Since Maschinenfabrik Herkules was founded in 1911, the headquarters and head office of the Group, which today has more than 1,350 employees worldwide, have been located in Siegen Kaan-Marienborn (North Rhine-Westphalia). The global players WaldrichSiegen, Herkules and HerkulesGroup Services are at home here.
The Group also includes our gearbox manufacturer RSGetriebe in Sonthofen, the subsidiary of Maschinenfabrik Herkules in Meuselwitz and another Herkules site in the USA. The portfolio is complemented by locations in India (DMI), China (GMT/WRI) and our specialist for modernization in Austria (SBA).
May 11: Franz Thoma founds Maschinenfabrik Herkules together with Alfred Schütte.
February 28: Hans Thoma takes over his father's inheritance and becomes Managing Director.
The 1st lathe HWD 850 is built.
The world's largest rolling turning machine, the HDK 1500, is built for the Gontermann-Peipers roll foundry.
December 16: Christoph Thoma is appointed Managing Director at the shareholders' meeting.
The WS 1100, the world's largest CNC-controlled roll grinding machine until 2010, is delivered to Gontermann-Peipers.
100-year company anniversary.
A new hall for the production of Union boring mills is completed at the Meuselwitz production site.
Maximilian Thoma takes over the management of the company in December and is now the 4th generation to lead the HerkulesGroup companies.
WaldrichSiegen is founded by Heinrich Adolf Waldrich.
Oskar Waldrich takes over the sole management of the company from his father Heinrich Adolf Waldrich the younger. He resumes the production of roller turning lathes, drilling machines, planing machines and roll neck milling machines.
The product line is expanded to include roll grinding machines.
The first small milling machines are built.
A Joint Venture between Ingersoll Maschinen und Werkzeuge GmbH and WaldrichSiegen is founded.
Ingersoll Maschinen und Werkzeuge GmbH takes over WaldrichSiegen and renames it WaldrichSiegen Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH.
The production site is relocated from Siegen to Burbach.
On January 26, 2004, Christoph Thoma, CEO & Chairman of Maschinenfabrik Herkules in Siegen, buys WaldrichSiegen at auction.
The development of the new ProfiMill portal milling machine is being driven forward.
The ProfiTurn V vertical turning machine is presented.
In fall 2019, construction of a new production hall for WaldrichSiegen XXL large machine tools will begin in Siegen.
In spring 2021, construction of the new production hall will be completed, administration will be relocated to Siegen, and production will begin at the new plant: WaldrichSiegen is returning to Siegen after 40 years at the Burbach site. Shorter communication channels, improved logistics, and centralization of parts production will ensure numerous optimizations and synergies to generate further growth within the group.
With the ProfiMill evo, a flexible and at the same time productive portal milling machine was developed that expands the ProfiMill series.
Riedel AG begins construction of the Imme R 100.
After production of the Imme was discontinued, the company, now trading as “Philipps Getriebebau”, under the management of Fritz Philipps and later Karl-Heinz Philipps, mainly supplied customers from the machine tool industry.
Roland Schwarz continues to run the gear manufacturing company under the name “Antriebstechnik Roland Schwarz”.
Gerhard Beer manages the company now known as “RS Antriebstechnik GmbH” and relocates the company headquarters from Immenstadt to a new, modern production and administration building in Sonthofen in 2007.
RSGetriebe becomes part of the owner-managed HerkulesGroup. The company is expanded into a competence center for transmission systems and drive components and now operates under the name RSGetriebe.
Today, RSGetriebe develops and produces customized drive systems. From machine tools to the chemical industry and extrusion through to highly complex test bench systems, RSGetriebe offers a cross-industry range of services.
Founding of the sole proprietorship Gert Allbauer for planning and tendering in the field of industrial plants and industrial construction.
Foundation of Allabauer GmbH, specializing in switch cabinet construction and modernization of industrial plants, machine tools and building services.
Foundation of Anlagenbau-SBA Ing. Gert Allabauer GmbH.
Expansion of activities to include mechanical engineering and mechanical assembly.
Move into the company building in Weikersdorf and change of the company name to SBA mechatronics GmbH
SBA mechatronics GmbH becomes part of the HerkulesGroup.
