A moving history

First razor blades, then transport equipment, today vacuum technology and energy storage: The history of the Schmalz company is characterized by continuous change, by markets that are changing and by the constant drive to create something new for customers. Founded in 1910 as a razor blade factory, Schmalz has today developed into an internationally successful industrial company with customers from almost all industries.

The Schmalz razor blade factory

"A man with a beard is unfashionable, today they love the shaved gentleman." Would the Berlin hipsters of today have liked the advertising slogan of the Schmalz razor blade factory from the 1930s? At that time, company founder Johannes Schmalz had already made an international name for himself with his "Glattis": the company shipped several million blades a year to customers all over the world.

In 1910, Johannes Schmalz had founded the company directly on the river Glatt, because he found a hydroelectric power plant here to operate his machines. In the early days, the resourceful man from the Black Forest developed and manufactured all the important machines himself, such as an automatic grinding and polishing machine.

Era of transport and airport apron equipment

When well-heeled airplane passengers boarded a Boeing 707 in the 1960s to cross the Atlantic, they might have walked over a staircase from Schmalz: Artur Schmalz, son of the company`s founder, took over the company in 1945 and, following the triumphant success of the electric razor, focused on transport equipment. Passenger stairs, luggage trailers, small mobile filling stations and even serving trolleys were part of the product portfolio.

In agriculture, the "Schmalz Kipper" came into use, particularly suitable for use on steep slopes. With the paint drying cars, Artur Schmalz developed a product for drying furniture parts, which is still sold today.

With vacuum technology we have developed into an international company. What started with a small house in the countryside has become a consolidated and globally successful team.

~ Dr. Kurt Schmalz

Reorientation to vacuum technology

A carpenter brought about the turnaround - literally: When Dr. Kurt Schmalz, grandson of the company`s founder, was asked at a trade fair about a holding device for fixing and turning a door, that was the beginning of vacuum technology. Dr. Kurt Schmalz, who took over the company from his father in 1984, then developed a work table with vacuum suction cups and a compressed air-driven vacuum generator.

The first step was taken, the new business field was born. In 1990, Wolfgang Schmalz followed in the management of the company. Together, the grandsons of Johannes Schmalz turned a craftsman`s business into a globally active, successful industrial company.

Worldwide expansion

From the headquarters in southern Germany out into the world! In 1998, the first Schmalz foreign subsidiary was founded in Switzerland. Only one year later, subsidiaries followed in the USA and India. Thus, Schmalz was already represented on three continents before the turn of the millennium!

In the early 2000s, the phase of global expansion continued with the founding of subsidiaries in Japan and the Netherlands (both in 2000), Italy (2001), Spain (2002), China (2003), France (2004), Poland, Russia and Korea (all in 2005), Finland and Canada (both in 2006) and Turkey (2007).

The more recent Schmalz members are located in Mexico (2014), Australia (2017), Austria (2019), the United Kingdom (2021) and the Czech Republic (2022). In addition to the subsidiaries, Schmalz has a functioning network of trading partners and is thus represented in a total of around 70 countries around the world.

In the meantime, not only have new branches been added to the Schmalz family, but numerous existing locations have been expanded and extended.

J. Schmalz GmbH Downloads

Schmalz - Model PFYN - Flat Suction Cups- Brochure

Schmalz - Model FQE - Area Gripping Systems- Brochure

Schmalz - Lightweight Layer Grippers - Brochure

Schmalz - Model SGON - Flat Suction Cups- Brochure

Schmalz - Model SPLO - Suction Plates- Brochure

Schmalz - Model SUF - Flat Suction Cups- Brochure

Schmalz - Model SLG - Lightweight Gripping Systems- Brochure