Our history

Company history Grieshaber GmbH & Co. KG - Schiltach

It began in 1903: Master mechanic Albin Grieshaber senior founded a mechanical workshop in Triberg - with his younger brother Bruno Grieshaber senior as an apprentice.

Already in 1912, the workshop produced the first small, automatic lathes. The famous "A10" later emerged from them, the most modern and fastest automatic lathe at the time.

1919: The company grew and needed more space. So they moved to Wolfach - and opened up a new production facility under the name Albin Grieshaber (Inh. Albin & Bruno Grieshaber) for engineering works and bar turning in the former Lohmühle on "Schliefegraben". The focus was on the production of smaller brass parts for the electrical industry and the production of automatic machines (automatic lathes) - for this purpose two automatic lathes were already in use.

The two brothers continued to expand: Around 1924/1925 they acquired the site of the burned mill at the city bridge and built a new production plant there, where the company now operating as Gebr. Grieshaber oHG then went into operation in 1927. In the 1930s there were several name changes, including to the Gebr. Grieshaber Fassondreherei Wolfach and the Gebr. Grieshaber Metallwarenfabrik Wolfach.

In 1939, the company was once again expanded by acquiring the decommissioned "Brauerei zur Schütte" before World War II broke out.

In August 1945, Bruno Grieshaber Jr. returned from captivity as a prisoner of war to Wolfach and started the reconstruction of the factory with his father, which was completely shut down at that time. Although the Wolfach factory remained unharmed by bombing, almost 90% of the machinery was surrendered to the Allies. Production was therefore resumed with machines bought second-hand. Due to lack of space, production partially took place in the Wolfach Castle. Flexibility was one of Grieshaber's great strengths, even back then: So the company bought about 1.5 million compression nuts from the aircraft industry and made lighters out of them!

In the 1950s everything started happening really fast: In 1951, the company began developing "continually adjustable drives". In 1952, additional land was acquired on the city bridge along the Kinzig from the city.

The company celebrated its 50 year anniversary in 1953! On this occasion, the two brothers involved their sons: Albin Grieshaber junior was a trained engineer in the technical field, Bruno Grieshaber junior, thanks to his studies at the Handels- und Kaufmannschule (Trade and Business School) in Hamburg, headed the commercial sector.

The family business founded the Gebr. Grieshaber KG with 120 employees - and a turnover of 2.5 million DM at the time! From 1953 to 1955 Gebr. Grieshaber KG built a new factory hall.

In 1956, the company produced the innovative bicycle radio, "Veloton".

1958: It started producing radios and transistor converters, then level measuring instruments were even developed. A milestone - because this is where VEGA came into being in 1959.

1962 saw the mass production of the "ROLLAX transmission". Background: The production of turned parts turned out to be very susceptible to crises, so from 1951 the company invested in the production of high-quality, continuously variable transmissions as a second source of income. After about 11 years of development, production of so-called all-metal transmissions began in 1962. These are universal transmissions that are used wherever continuously variable drive speeds are required - for example in machine tool construction, conveyor belts, spinning machines, agitators, etc.

Since there was already a lack of space in Wolfach, the branch plant in "Schapbach" was built in 1963 for transmission and mechanical engineering - today known as the company "Supfina", which has meanwhile moved to Wolfach.

In 1966, Gebr. Grieshaber KG bought a branch in Berlin, which was expanded with a new building five years later. In 1969, turnover was already 18 million DM, before the recession began at the end of the decade, culminating in the 1974 economic crisis. Gebr. Grieshaber KG felt the impact of this too - meaning that short-time work and 3-shift operation were introduced. The company then provided its own answer to the crisis with another form of innovation - in the form of the "first CNC lathe" at Grieshaber, which was introduced on 15 November 1976.

1978 celebrated the family business existing for 75 years. However, the anniversary was only celebrated a year later, in the new plant in Schiltach.

1979: Meanwhile, the Grieshaber group of companies has realised around DM 60 million. It employed 280 employees at Grieshaber and 115 employees at VEGA and also trained 25 apprentices.

With the end of the 1970s, an era came to an end: After the company Gebr. Grieshaber KG had shaped the history of the town of Wolfach for six decades as the largest establishment in the area, in 1980 the relocation to Schiltach took place - the new headquarters had 5,400 m² total area, of which 3,000 m² were for the automatic machine hall.

In 1988, the company building was once again expanded by the reproduction/hand machines sectors.

In 1996, the company changed its name to Grieshaber GmbH & Co. KG, three years later the next expansion was necessary: ​​for the new shipping department and the modern high-bay warehouse. In the previous spaces for shipping, the 1-spindle CNC machines and rotary indexing machines were accomodated.

In 2000, another extension was necessary, this time for the areas of mechanics, electronics and the training workshop, which were previously housed in the VEGA building.

In 2003, the family business celebrated its 100th anniversary!

2003 certification according to TS 16949.

Since the turn of the millennium, the company has also been developing at a steady rate. In the meantime, the company has specialised in the production of precision turned parts made of aluminium and non-ferrous metals for various industries: From automotive and measuring and control technology via sensors, medical technology and optics to mechanical engineering. More focal points are continuously added, e.g. grinding and cleaning processes.

2008 Construction of the own production area specialised in the machining of stainless steels.

2013 Addition of new raw material supply area with integration of a high-bay warehouse for bar stock. Through this reconstruction and further restructuring measures, the creation of approximately 1000 m² additional production area.

2014 certification according to ISO 50001 (energy management).

2015 Redesign of main entrance with administration area

2016 Successful participation in 100 companies for resource efficiency Project of the state of Baden-Württemberg

2022 Certification according to ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety management)

2023 Foundation of the subsidiary Grieshaber Precision America, Inc. in Cincinnati. Ohio

Today, the Grieshaber Group includes Grieshaber GmbH & Co. KG, VEGA Grieshaber KG and Supfina Grieshaber GmbH & Co. KG. The Group is represented worldwide!