Past and present: Hosokawa Alpine celebrates 125th anniversary

Hosokawa Alpine was founded by trained iron turner, Otto Holzhäuer. What began in 1898 with a small workshop in Augsburg and the production of whalebone stretching machines, has gradually evolved over the decades into a globally active company.

(The photo shows a mobile motor cable winch used for bringing down tethered balloons. It was a technology in the early 20th century.)

Production began in Göggingen, the current headquarters, in 1900. Some of the buildings from that time are still standing on the company premises today. The first verifiable patent dates back to 1903 from the Imperial Patent Office for the “Triumph” universal shredder.

At that time, Hosokawa Alpine was already selling shredders to customers throughout Europe. In 1909, the company was trading as “Alpine Maschinenfabrik-Gesellschaft m.b.H.”. The new company name referred to the Alps, meaning to perform top and peak performance.

Experienced the political uncertainties during and between the two world wars, a new phase of expansion followed in the 1950s. After intensive involvement in research and development in the field of plastics processing, the new business division for the manufacture of blown film extrusion systems was founded in 1960, the second pillar alongside powder and particle processing.

(The photo shows a view of the company premises in the 1960s.)

After the takeover by Hosokawa Micron Corporation in 1987, the company was renamed Hosokawa Alpine Aktiengesellschaft and took on an increasingly international presence through the establishment of subsidiaries.

Acquisitions in Germany also expanded business activities. The opening of the new logistics center on the site of the Augsburg freight transport center in 2020 solved the logistics challenge in Göggingen. The company's test centers are also constantly being expanded, most recently in 2021 with a technical center designed for applications from the food industry.

(The photo shows an old blown film take-off unit.)

Despite all the internationalization, Hosokawa Alpine has never left its Swabian home of Augsburg throughout its 125-year history. The company sees itself as a reliable partner for customers and suppliers, as a dependable and quality employer for the people in the region and as a company with clear roots and commitment to the location.

“Augsburg is part of our history and identity. This is where we developed our innovations before taking them all over the world. We are holding on to that,” Fernández emphasized.

(The photo shows some historical Alpine blown film lines.)