Metabowerke GmbH with its headquarters in
Nürtingen
Nürtingen () is a town on the river Neckar in the district of Esslingen in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.
History
The following events occurred, by year:
*1046: First mention of ''Niuritingin'' in the document of Speyer ...
, Germany; Metabo is a manufacturer of
power tool
A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labor used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed ...
s for professional users. The company was founded in the 1920s and got its name from a
hand drill
A hand drill is the simplest primitive method to produce rapid rotary motion of a rod. It consists in holding the rod vertically between both hands and moving these back and forth, in opposite directions, as in rubbing them. The rod typically ...
, the so-called "Metallbohrdreher". Today, Metabo offers a wide range of power tools. The company is owned by the American investment firm
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
History
In 1923, Albrecht Schnizler built his first
hand drill
A hand drill is the simplest primitive method to produce rapid rotary motion of a rod. It consists in holding the rod vertically between both hands and moving these back and forth, in opposite directions, as in rubbing them. The rod typically ...
in his parents' bakery in
Nürtingen
Nürtingen () is a town on the river Neckar in the district of Esslingen in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.
History
The following events occurred, by year:
*1046: First mention of ''Niuritingin'' in the document of Speyer ...
. 50,000 copies of this drill were sold under the designation ''No. 18'' and one year later the Schnizler GmbH was founded. Co-founder Julius Closs was the owner of a brewery called “Sonnenbrauerei” in Nürtingen. The company moved into the rooms of this brewery located in Church Street. Walter Rauch became an associate in 1927 and managed the national and international distribution of the machines. In 1932, the company was renamed Metabowerke Closs, Rauch & Schnizler KG. The plant was spared serious damages during the war years, but in late autumn of 1945, a fire destroyed close to 75% of the manufacturing facilities. The reconstruction was completed in 1948.
The company's rapid growth made it necessary to move to a new headquarters. Therefore, in 1953, the construction of a new plant in Nürtingen's industrial zone ''Steinach'' was initiated. The relocation was completed in 1969 with a new administrative building.
In the course of restructuring measures, the Metabo group acquired Elektra Beckum in 1999, a company from
Meppen
Meppen (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Möppen'') is a town in and the seat of the Emsland district of Lower Saxony, Germany, at the confluence of the Ems, Hase, and Nordradde rivers and the Dortmund–Ems Canal (DEK). The name stems from the word ''M ...
in Northern
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Combined with the takeover of two other (woodworking) machine manufacturers, this briefly made Metabo the second largest producer of stationary
woodworking machine
A Woodworking machine is a machine that is intended to process wood. These machines are usually powered by electric motors and are used extensively in woodworking. Sometimes grinding machines (used for grinding down to smaller pieces) are also cons ...
s in the world. However, in the next decade, they decided to focus mostly on producing smaller
power tool
A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labor used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed ...
s. In 2004, Metabo restructured the production and a plant in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
was established. The full integration of Elektra Beckum took place in 2006. In 2010, the disposal of the plant in Meppen marked the end of the restructuring process of the production plants.
[History of the company Metabo: ]
History
'', Abruf: 9. September 2011
March 1, 2016 Metabo was acquired by
Hitachi Koki, part of
Hitachi Group.
The
Hitachi Group sold Hitachi Koki in March 2017 to HK Holdings Co., Ltd., an entity of the investment firm
KKR.
The company today
Metabo is a medium-sized company which focuses on the main target groups of metal craftsmen and industry along with building trade and renovation. Metabo manufactures in its factories in Nürtingen and Shanghai. Metabo works with 23 distribution companies and has over 100 importers.
Worldwide, Metabo has over 1,800 employees with a sales volume of 348 million Euro reported in 2013.
Products
Essential/significant products and innovations, according to their own statements, are:
*1934 – Metabo electric
rotary drill ''No. 750''
*1957 – ''Metabo Type 7608'', world's first
impact drill series is manufactured.
*1966 –
Angle grinder
An angle grinder, also known as a side grinder or disc grinder, is a handheld power tool used for grinding (abrasive cutting) and polishing. Although developed originally as tools for rigid abrasive discs, the availability of an interchangeable ...
with S-automatic safety clutch
*1969 –
Impact drill with electronic speed regulation
*1981 – 1000 Watt impact drill with constant speed
*2000 –
Angle grinder
An angle grinder, also known as a side grinder or disc grinder, is a handheld power tool used for grinding (abrasive cutting) and polishing. Although developed originally as tools for rigid abrasive discs, the availability of an interchangeable ...
with the Metabo Marathon-Motor
*2002 – Compact cordless screwdriver "Power Grip®"
*2005 – Introduction of lithium-ion battery technology into the cordless tool range.
*2010 – Full Range of
Stainless steel processing tools
*2011 – Cordless magnetic core drilling unit
*2012 –
Battery pack
A battery pack is a set of any number of (preferably) identical batteries or individual battery cells. They may be configured in a series, parallel or a mixture of both to deliver the desired voltage, capacity, or power density. The term battery ...
with 4.0 Ah and Ultra-M-Technology.
*2013 –
Battery pack
A battery pack is a set of any number of (preferably) identical batteries or individual battery cells. They may be configured in a series, parallel or a mixture of both to deliver the desired voltage, capacity, or power density. The term battery ...
with 5.2 Ah., Flat-head Angle Grinder
*2014 – New Generation of Compact Angle Grinders from 900 - 1700 W
*2015 – LiHD Battery pack technology
The company owns over 500 active
patent
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...
s and
utility model
A utility model is a patent-like intellectual property right to protect inventions. This type of right is available in many countries but, notably, not in the United States, United Kingdom or Canada. Although a utility model is similar to a patent ...
s.
A large number of the machines received the
red dot design award
The Red Dot Design Award is a German international design prize awarded by Red Dot GmbH & Co. KG. There are prize categories for product design, brands and communication design, and design concept. Since 1955, designers and producers can appl ...
.
Starter Kit''
/ref>
File:Metabo-Handbohrmaschine-No18.jpg, Metabo hand drill No. 18
File:Metabo Akku-Bohrschrauber BS 18 LTX BL Quick.jpg, Brushless Metabo Cordless drill/Screwdriver BS 18 LTX BL Quick
File:Kompakt-Winkelschleifer von 900 - 1700 Watt.jpg, Metabo Compact Angle Grinders from 900 - 1700 Watt
Notes
External links
Metabo International Website
Metabo US website
{{Power tool manufacturers
Manufacturing companies established in 1924
German brands
Power tool manufacturers
Woodworking hand-held power tools
Hitachi
1924 establishments in Germany
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts companies
Tool manufacturing companies of Germany