Over 125 years of the WBL Group
Learn more about the history of the WBL Group.
The WBL Group celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2016.
We are proud to be part of such an enduring corporate culture! Even today we are single-mindedly pursuing the maxim of our company’s founder, Robert Wiedmann:
Superior-quality tools – made by people for people.
Expansion of the company through construction of manufacturing facilities
Planning of a new plant at Geislinger Strasse 32 by Robert Wiedmann, the successor and 2nd generation descendent of the company founder, Robert Wiedmann. Move into the new manufacturing facilities.
Approximately 20 employees and 10 apprentices
Takeover by Gildemeister & Knoll GmbH
Takeover of Robert Wiedmann by Gildemeister & Knoll GmbH – followed by a name change.
Approximately 75 employees
Expansion of toolmaking through construction of assembly and press halls
Extension of the toolmaking shop through a press hall for tools with a press force of up to 400t. Extension of the assembly hall for tools of up to 15t.
Merger of Gildemeister & Knoll GmbH with TBT Tiefbohrtechnik GmbH & Co KG
Merger of Gildemeister & Knoll GmbH with TBT Tiefbohrtechnik GmbH & Co. KG to form the new TBT Tiefbohrtechnik GmbH.
100 years of toolmaking
We celebrate the 100th anniversary of the company in Laichingen.
30 employees and 30 apprentices
Establishment of Werkzeugbau Laichingen GmbH
Takeover of the company by the management consultant Guido Geyer (Dipl.-Ing.) and founding of Werkzeugbau Laichingen GmbH. Expansion of the site through the purchase of neighbouring properties. Construction of a new press hall. Presses with a press force of up to 1200 t are installed.
Construction of a new assembly hall
Construction of an assembly hall. The company simultaneously achieves state-of-the-art technological standards through massive investments in the latest machine tools and computer systems, including CAD and PPS.
Takeover of Werkzeugbau Laichingen GmbH by the Bayerische Landesbank
With its BLB Equity Management GmbH, the Bayerische Landesbank joins the traditional company as the principal shareholder. Other shareholders are Erhard Grab and Jürgen Mangold who represent the management of Werkzeugbau Laichingen.
The Werkzeugbau Laichingen holding acquires Röhrich Werkzeugtechnik in Leipzig
The company is renamed Werkzeugbau Leipzig GmbH and launched on the market with 67 employees. The new managing director is Jürgen Mangold (Dipl.-Ing.).
Werkzeugbau Laichingen invests despite the economic crisis
Despite the economic crisis, Werkzeugbau Laichingen invests in new machinery, including a Mikron HSC machine with an automatic workpiece changer and four workpiece pallet bays.
Werkzeugbau Laichingen invests in its machinery
Werkzeugbau Laichingen invests several million in new machinery, including a large Kekeisen milling machine which can traverse 4,000 mm and a DMF 180 from DeckelMaho.
Takeover of Werkzeugbau Laichingen GmbH and Werkzeugbau Leipzig GmbH by GESCO AG
GESCO AG joins the traditional company as the principal shareholder. The other shareholder remains Mr. Jürgen Mangold who represents the management of Werkzeugbau Laichingen.
125 Jahre Werkzeugbau Laichingen
125 Jahre Werkzeugbau Laichingen und Werkzeugbau Leipzig
170 Mitarbeiter und 27 Auszubildende
