Milestones in history of Hauni
Hauni is a company with a long tradition. We are proud of what we have achieved so far but remain firmly anchored in the present – and are full of new ideas and plans for the future. Hauni was founded by Dr. Kurt A. Körber in 1946. Legend has it that he made his first sales call from a phone booth at the Dammtor railway station in Hamburg. Learn more about the company history.
Dawn of a new era
Kurt A. Körber founds the company Hanseatische Universelle – “Hauni” – in Hamburg
Kurt A. Körber, inventor and engineer, is a native of Berlin. According to legend, he makes his first sales call from a phone booth at the Dammtor railway station in Hamburg on 14 July 1946. Subsequently, he rents premises in Hamburg-Bergedorf and starts building his company together with eight employees in a 16 m² basement. One of its first tasks includes the painstaking repair of old and damaged cigarette makers for the West German tobacco industry.
The road to success
Körber invents the “GARANT” cigarette maker
On New Year's Eve 1948, Körber sits in his New York hotel room and sketches a design for a new high-speed cigarette maker on the back of a letterhead. He is so confident when selling this design to his American business partners, that he receives the first order agreements long before the technical implementation of the machine is complete
Going global
Hauni expands its sales network
From 1949, Hauni begins expanding its world-wide customer and sales network. Six years later, it extends from Egypt to Vietnam and from Canada to Australia. Hauni not only ships machine parts around the world but offers on-site maintenance and support through its own technicians. The company soon has representatives in many countries, often based on old contacts that Körber made during his time at the University of Dresden.
A new factory
Bergedorf is bursting at the seams
Hauni is growing fast and now has nearly 1,000 employees. The current factory has reached the limit of its capacity. Construction of a new factory starts in Kampchaussee, Hamburg-Bergedorf – today, the street has been renamed Kurt-A-.Körber-Chaussee. And there is another reason to celebrate: Hauni receives its first order from abroad – to equip a whole cigarette factory in Burma.
To the top
“MAX” filter assembler becomes a bestseller
“MAX” – the new filter assembler – is named after Max Pollmann, Head of Testing at Hauni. The technology introduced with this new model paves the way for the high processing speeds now used in modern machine parks. The first machine is delivered in 1956 and, like its successors, becomes a bestseller.
All under one roof
Hauni establishes branches worldwide
All the major American cigarette manufacturers have their headquarters in the US states of Virginia or North Carolina. In the spring of 1955, Körber acquires a suitable piece of real estate for Hauni in the east coast city of Richmond. Specialists from Hauni’s headquarters in Bergedorf set up and manage the development of Hauni Richmond Inc. which develops into a thriving business. Further branches follow in Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Rome, London and Zurich.
Global growth
Partner to the international tobacco monopolies
In just 20 years, Kurt A. Körber has built a successful international company. After exactly 18 years, the company hires its 2,000th employee. Hauni continues to expand its international business still further. In 1964, the Egyptian tobacco monopoly becomes a Hauni customer. All the world’s tobacco monopolies now purchase products from Bergedorf.
Success in the USA
Production milestone
The “MAX” filter assembler is much sought after by the US-American cigarette industry. It thus seems reasonable to develop this top product further. The result is a multi-rolling drum (MR). This not only improves the quality of the filter cigarettes significantly but also the performance of the machine. In September 1972, Hauni Richmond celebrates the completion of its 1,500th MR drum.
Körber Group expands in Europe
Decouflé s.a.r.l. in Paris already has a long tradition of manufacturing machines for the tobacco-processing industry
The company’s high quality products have an excellent reputation – especially in French-speaking countries. In 1979, the Körber Group successfully acquires the company. As a result, Körber defies the global recession caused by the second oil crisis.
Two become one
The Körber Foundation
Körber combines the organizational and content-related activities of his foundations – the Kurt A. Körber Foundation and the Hauni Foundation – into the Körber Foundation. This enables him to focus the foundation’s funds more effectively.
Welcome to Körber AG
Creation of the group holding company
The Hauni factories and locations are brought together under the umbrella of Körber AG. The companies are now united within a single organization. The Körber Group comprises 13 production sites in five countries as well as numerous offices and agencies around the globe. The most well-known member of the Supervisory Board of Körber AG at this point is the former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.
New from old
Second life for Hauni machines
Hauni sets its sights on second-hand machines from the tobacco sector and founds the company Universelle Engineering U.N.I. GmbH. The company refurbishes and modernizes used machines from Hauni – from filter and cigarette production lines to logistics components and tobacco cutters. Its activities are divided into three levels: repair, partial rebuild and full rebuild.
Death of the founder
Kurt A. Körber dies in Hamburg
On 10 August 1992, Kurt A. Körber dies in Hamburg at the age of 82. He has no children. The Körber Foundation becomes the sole shareholder of Körber AG, as arranged by its founder as early as 1969. Kurt A. Körber’s legacy extends beyond his commercial and charitable work. In 2007, the Billstedt Gymnasium, a Hamburg grammar school, is renamed the Kurt Körber-Gymnasium. And in the Bergedorf district, the Kampchaussee is renamed in his honour – Kurt-A. Körber Chaussee.
Further expansion
Acquisition of the Sopiana machine factory in Hungary
Hauni purchases the halls and machines of the Sopiana machine factory and renames the company Hauni Hungaria. It sets up two profit centres for plant assembly and the production of machined parts. The company in Pécs has around 200 employees.
Bold steps into the future
Innovations create a boom in orders
Hauni launches its new “PROTOS-M8” cigarette maker. It is a great success. The world's fastest machine of its kind achieves a rated speed of 20,000 cigarettes per minute and quickly becomes a hit with customers. However, speed is just part of the equation. The PROTOS-M8 also offers exceptional efficiency and flexibility, e.g. with fast format and product changes.
New technologies
Investment in measurement technology
Hauni Maschinenbau GmbH acquires Sodim SAS (Orleans/France) expanding the company's own expertise in the area of measurement and analysis equipment for cigarette and filter makers. Sodim products are to be sold via Hauni’s world-wide sales network.
Crossing borders – ensuring reliability
Getting the taste
Hauni Maschinenbau AG acquires the Hamburg-based Borgwaldt Group. This enhances the company’s expertise with state-of-the-art measurement and analysis equipment for the manufacture of cigarettes and filters. With Borgwaldt Flavors, the company adds a new line of business to its portfolio.
Intelligent integration of innovation
The Business Area Tobacco gains a strong partner
Alongside Hauni Maschinenbau AG, the Garbuio Dickinson Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of equipment for the Primary. It becomes the latest company to join the Körber Group. This acquisition strengthens the strategic position of the Business Area Tobacco. With more than 300 employees at locations in Italy, the United Kingdom, Indonesia and the USA, Garbuio Dickinson has a global presence and thus ensures proximity to customers in key markets.
E for Efficiency
Hauni presents the new PROTOS-M5e – the world's most efficient maker for the 12,000 cigarettes per minute sector.
Solutions for next generation products
The new multi-segment maker (MSM) from Hauni incorporates state-of-the-art technologies and a modular machine concept. The modules can be customized and combined to manufacture a variety of customer products.
Mission Digital
Digitization is a game changer. Hauni is taking this opportunity to play an active role in shaping the development of new technologies and approaches for the tobacco industry.