are required for lifting and transport (picture: food industry)

2013

With the commissioning of a fully automated process crane, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� starts a new chapter in integrated operation of overhead material handling. The crane installation in Zhengzhou, China (Henan Province) supplies six CNC plasma cutting systems and forms a pilot project for process automation in sheet metal processing as well as the subsequent overhead transport of welded structures in the process chain.

2014

The new �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� V-type crane is presented at the Wetter plant. Due to its V-shaped construction, it is much lighter than conventional load cranes. Tapered diaphragm joints also improve the vibration behaviour and extend the service life. The new crane model is patented and awarded many prizes.

2015

A new development from Wetter enables remote diagnosis in real time. With �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� StatusControl, cranes can be permanently monitored from anywhere. The system records and documents all relevant crane data, including the charge status of the batteries, and transfers them to a tablet or smartphone. This makes it possible to manage crane systems comfortably, safely and efficiently from a distance.

2015

One rope hoist. Two designs. Many possibilities. �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� presents a new modular hoist with a three-day event for customers and the trade press. The DMR rope hoist (�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Modular Rope Hoist) can be precisely optimised for a wide range of individual applications. Another unique feature is the flexible rope hoist configuration, which allows the rope hoist to be designed either as a C hoist or as a co-axial design.

2015

The DRC D3 radio control comes onto the market as the standard control system for �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� universal cranes and is impressive all along the line. The hand-held transmitters have a particularly long battery life and allow uninterrupted operation for up to five days. It is also possible to connect up to three of the transmitters to a crane at the same time and change them at the push of a button.

2016

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� presents new products and developments to customers from all over the world at its factory site in Wetter. The first "�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Discovery Days" attract visitors from around 40 different countries with an interesting two-day programme.

2016

�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� signs the largest service order in its history. After this, �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� service technicians are responsible for the maintenance and repair of crane systems in four German factories of the Daimler Group. The volume comprises more than 10,000 industrial cranes with load capacities up to 63 t and more than 23,000 cranes and hoists.

2017

The Finnish crane manufacturer Konecranes acquires the Material Handling and Port Solutions division with the �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� and Gottwald brands from Terex. This makes Konecranes the world's largest manufacturer of industrial cranes. �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� has become European again and for the first time has an owner on an equal footing in terms of engineering skill, product expertise and market knowledge. This makes Konecranes and �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ�, now again called �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� & Components, perfect partners.

2017

The safety-related software "�ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� Advanced Safety Solution" (D.A.S.S.) developed by �ټ���ƽ̨�Ƽ� and the safety concept on which it is based are certified by the Industrial Employers’ Mutual Insurance Association. This type-tested software can, as required, trigger the safe shutdown of crane systems if any possible irregularities occur in the crane axes.