150 years W&H - Building the Future Together
2019 marks the 150th anniversary of Windmöller & Hölscher. In search of an anniversary motto, we reflected on what has characterized W&H over the past 150 years, what shapes us today and how we imagine the future. The common denominator: Building the Future Together.
WE stands for our trusting relationships with customers and partners. WE also stands for all W&H employees worldwide - because they are our most important success factor. BUILDING stands for our core competence: building machinery. And also how we put it into practice - in our modern production facilities. BUILDING literally shows itself at our growing locations all over the world. For 150 years, we have been shaping the FUTURE with our pioneering spirit. Our ideas have shaped the flexible packaging market: From the conical bag machine in 1869 to PACKAGING 4.0 and beyond. FUTURE means that we take responsibility for tomorrow. And FUTURE signifies our promise to hire young talent and commit ourselves to education and training.
"Building the Future Together": Since 1869, today and tomorrow. That's what we want to celebrate! We will fill our motto with life all through the year: With stories from our past and views into the future.
Passion for Innovation - Since the Very Beginning
Our history from 1869 until today
1869
Hermann Hölscher and Gottfried Windmöller found W&H.
1877
Hermann Hölscher patents the first cone bag machine with printing device for in-house bag production.
1888
W&H develops the first stand-alone printing press for paper bags.
1892
One-third of company turnover is generated from machine sales, two-thirds from in-house paper bag production.
1900
The worldwide sales network starts with the first W&H agency in Sweden.
1913
W&H focuses exclusively on manufacturing machinery for sale. In-house bag production is discontinued.
1914
W&H launches the MATADOR bag machine.
1928
W&H designs the first machines to produce industrial paper sacks.
1930
The first stepped-end sack tuber is launched by W&H, establishing the basis for today’s paper bag technology.
1948 - W&H invents the world’s first bridge flexo printing press – the OLYMPIA.
1953 - W&H expands its gravure printing press porfolio with the introduction of the MERKUR.
1954
The world’s first central cylinder flexographic printing press from W&H creates the basis for today’s flexographic printing.
1966
W&H invents the first valve sack machine (AD PLASTIC) for pasted plastic sacks.
1967
W&H begins developing blown film lines: the Extrusion business unit is born.
1971
W&H establishes its first sales subsidiary in the Benelux countries.
1973
The subsidiary GARANT is founded.
1979
W&H expands its converting portfolio with Form-Fill-Seal lines and Cast film lines are added to W&H’s extrusion portfolio.
1989
The first gauge profile control system for blown film extrusion is developed by W&H.
1994
W&H founds the Information and Diagnostic Center (IDC) as a new 24/7 service. The first offers of the IDC include a telephone hotline and remote service.
1996
With TURBOCLEAN, W&H offers the first automatic inking and wash-up system for printing presses.
2005
W&H is the first machine manufacturer to automate impression setting in flexo printing – the first EASY module.
2005
BSW Machinery is founded as a specialist for machinery to produce wovens.
In Prostějov, Czech Republic, W&H establishes a state-of-the-art production site.
2008
W&H invents digital pasting application technology for paper bag production.
2009
W&H bundles all sustainability activities under the name GREENOVATION.
2010
W&H begins the largest modernization of its headquarters in the company’s history.
2015
Adelheid Windmöller establishes a charitable foundation that promotes education and training.
2015
All digitization activities fall under the motto PACKAGING 4.0: intelligent machines, integrated processes, intuitive operation.
2017
BSW, specializing in machinery for producing wovens, is fully integrated into the group as W&H Machinery.
W&H consolidates all its training activities in the new W&H Academy .
2018
W&H and HAVER & BOECKER establish AVENTUS, a joint venture specializing in machinery for packaging free-flowing bulk materials.
2019
W&H celebrates its 150th anniversary with the inauguration of the largest technology centre for machinery in the flexible packaging market.
Impressions of 150 years of W&H
Watch the evolution of our machine technology during the past 150 years
