Six decades of attention to detail transforms a modest specialist firm for combination machines to a premier, professional manufacturer and supplier of a full realm of furniture, joinery and panel production machinery.
In 1956 Eurovision made its debut, as did the world’s first computer hard drive created by IBM – a 4.8 metre behemoth which weighed in at one ton and stored a mighty 5Mb. The first video player was also invented and the first trans-Atlantic telephone cable went into operation in that year. But 1956 was also the year that the Felder business sprang into life, and six decades later in July, family, friends, colleagues and customers came together in the Hall in Tirol, Austria to celebrate the Felder Group’s 60-year milestone.
In 1956 Johann Felder, together with his wife Gertaud, founded his eponymous company. Strong, down-to-earth and always ahead of the times, with traditional values, pioneering machine concepts and high quality products – the machine engineering company developed in the following years from a specialist firm for combination machines to a complete supplier of professional woodworking machinery for workshops, business and industry.
In the formative years, Felder’s woodworking machines met with buyers at trade fairs in Vienna and Innsbruck and the business begain to develop. Due to the insufficient supply of cast iron in 1958, and demonstrating a capacity for resourcefulness, the company set up its own foundry in the garden of their house.
Moving premises
The steady growth of the company required it to move premises in 1961 to 26 Salzbergstrasse in Absam. In 1962, the first machine was exported to Switzerland and just a year later came the breakthrough with the first series production, the legendary BU4 combination machine.
In 1965, the production capacity was increased further with the purchase of Felder’s first milling centre. With the upgraded BU5, Felder ventured successfully into the German market. The BU6, BU7 and BU8 series followed and became established in international markets and the numerous patents ensured the developmental edge of Felder machines.
In 1970 Felder released Felder HT onto the market, a new heavy-duty combination machine series, achieving outstanding results, especially amongst carpenters.
In 1975 an automatic furnace was incorporated into the 170m² foundry. Two years later, the machine assembly was moved to a new premises for the next expansion of the company.
In 1979 Felder took the step into CNC technology and invested in its first CNC milling centre. This was one of the last investments to be made in the Absam location.
Growth and Internationalisation
Success requires expansion and at the location in Absam this was no longer possible. It was for this reason that in 1982 the company moved with its 65 employees to the new headquarters in Hall in Tirol, where the company remains to this day.
In 1988, Johann Felder founded Felder Scandinavia in Stockholm, the first Felder subsidiary of the now worldwide-present Felder Group. In Austria and Germany, the new Felder sales concept was introduced: only a few selected partners would be authorised to sell Felder products.
The BF3 and BF4 machine series proved to be very successful and in 1988 the next wave of investments were required – a new hall was built, with enough space for Felder’s first laser machines, welding robots and horizontal processing centres.
Business development
With the new production possibilities the next Felder milestone came in 1990. The world’s first combination machine with a sliding table – made by Felder – was presented.
The position of market leader in combination machines was strengthened with the launch of the BF6 range.
Simultaneously Felder released the first solo machines for professional use in the industrial range. It was also in this segment that within a short period of time the K6 panel saw celebrated its breakthrough onto the international market.
The machine manufacturer Felder evolved from a combination machines specialist to complete provider of professional woodworking machinery for trade, business and industry.
In 1993 Felder opened its new EURO logistics centre which was pioneering in its sector. The the first Felder branch office was also established in 1993 and the office in Upper Austria opened its doors in 1995.
Moving into the next millennium with Hammer and Format-4
In 1997 Felder brought the new brand Hammer to life and it soon asserted itself with high quality yet affordable woodworking machines proving highly successful against cheap products from the Far East. The success enabled further expansion of production and assembly in 1999. The new assembly hall 2 increased the capacity by 30%.
In 2001 a further brand was introduced: Format-4, the premium brand for the highest requirements in business and industry completed the product range of the Felder Group in the professional segment. In the years to follow, the product range was expanded to include CNC processing centres, edgebanders, beam saws and heated veneer presses.
The new Format-4 models were awarded internationally-recognised design awards such as the Adolf-Loos-Prize in 2004 and the IF-Design-Award in 2003 and 2009. In just a short time the machines were convincing professional users in business and industry.
Felder becomes a global player as a family company
In 2000 the company, Johann Felder, changed from being a registered sole trader to a limited partnership with Johann’s wife Gertraud, daughter Elisabeth and sons Hansjörg and Martin Felder all having a share of the family company, Felder KG.
With the beginning of the new millennium, the new powder coating facility was built and brought into operation. Achieving the 80% export limit required renewed expansion of the logistics centre, which opened in 2005 – after just eight months of construction. In 2007, with the extension of assembly hall 7 and of hall roof 4.5, the production area was increased by 11,300m².
2009 saw the first CNC and edgebander machines – developed and produced entirely in Hall in Tirol – leave the production line, and from 2010, they were displayed in the company’s newly-built exhibition and technology centre in Hall.
In 2012, the Felder Group caused a sensation in the planing machine market with the introduction of the revolutionary Silent-Power® spiral cutterblock, underlining its innovative strength.
In 2013 and 2014, Felder took part at the Ligna and Holz-Handwerk exhibitions with 1000m² floor space, presenting around 100 machines, including many innovations such as the Format-4 CNC five-axis technology.
With the expansion of production hall 1 in 2015, Felder increased its efficiency and was able to add a 1300m² apprentice workshop – a top quality training framework for its trainees with high quality standards.
The third generation of Felders have now joined the family company and the Felder Group, with around 550 employees with company headquarters in Hall, is one of the leading worldwide suppliers of woodworking machines for hobby, business and industrial use. More than 250 sales centres in 72 countries sell over 150 models from the Hammer, Felder and Format-4 brands.
Today, Felder is classed as one of the leading worldwide suppliers of woodworking machines – a business that is growing by sticking to its core prinicples of respecting traditional values, pioneering machine concepts and creating high quality products which add efficiency and accuracy to customers’ businesses.
