Schaefer Group

Headquarter of SSI Schaefer

In 1937, Fritz Schaefer started a small company in his garage and produced a selection of sheet metal products. After switching to the serial production of transport boxes and containers, the company was able to expand its business and had to set up a larger facility in Neunkirchen-Salchendorf in 1948. With the death of Fritz Schaefer, his four sons - Hans, Gerhard, Manfred and Theo - took over. After producing boxes for bottled milk for a while, the company then developed fixed storage boxes in 1953, which were originally made from sheet metal, but are now also available in a plastic version. This marked the beginning of the company's rapid ascent. The production of shelves started in 1958. In 2000 the company bought SSI Schaefer Noell GmbH (Giebelstadt), a supplier of solutions for intralogistics. SSI Schaefer Peem GmbH (Graz, Austria), a provider of order picking technology, was acquired in 2001. Finally, SSI Schaefer took over Salomon Automation GmbH (Friesach near Graz) in 2008, to add logistics software to the portfolio.

When the mine "Pfannenberger Einigkeit" was closed down in April 1962, the premises were sold to Theo and Manfred Schaefer, sons of the entrepreneur Fritz Schaefer. They established the Pfannenberg GmbH, which started producing workbenches. Soon thereafter, the company was renamed Schäfer Werke KG and began manufacturing radiators and boilers.

In the early 1970s, a new facility was set up in Betzdorf called „Schaefer Ausstattungssysteme“ (Schaefer equipment systems). Here, the company developed and produced cabinets, workbenches and other workplace equipment. Today, this also includes IT-system equipment such as server cabinets and network racks.

In addition to heating technology, a polyurethane-covered keg was developed in the following of a crisis in 1978. Perforated plates further broadened the range of products. The sales of heating products spiked in 1994, since they were in high demand in Eastern Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Another facility was established in Ledec nad Sázavou in the Czech Republic in 1995. Since then, Schaefer Sudex is producing containers for beverages and chemicals there. The company set up a fourth facility in Dresden in 1995, and rebuilt it in 2002. Finally, in 2005 the company decided to sell the entire heating division to the Turkish company Demir Döküm. The facility in Dresden was taken over by its former manager Christian Michel in 2009 and subsequently renamed Cooolcase GmbH. Today, Schaefer Werke GmbH (including EMW) employs around 700 people at its 3 remaining sites.

Hans and Gerhard Schaefer started the Schaefer Shop in Betzdorf in 1971. From there, some of the products of the group are sold through mail order catalogues and online shops. In addition to the main catalogue, which caters primarily to business customers, other catalogues sell give-aways, clothing and decorations. There are now 65 subsidiaries in 19 countries, while the HQ is still in Betzdorf.