History
The männer company began its journey to success on January 2, 1965. In Bahlingen, Kaiserstuhl, a small town located in the winegrowing region of south-western Germany, Otto und Christel Männer started their company in a cellar workshop. The newly founded company first specialized in the construction and manufacture of punching tools and special machines. In 1967, the company began producing simple injection molds.
The beginning of the '70s was marked by inspiring music and the big names of rock and pop. The advent of the videocassette made it possible for just about anyone to record and play music. männer, too, discovered the attraction of the audio market and began to specialize in the manufacture of injection molds for music cassettes. The company quickly outgrew its small cellar workspace and, in 1970, moved to a new building in Bahlingen's commercial zone.
Videocassette recorders hit the market in the mid '70s. Since männer was already a specialist in high performance injection molds for the production of cassettes, the company was able to make the jump to video, where it quickly began offering innovative solutions.
With its extensive experience in hot runner research, männer was able to file an international patent for its cylindrical valve gate – an innovation whose outstanding quality still stands today. The nozzles and valve pins are designed to provide optimum functionality, perfect optical surface quality, longevity, and minimum cycle times.
In the '80s, the precipitous decline of the audio and video market put the company's resourcefulness to the test. As PCs gained a foothold in private households and CDs began their rise to conquest, männer turned to a new generation of data carriers and packaging.
Männer was quick to confront the challenges that came with further expansion of the company at the beginning of the '90s. A new building for administration and production was built to meet the increased need for space. männer's use of high-tech CNC production, meanwhile, cleared the way for the company's rise to the top.
Globalization was the prevalent force in the years before the turn of the millennium. The opening of a sales office in the USA, the founding of a production facility for the high-precision mold division in Switzerland, and the expansion of the Bahlingen location heralded the worldwide expansion of the company.
The most recent phase of männer's history has been shaped by complex innovations in the medical/pharmaceutical and packaging industries. To meet the challenges of the 21st century, männer has set out to attain an even higher level of product innovation, speed, and worldwide parallel production. After the turn of the millennium, the company's first task was to focus on its own strengths and build on them. männer concentrated on its strength as a specialist for thin-wall products manufactured in large quantities with short cycle times.
What was once a small local workshop is now a mid-sized industrial company with more than 500 employees (as of 2015).
In 2013, the company was acquired by Barnes Group Inc. (4,500 employees worldwide). Barnes Group continues to uphold männer’s corporate philosophy, which focuses on sustainable growth and the positioning of männer as a long-term partner of major brands.
männer is now part of an international corporation, but the root of its success remains the same: the qualifications of its employees. männer maintains its commitment to investing in employee training and continuing education.
The 50 years anniversary.