Development of a global market leader
Kurt Brückner establishes Brückner Klimatechnik GmbH in Stuttgart, a small engineering office. Main products are air conditioning units and small dryers for the paper and textile industry, which are produced externally according to BRÜCKNER engineering drawings.
The first small production plant is established in a rented factory floor in Stuttgart. Brückner builds and supplies to a German customer their first complete drying line for textiles.
The company expands and needs more space for engineering, design and production. Kurt Brückner buys a suitable lot near Stuttgart. From now on the Development, the Design and Sales divisions are located in Leonberg.
A new production site is established in Tittmoning/Bavaria since the hall in Leonberg is no longer sufficient and there is not enough labour available. From now on only smaller components are produced in Leonberg, the main part of the machines is built in Tittmoning.
In Erbach/Odenwald Kurt Brückner takes over a machine factory producing dyeing machines and establishes the company BRÜCKNER Apparatebau GmbH. This company produces the machines and lines for wet textile finishing, mainly washing, bleaching and dyeing machines and later also carpet dyeing vats.
On the ITMA exhibition at Basel BRÜCKNER presents the first positionable dye beam winder.
The biggest order in the company history is concluded. During the next four years 150 stenters in total are supplied for the cotton industry in Russia.
Together with the company HOECHST we develop the wet-warm batch process for continuous dyeing which is today known as ECO-STEAM process.
BRÜCKNER supplies Europe’s biggest continuous finishing line for the production of curtains - from the raw fabric to the finished product. In the same year BRÜCKNER supplies the up to then biggest line for the carpet industry with an overall length of 150 m to a Danish customer.
In May 1995 Kurt Brückner dies at the age of 84 years.
Regina Brückner, daughter of the company founder Kurt Brückner, takes over the management of the company together with her husband Axel Pieper. In the same year, the company celebrates their 50th anniversary.
The company BRÜCKNER Apparatebau GmbH in Erbach/Odenwald is sold. The business is continued under the name of ERBATECH GmbH. Since this date the BRÜCKNER group concentrates exclusively on the business field of dry finishing.
The production of small components is moved from Leonberg to Tittmoning, to concentrate henceforth only on one production site. Only the BRÜCKNER administration with the Sales, Development, Design, Service and After Sales Division is located in Leonberg.
On the ITMA exhibition in Munich we present the combined rubber-belt felt-belt compactor. The line is perfectly suited for the sanforizing and shrinking of woven and knitted fabric.
The first stenter POWER-FRAME ECO is installed as a test machine at a German customer.
The Technology Center is opened in Leonberg with a testing facility for coating and finishing of textiles, technical textiles and nonwovens at the customers’ disposal.
Beside the last development, the POWER FRAME ECOLINE stenter we present on the ITMA exhibition in Milan a new minimum application unit. Sustainable production, energy efficiency and the saving of resources have the first priority for all products.
In September is the official groundbreaking ceremony for a completely new production site in Tittmoning, Bavaria. The new production hall with offices and meeting/event room will offer with approx. 25.000 m² space for about 180 workers and employees. Not only the employees but mainly the customers will benefit from the new production site due to faster production cycles, an even more modern machinery and optimized processes.
The new building for our production in Tittmoning (Bavaria) is completed in April. In June, the move to the 25,000 m² production and office area, which is twice as large, is celebrated.
We are celebrating in Barcelona not only one of the most successful trade fairs in our history but also the 70th anniversary of the company.
BRÜCKNER is also affected by the lock-down, many employees are in home office, travels are only possible to a very limited extent or not at all. During the pandemic, fabric for the production of masks is antibacterially finished in our technology center.
BRÜCKNER gives answers to the more and more urgent questions concerning energy shortage and resource conservation by designing energy-efficient and future-oriented heating systems: micro gas turbine, hydrogen, direct electric heating, heat pump and many more.
The new SFP-4 stenter with its innovative heating systems, a new relaxation dryer and the ExperTex system for optimizing processes and workflows in textile companies are on show.
Brückner celebrates 75 successful years with customers and employees. Pioneering spirit, innovative strength, competent employees and customer orientation make the company what it is today - at the cutting edge and well equipped for the future!