Hosokawa Alpine AG celebrates its 125th anniversary
125 years of innovation in technology for powder processing and blown film extrusion.
Hosokawa Alpine AG is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. “We can proudly look back at our long and successful company history and its outstanding capacity for innovation,” says Dr Antonio Fernández, CEO of Hosokawa Alpine AG. The company has always stood for competence in mechanical and system engineering and is a pioneer and developer of numerous technologies. This has helped Hosokawa Alpine steadily grow with new subsidiaries and business units. Today, the company employs roughly 840 people at its sites in Augsburg and Leingarten (Baden-Württemberg, Germany). There are also several subsidiaries located at home and around the world. The company will be celebrating its anniversary with a variety of activities, including a family event in the summer. “First and foremost, the success of Hosokawa Alpine is the success of our employees. We want to duly acknowledge that,” Fernández explains.
Momentous founding years lay the foundation
The company was founded by trained iron turner, Otto Holzhäuer. What began in 1898 with a small workshop in Augsburg and the production of whalebone stretching machines, has gradually evolved over the decades into a globally active company. Production began in Göggingen, the current headquarters, in 1900. Some of the buildings from that time are still standing on the company premises today. The first verifiable patent dates back to 1903 from the Imperial Patent Office for the “Triumph” universal shredder. At that time, Hosokawa Alpine was already selling shredders to customers throughout Europe. In 1909, the company was trading as “Alpine Maschinenfabrik-Gesellschaft m.b.H.”. The new company name referred to the Alps, laying the foundation for demands of top and peak performance.
Expansion in the 1950s
After the political uncertainties during and between the two world wars, a new phase of expansion followed in the 1950s. After intensive involvement in research and development in the field of plastics processing, the new business division for the manufacture of blown film extrusion systems was founded in 1960, the second pillar alongside powder and particle processing.
After the takeover by Hosokawa Micron Corporation in 1987, the company was renamed Hosokawa Alpine Aktiengesellschaft and took on an increasingly international presence through the establishment of subsidiaries. Acquisitions in Germany also expanded business activities. The opening of the new logistics centre on the site of the Augsburg freight transport centre in 2020 solved the logistics challenge in Göggingen. The company’s test centres are also constantly being expanded, most recently in 2021 with a technical centre designed for applications from the food industry.
Commitment to the Augsburg location
Despite all the internationalisation, Hosokawa Alpine has never left its Swabian home of Augsburg throughout its 125-year history. The company sees itself as a reliable partner for customers and suppliers, as a dependable and quality employer for the people in the region and as a company with clear roots and commitment to the location: “Augsburg is part of our history and identity. This is where we developed our innovations before taking them all over the world. We are holding on to that,” Fernández said.
