Georg Fischer (Swiss company)
Georg Fischer AG ( GF ) comprises the three divisions GF Piping Systems, GF Automotive and GF Machining Solutions. The industrial company founded in 1802, is headquartered in Switzerland and operates in 32 countries, 124 companies, including 48 manufacturing sites. The approximately 14 000 employees achieved sales of CHF 3.77 billion generated in 2013. GF is a partner for the safe transport of liquids and gases, light casting components in vehicles and for the high-precision manufacturing technology.
Divisions
GF Piping Systems is a supplier of piping systems made of plastic and metal. The division focuses on system solutions and components for the safe transport of water and gas in the industry, utilities and building services. The product portfolio of fittings, valves, pipes, automation and connectivity technologies covers all uses of the water cycle.
GF Automotive is a development partner and manufacturer cast components from aluminum, magnesium and iron for the automotive industry as well as for the global industrial and consumer market. The highly complex lightweight components in cast greatly help to make cars lighter and to reduce CO2 emissions.
GF Machining Solutions is equipped with electric discharge machines, high-speed milling machines and machines for laser texturing a provider for the tool and mold making as well as for manufacturers of precision parts. Among the most important customer segments include the information and communication technology as well as the aerospace and automotive industry.
History
The foundation stone for the present company, " Georg Fischer " put Johann Conrad Fischer (1773-1854) in 1802 with the acquisition of a mill in Schaffhausen, he been converted into a foundry. 1827 and 1833 was followed by two steel mills in Austria, which opened Johann Conrad and son Georg ( 1804-1888 ). After Johann Conrad's death in 1854 son George inherited the company; Grandson of George II (1834-1887) took over in 1856 the management of the Schaffhauser operation, the standstill since the death of his grandfather.
The company was awarded in 1861 by George II the name " Georg Fischer Schaffhausen » 1864 Selbiger acquired the company from his father, started the production of pipe fittings in malleable and led the first brand label a stylized fish with the letters GF.
A health insurance for staff was launched in 1867, a year later the construction and purchase of residential workers began in dominated by Georg Fischer Mills. An accident insurance belonged from 1876 to a position at Georg Fischer, and 1880 was set up in the Mills one of the first operating restaurants in Switzerland. The death of George II in 1887 forced his son George III ( 1864-1955 ) to terminate his studies to take over the management of the company.
Under George III, the company overcame the Vienna stock market crash triggered by the crisis; the period of nine years, the staff has tripled to 550 employees. As a branch operation of Schaffhausen main plant, the plant was opened in 1895 in the neighboring German town of Singen am Hohentwiel to avoid high import duties on the part of Germany. To meet the increasing capital requirements George III transformed the individual companies in 1896 in the " joint-stock company in the iron and steel works of Georg Fischer " to which was initially determined by the Fischer family. At the turn of the century, the company reaching a total of 1600 employees.
Excess capacity on the market led to a crisis in 1901 again. The Board of Directors It conducted tensions between George III and the Ernst Homberger (1869-1955) set up by the banks. Under pressure from the banks George III was finally forced out of the company in 1902, the line took over Homberger, who coined the company during the next 50 years.
First outward sign for the change was the introduction of the new logo in 1903, today's GF logo with the two crosses ( GF ), which are stylized fittings.
The company acquired in 1918, the estate of the former monastery paradise in Schlattmann TG. 1919 GF participated in the founding of Gonzen mines AG; the mine was decommissioned in 1966 and has since been received as an industrial monument. The engineering was started in 1926, first with textile machinery, from 1938 follows the production of lathes.
The Homberger Foundation was founded in 1927 with the aim to support the children of the GF staff in vocational training. Under Homberger was 1933, the Britannia Iron and Steel Works Ltd.. taken in Bedford and transferred to a GF- subsidiaries.
In 1947 the company received the name still used today, " Georg Fischer Aktiengesellschaft ". The " Iron Library Foundation " was founded in 1948, the library itself was opened in 1952 in the partially restored monastery paradise.
For the first time in 1957 plastic fittings were produced in Singen, processing of plastics is in the sequence to a central business area. In 1964, the first time more than half of the turnover was generated abroad. The George Fischer Plastics Ltd.. in English Huntingdon opened in 1966 as a factory for plastic fittings. In 1968 the production of enamelled cookware and cast iron pans was abandoned.
The company exceeded revenue for the first time in 1970 when the mark of one billion Swiss francs; The following years were marked by expansion. The Swiss Seewis plant for plastic valves was opened in 1971, in 1972 was the acquisition of the company Waeschle in Germany Ravensburg, and in 1974 the company's own training center was on the completely renovated monastery paradise opened.
In the eighties, made numerous restructurings, the weaving machine ( Maschinenfabrik Ruti ) was sold in 1982 at Sulzer. Between 1987 and 1991 the activities of the locations Schaffhausen and Singen been cleaned up. Singing is the future site of the steel foundry, while in Schaffhausen business with Plastic pipes is concentrated. This ended on November 1, 1991, the traditional cast steel in Schaffhausen Mills.
The turning machine was sold in 1989; In 1990, the complete conversion of the company into a holding company. In this newly created four divisions Automotive, piping systems, production engineering and plant construction. All other activities that did not fit into the new structure were doing sold or spun off.
In 1983, 51% of the studios of the Charmilles in Geneva were acquired and renamed Charmilles Technologies SA. The company was completely taken over in 1988 by GF and part of the Manufacturing Technology Division. Electric discharge machining division was enlarged in the Swiss Losone 1996 through the acquisition of a majority stake in Agie SA and brought into the Agie Charmilles Holding AG, founded in train under one roof.
The Plant Construction Division was made independent in 2000 as Coperion Holding GmbH, based in Konstanz. In 2004, a new corporate design was introduced, while the divisions received their current name from the vehicle technology was GF Automotive, from the piping systems GF Piping Systems, and the manufacturing technique was to GF Machine Tools.
The remaining shares were sold in 2006 and Coperion been a restructuring of the Swiss sites of GF Machine Tools Division known - the production of the EDMs is concentrated in Losone and Meyrin, sold a part of the production to the Winterthur Maschinenfabrik Rieter. In early 2007 Agie Charmilles Holding AG was merged into the GF Group, which was obtained by dividing the new GF Machine Tools Division GF AgieCharmilles. On January 1, 2014 GF AgieCharmilles was renamed GF Machining Solutions. The new name emphasizes the profile of Georg Fischer as a unified company with three divisions.