Firm maintains family values in its far-flung operations
Netzsch is ringing in its 150th anniversary year, with more than 4,100 employees worldwide joining in the celebration. From a small workshop in Selb, Germany, the firm has grown to an internationally successful mechanical engineering group.
Two brothers — Thomas Netzsch, a locksmith, and his younger brother Christian Netzsch, an engineer — set up their own business in 1873. The pair developed a quality product that won over the fire departments of the region. The fire extinguishers from the "Gebrüder Netzsch Maschinenfabrik” were a big seller. From there, the Netzsch brothers went on to develop machines for ceramic production that were also renowned for their quality. With the boom of the porcelain industry at that time in the Fichtelgebirge, the company finally concentrated entirely on the production of the ceramics industry equipment.