Jos. Steiner & Sons
| Jos. Steiner & Sons | |
|---|---|
| legal form | OHG |
| founding | 1859 |
| Seat | Laupheim |
| management | Josef Steiner |
| Number of employees | 60 (1870) |
| Branch | Woodworking |
Jos. Steiner & Söhne oHG, later also known as Laupheimer Werkzeugfabrik AG , was a company producing tools for woodworking in Laupheim in the Biberach district in Upper Swabia, which existed continuously from 1859 to 1991 .
history
In 1859, Joseph Steiner (1803–1874) and his four sons Emanuel, Alexander, Simon and Herrmann founded a wooden tool factory in a hall of the Gasthaus zum Rad . Just three years later, in 1862, the premises were too small and Steiner was forced to build a factory building on Bronner Strasse, which was later renamed Steinerstrasse in his honor. A catalog with 300 items, which Steiner took to the London World's Fair in 1862, also dates from this period . On February 17, 1866, it was entered in the newly created commercial register as a general partnership (oHG). After Steiner's death in 1874, the company ran into economic difficulties. It produced on a 4.2 hectare company site at the Stadtmühle an der Rottum with 60 employees. In addition, a sawmill was operated there with water power.
Before the First World War
On February 16, 1891, the company's legal form was converted into a stock corporation (AG) and renamed Laupheimer Werkzeugfabrik . Board members were Steiner's son Emanuel and Julius Hess. The company now had 160 and 180 workers and exported its tools with the “Original Steiner” brand, introduced in 1880, within Europe and overseas. In 1885 Louis Stern joined the company as a member of the board alongside Julius Hess. At the beginning of the First World War , Julius Hess retired. Lost exports were compensated for by war productions. In 1918 the Laupheim tool factory acquired the Plochingen competitor Wilhelm Braun. During the period of inflation , the economic downturn was offset by the production of wooden toys. After the National Socialists came to power , the main shareholders Sam and Viktor Steiner were able to flee to the United States . As part of the Aryanization , the company was forcibly sold to Deutsche Bank . The latter sold the package to the Zechbauer family and the Ulmer hat factory Mayers. After the Second War, which the company survived unscathed, the forcible company assets were transferred back to the Steiner family. Erwin Kull and Max Metz managed the company during that time.
After the Second World War
However, after the Second World War, the Steiner family focused on the hops trade and sold their stake in the Laupheim tool factory in 1955 to the Rohr- und Walzwerk (Munich) and Forst Ebnath AG (Ebnath / Upper Palatinate), which marks the company's Jewish history found its end.
In 1959, Dr. Friedrich and Hans Szalla founded the company. At that time it employed 117 people and was the market leader in Germany. In 1978 another extension was built on the Rottum in Laupheim until it finally ceased operations in 1991.