History

Production locations in 9 countries on 3 continents. 
240 Mio. CHF turnover within the BAUMANN Group. 
Worldwide 1’400 employees.

Ermenswil, 15th March 2024 – BAUMANN Springs Ltd., a global leader in the manufacturing of springs, stamps, and stamped-bent parts, proudly announces the signing of a contract for a new production site in Changshu, China. The signing ceremony, which took place on 18th January 2024, marks a significant milestone in BAUMANN's strategic expansion efforts.

BAUMANN opened a sales office in India in 2012 to target the local market.

In 2006, BAUMANN Group broke ground for a new production plant in Karviná, Czech Republic, with many local dignitaries in attendance. Market considerations and customer demands prompted this expansion. Official production began in 2007, and since then, employees have developed extensive expertise in spring manufacturing. Following the closure of the plant in England, BAUMANN Czech Republic inherited a significant portion of its production portfolio. Today, the Czech facility successfully serves the automotive and medical industries.

Founded in 1978, Friedrich Schlegel GmbH joined the BAUMANN Group in 2006. Specializing in the production of small to medium series tension and compression springs, the company is known for its exceptional flexibility.

In 2006, BAUMANN Group expanded to Mexico, breaking ground for a new production plant in León, Guanajuato. Construction progressed quickly, allowing production to commence in 2007. Following the closure of the USA facility in Charlotte, NC in 2008, BAUMANN Mexico inherited a specific product portfolio from the start. The presence of major automotive manufacturers in León and the rapid growth of the automotive industry in the Bajío region have fueled BAUMANN Mexico's steady expansion. Today, BAUMANN Mexico boasts specialized expertise in manufacturing rings and wire forms for the automotive sector.

Production at BAUMANN China in Shanghai began on April 12, 2000. This strategic move was made to ensure production close to major customers who had established themselves in the region.

In 1997, the BAUMANN Group acquired BAMATEC AG following the business failure of Schenker Maschinen AG. At that time, BAUMANN owned 130 "Schenker machines." With no viable future for Schenker, BAUMANN Springs purchased its assets and merged them with its own machine-building department to form BAMATEC AG. This strategic move allowed specialists in spring fabrication to collaborate with machine-building experts, creating custom machines for spring production. This synergy provided significant advantages for the BAUMANN Group in the market.

In 1994, the BAUMANN Group expanded into Spain, recognizing the region's importance for plastic wheel trim manufacturers. In line with the company's motto of developing and producing "in close proximity to major customers," BAUMANN MUELLES S.A. was established in Legutiano. After a brief construction period, production began on May 2, 1995.

"The worldwide expansion of the company's plants" 

Hans R. Rüegg has expanded the company in its fourth generation, establishing new production plants around the world. The factories in England, France, Spain and the Czech Republic have been added in Europe, and under his leadership BAUMANN also established the subsidiaries in the USA, Singapore, Malaysia, China and Mexico. As an engineer he has promoted new, electronically controlled production processes, and with a major boost to investment brought all the plants of the BAUMANN Group up to a high technological status. The in-house develepment department, and subsequently BAMATEC AG, provide the BAUMANN group with the decisive technological lead over its global competitors.

Recognizing the growing importance of the Asian and American markets, the BAUMANN Group tasked Hans R. Rüegg with establishing new factories in Singapore and the USA. After careful consideration, Charlotte, NC was chosen as the initial U.S. location, serving as a sales support base from 1990 and later as a production site. In 2001, a new plant was established in Dallas, Texas, significantly expanding production capabilities. By 2008, all production from Charlotte was relocated to Texas and Mexico.

BAUMANN Singapore was established in 1979 as a production facility, marking a new era for the BAUMANN Group. This move initiated a strategy of supplying internationally active customers as close to their locations as possible, a principle still upheld today. BAUMANN Singapore, like BAUMANN Germany, specializes in manufacturing stamping and bending parts to meet the demands of the Asian market. that still applies today. Singapore specialized itself like BAUMANN Germany in the manufacturing of stamping and bending parts to fulfill the requirements of the asian market.

The shortage of qualified staff prompted BAUMANN to acquire a small spring manufacturing facility in Lichtenstein, Germany. This plant, alongside the parent facility, supplied millions of tension springs to electro-mechanical typewriter manufacturers over the years. The German facility quickly developed strengths in producing stamped and bent components, which remain integral to the production program today.

"The modernisation phase and the arrival of electronics"

 The third generation provides a stable basis for the company. The company expands its sales to the international markets. The sales organisation is internationalized accordingly. Relationships with major and globally active cutomers are increasingly intensively cultivated. New technologies are developed and employed in production. The company goes for markets with large production runs, such as the typewriter industry, and is capable of manufacturing these in the required quality with a high level of automation.

In 1947, BAUMANN + CIE AG expanded abroad by establishing PRODOTTI BAUMANN S.p.A. in Brescia, Italy, managed by local co-founder Dottore Silvio Benedetti. The factory quickly became one of Italy's leading spring manufacturers, thanks to its proximity to the local automotive industry.

"First steps abroad" 

The second generation hast the severe depression of the thirties to deal with, and also manages the company during the difficult years of Second World War. The company grows to 250 employees before war and in the post-war years the workforce is actually expanded more than 700 people. The establishment of PRODOTTI BAUMANN - the first move outside Switzerland in fact - marks the start of a crucial expansaion phase.

"From the production of wooden items to the manufacture of springs"

The first generation continues the trade of the father but has the business foresight to switch materials from wood to metal and to relocate the company to a location where water power can be utilised. It also takes confidence to focus on the product "spring", a technology that was at that time still in its infancy. By quickly building up a respectable workforce of 25 employees, this generation also assumes social responsibility, a characteristic which the company still displays to this day. In 1921, following the First World War, it establishes the "Employer's Pension Fund" and invests an endowment sum of 60,000 Swiss Francs for that purpose.

In 1886 Heinrich Baumann establishes with his brother Caspar the company Gebrüder Baumann. Weaving utensils and wooden items are produced. From around 1897 the Baumann brothers start to manufacturing springs, initially for the textile machinery industry in Switzerland and shortly after that for the booming automotive industry in Italy. That marks the start of the actual development of the BAUMANN company into one of the world's biggest and most important spring manufacturers.