Company History
1985
Founding of the Craft Business
Founding of Bernhard Schäfer Werkzeugbau by Gisela and Bernhard Schäfer and establishment of a production facility in the parental garage in Bad Schönborn for the manufacturing of spare parts for the cable processing industry.
1986
Manufacturing of Applicators and Machines
Renaming or founding of the company under the new name Bernhard Schäfer Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau GmbH due to the expansion of the portfolio to include crimping applicators and crimping machines for cable processing.
1987
Own Production Facility in Bad Schönborn
Relocation of Bernhard Schäfer Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau GmbH to its own production facility in Bad Schönborn.
1988
First Crimping Machines from Schäfer
With its own crimping machines, Schäfer expands the product range for cable production.
1992
Establishment of a Manufacturing Facility in Gerstungen
Founding of Schäfer GmbH Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau in Eisenach for the production of components and assemblies for crimping machines in Gerstungen, Thuringia, and construction of a new production facility with office building.
1993
Establishment of a Branch in the USA
Founding of Schaefer Technologies LLC in Chicago for the sales and service of Schäfer products in the USA.
1993
Expansion of Production and Manufacturing in Bad Schönborn
To meet the demand for applicators and machines, the production and manufacturing in Bad Schönborn is expanded.
1994
First Crimping Machines with Stripping Unit
With stripping-crimping machines, Schäfer offers enhanced solutions for cable production.
1995
Delivery of the First Crimping Machine for Power Cord Production
Schäfer develops its own crimping machines for the production of power cords.
1999
New Building for Production
Expansion at Schäfer Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau GmbH through the construction of a high-bay warehouse and a production hall for the assembly of special machines.
2000
New Building for Administration
Expansion at Schäfer Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau GmbH through the construction of an administration building with a reception area and customer bistro, as well as spacious offices, meeting rooms, and a showroom.
2000
Participation in International Trade Fairs
Schäfer presents its expanded product portfolio at international trade fairs, such as the Hannover Messe and Productronica in Munich.
2000
Expansion to Include Mold Making Products
Expansion of the portfolio at Schäfer GmbH Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau to include mold making for stamping, plastic injection molding, die casting, and hot melt adhesive tools, and expansion of the production hall to 2000 m².
2002
Establishment of a Branch in Romania
Founding of Schäfer Romania SRL in Arad for the sales and service of Schäfer products in Romania.
2003
Renaming of the Company Headquarters
Renaming of Bernhard Schäfer Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau GmbH in Bad Schönborn with 67 employees to Schäfer Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau GmbH.
2003
Establishment of a Branch in Poland
Opening of a branch in Katowice for the sales and service of Schäfer products in Poland.
2003
Delivery of the First Fully Automated Transfer System for Fiber Optic Cables
For the production of fiber optic cables for the automotive industry, Schäfer develops fully automated systems.
2005
Acquisition of the Megomat Group
Expansion of the sales and service network through Megomat branches in the USA, Brazil, and Switzerland, as well as the expansion of the portfolio to include fully automatic crimping machines.
2005
Expansion with an Assembly Hall
For the assembly of fully automatic crimping machines, the company headquarters of Schäfer Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau GmbH expands its production area.
2005
Establishment of a Branch in Tunisia
Founding of Schaefer Tunisie SARL in Sousse for the sales and service of Schäfer products in Tunisia.
2005
Construction of the Paternoster
The paternoster of Schäfer Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau GmbH for the storage and archiving of samples and spare parts is newly constructed and adorned with the large company logo.
2005
Markus Schäfer in Management
Markus Schäfer, the son of Gisela and Bernhard Schäfer, joins the management team of the Schäfer Group’s company headquarters.
2006
Establishment of a Branch in China
Founding of Schaefer Hong Kong Ltd with a Shenzhen Representative Office in Shenzhen for the sales and service of Schäfer products in China.
2007
Delivery of the First Fully Automatic Crimping Machine
The first fully automatic crimping machine with a swivel arm principle, the Megomat 1000, is launched on the market.
2009
Successful Trade Fair Appearance at Electronica in Shanghai, China
Schäfer expands further into China and presents its extensive portfolio in Shanghai.
2011
Further Investments in the Manufacturing Park
Investment in state-of-the-art CNC machines at Schäfer Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau GmbH in Bad Schönborn to increase productivity.
2011
Relocation of the Branch in China to Shanghai
Founding of Schaefer Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in Shanghai, China, and closure of the Representative Office in Shenzhen.
2015
30th Anniversary of the Company Headquarters
The staff at the company headquarters in Bad Schönborn celebrates the 30th anniversary of Schäfer Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau GmbH in Bad Schönborn with 100 employees.
2016
Touch Controls for Machines
Conversion of the entire product range to new touch-operated controls.
2017
Alexander Schäfer in Management
Dr.-Ing. Alexander Schäfer, the son of Gisela and Bernhard Schäfer, joins the management team of the Schäfer Group’s company headquarters.
2017
Successful Trade Fair Appearance at Productronica in Munich
Extensive exhibition of Schäfer products at the three-day trade fair on a 400 m² booth.
2019
70th Birthday of Bernhard Schäfer
The staff at the company headquarters in Bad Schönborn celebrates the 70th birthday of founder Bernhard Schäfer.
2019
Schäfer Connect
Schäfer offers innovative software for the operation and networking of machines in the spirit of a Smart Factory in cable and terminal processing.
2020
Acquisition of VR-Construct
Expansion of the portfolio to include products for low-pressure hot melt molding through the acquisition of the business operations of VR-Construct by Schäfer GmbH in Gerstungen.
2020
30 Years of Presence in Waldenbuch
The staff of U. Kolb Werkzeugvertriebs GmbH in Waldenbuch celebrates its 30th anniversary.
2022
Opening of a Technology Center in Bad Oeynhausen
For the development and manufacturing of machines for low-pressure hot melt molding, Schäfer GmbH Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau, together with U. Kolb Werkzeugvertriebs GmbH, opens a technology center in Bad Oeynhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia.
2022
30 Years of Presence in Gerstungen
The staff of Schäfer GmbH Werkzeug- und Sondermaschinenbau in Gerstungen celebrates its 30th anniversary.
2022
Innovative Funding Projects
Together with partners from industry and research, Schäfer develops the AOI system “OptiCrimp” for quality assurance of crimp connections, as well as the AI-based monitoring “DeepCrimpact” of crimp force using deep learning.
2023
Summer Festival in Bad Schönborn
As part of a summer festival, employees and their families have the opportunity to tour the workplaces and production facilities.
2024
Crimp Force Monitoring CARAPIC
With CARAPIC, Schäfer enters the market for the first time with its own crimp force monitoring system for centralized quality assurance.
2024
Wire Processing Technology Expo in Milwaukee, USA
Schäfer presents a variety of new products for cable and terminal processing at a modern exhibition booth.
2024
70th Birthday of Gisela Schäfer
The staff at the company headquarters in Bad Schönborn celebrates the 70th birthday of founder Gisela Schäfer.
2024
Modernization of Administrative Offices in Bad Schönborn
Modern spaces for communication and collaboration have been created.
Today
Schäfer Group
The globally operating company employs over 220 people worldwide and offers an extensive portfolio for the cable processing industry.
