2005-2018

By the turn of the millennium globalisation had transformed the world into a village. Products from all corners of the globe are now an integral part of our day-to-day lives – a positive result of strong international economic relationships. The Berndorf Group is playing a part in this, in terms of both geography and product portfolios, and has entered many new markets since 2005. Three watchwords sum up Berndorf’s growth strategy: America, Asia and the automotive industry.

Many of the Berndorf Group’s companies have strong operations in North and South America as well as in Asia. Aichelin Holding has built on its solid presence in Beijing with expansion in India, where it serves the Asian market with high-quality industrial plant and heat treatment systems. Tempered wire specialist Joh. Pengg AG has established competitive locations in India and the US by setting up joint ventures. Mould-making and injection-moulding specialist HASCO also sells its products into all major global markets. Based in Westphalia, Germany, it joined the Berndorf Group in 2007 – the same year in which the property bubble in the US burst, triggering the global financial crisis. A year later a generational change in the management of Berndorf AG took place. Norbert Zimmermann took on the role of Supervisory Board Chairman and stepped down from the Management Board. Peter Pichler remained on the Management Board, and welcomed new members Dietmar Müller and Franz Viehböck to form the team which has led the company ever since.

Berndorf Band ventured into the US and Japanese markets as early as the 1970s and 80s. Locations in Korea and China followed. The company’s products and services, especially its highly-polished stainless steel belts, allow us to benefit from globalisation in our everyday, digitalised lives: touch screens and LCD displays for our smartphones and tablets roll off production lines equipped with Berndorf Band belts. Its wide-ranging product portfolio also comprises steel belts for the laminate industry, as well those used in the automotive industry – such as for Formula One testing, which calls for belts that meet particularly demanding specifications.

The Berndorf Group’s poster child when it comes to the automotive industry is, however, Stoba Präzisionstechnik, which is based in southern Germany. Berndorf acquired a stake in the diesel-motor components supplier in 2011, enabling the Group to establish a strong foothold in one of Europe’s most significant industrial sectors. In 2017 Stoba opened a new production facility in the US, and it now employs more than 900 people worldwide at its six locations in Germany, the UK, China, the Czech Republic and the US. Formerly a successful regional firm, Stoba is now firmly established as a global player.