Discover the fascinating history of Martin – a prominent and highly-respected brand whose legacy spans the golden ‘20s, WWII and the ever-shifting march of technological innovation over the course of the 20th century.
This year, Martin celebrates a monumental milestone. For 100 years the company has represented the very best of premium woodworking machinery, honouring the legacy begun by company founder, Otto Martin Sr, in 1922.
What began as a collection of basic, yet solid machines, has grown exponentially over the following ten decades to set a benchmark for quality and functionality in the industry...
Origins
The economic upswing of the golden ‘20’s provides the backdrop for Martin’s origins. In the wake of this boom, and a period of remarkable prosperity in German culture, art and science, machine builder Otto Martin and his stepbrother, the carpenter Heinrich Drexel, registered their business at the mayor’s office in Benningen on February 4th 1922.
Together, they had set up a workshop in a barn on their parent’s property in Benningen. The first woodworking machine was built with a wooden worktable and base, with iron and cast iron only gradually emerging for these parts.
The innovative concept of building the machines on a concrete base was said to have “come to the brothers in a dream”. From that day forward, the machines were given a concrete base, laying the foundations for the composite stand used today.
Towards the end of the ‘20s the first slurry pumps were manufactured, multiplying to the hundreds over the ensuing decades.
Consolidation
The 1930s was a period of consolidation for the company. In 1930, Otto Martin became sole proprietor and the company was given its present name – Otto Martin Maschinenbau. His bride, Maria Guggemos, was now keeping the books, a role formerly occupied by his brother. Following his marriage to Maria, Otto built his own workshop at his father-in-law’s house, moving the business in Autumn 1930.
As the mid-1930s saw increased mechanisation in agriculture, the opportunity arose to develop a MARTIN tractor with 20hp power. This MARTIN tractor, named F22, was produced from 1936 onwards and became increasingly popular as a particularly powerful machine in its time.
In 1938, pressure from the Berlin government led to an agreement with the company, Xaver Fendt & Co., in Marktoberdorf on the joint construction of the standard type F22. The first tractors of this type, based on MARTIN designs, were delivered in 1939.
1939 saw another key step as, after many years of purchasing castings from suppliers, the company was able to secure a foundry of its own. Though not necessarily the perfect article, this marked a crucial first step toward independence.
As the decade drew to a close, the work force numbered 15 employees, with a workshop area that had more than tripled in size.
Shadow of wartime
Just as Martin had really started to build momentum, the Second World War – as for so many – had a staggering impact on the company and its employees.
Although tractor production flourished, restrictions cast by the war increasingly impacted upon the supply of materials. Perhaps the most devastating impact, however, were the call-ups, which resulted in a dwindling workforce.
It was only the take-over of so-called sub-supplies from armament companies that provided some protection from draft calls for the predominantly young workforce.
The increasing difficulties led to the cessation of tractor production in 1942, and in the following year, the workforce was reduced to just 90 employees.
As the war rumbled on, the production of agricultural pumps – which were manufactured bypassing the controllers of the armament command – was the only real means of survival for the company. However, April 1945 saw the majority of the employees dismissed, and the company came to a standstill.
June 1945 saw a spurt of reemployment and, by the end of 1946, 197 pumps had been delivered. Driven by his affection for tractor production, Otto Martin decided to take to the drawing board again and designed the S11 tractor, an 11 hp farm tractor.
A slump in agricultural sales in 1949 dealt another blow to the company, leading Otto to contemplate his earlier success in the construction of woodworking machinery. As cities destroyed by the war began a lengthy process of repair, the construction industry boomed, and a combined spindle moulder was developed in record time ...
A new course
The 1950s was a crucial moment in the company’s history, for it saw the company’s focus set decidedly, and enduringly, upon the manufacture of woodworking machines.
It was Martin’s participation in national exhibitions that truly laid the company’s foundations for success. First in Frankfurt and Munich, then from 1951 in Hanover, these trade fairs played a vital role in establishing the Martin name in new professional circles, and growing its foreign customer base.
Relationships with its core trading partners, some which still exist today, were also integral. Austrian trading house, Schachermayer, is the company’s oldest trading partner, dating back to this time, alongside Papenbroock in Hamburg-Rellingen and Dr. Keller in Freiburg.
The remainder of the decade saw many positive milestones for the company as the workforce grew to over 130 employees; the production halls were constantly enlarged and expanded; an exporter in Hamburg began selling its machines in the US and the T75 sliding table saw was introduced – a milestone machine for Martin and for its customers, and which remained a staple in its portfolio for a full 20 years.
Passing on the legacy
As new export countries opened up in the 1960s, the popularity of the Martin brand grew year on year. The company’s product range now included table saws, sliding table saws, combined machines as well as surface and thickness planers.
The idea of replacing the steel transport rollers on thickness planers, which were common at that time, with the rubber transport rollers that are predominantly used today, also dates back to this time. This caused quite a stir, particularly amongst Martin’s competitors who, because of its registered design – could not easily reproduce the solution.
In 1963, Martin’s production exceeded the 1,000 mark for the first time while, in 1966, the legendary T23 was introduced for the first time as a tilting arbor spindle moulder. It is fair to say that this spindle moulder, which was very popular with carpenters, made a significant contribution to Martin’s reputation and status.
On April 14th, 1964, Otto Martin Sr sadly passed away and his sons Otto Martin junior and Max Martin joined the company. Since this point, the company has been titled – Otto Martin Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG.
Technological advancement
The 1970s saw something of a sea change in the technology available to Martin. The automatic typewriter was introduced, while its sliding table saws were equipped with scoring aggregates that could be adjusted while the machine was running, which was unique in the market.
In 1972, the production of horizontal panel saws and pressure beam saws was started. The T80, as the machine was called, could already tilt the saw blade to 45°.
In the second half of the 1970s, the T83 pressure beam saw was introduced. In this machine, a steel-concrete composite column was used again for the first time, borrowing from the company’s own development from 1924. Also in the second half of the decade, the first machines were equipped with an automatic DC brake.
In 1979, production of the T75 was discontinued. The machine was produced with great success for exactly 20 years, and many a joiner’s workshop still has one of these machines. The successor to the T75, the T70, was the first standard machine with a composite column.
Progress
At the beginning of the 1980s, the first “real” computer, a Nixdorf, was purchased. It initially had three screens and a printer. The purchase price was, from today’s point of view, an astronomical 70,000 DM, which corresponds to €35,800.
The T71, which had replaced the T70, was “the first machine in the world that could be equipped with a so-called parallel cutting device”, the company is proud to claim. With the help of this special equipment it was easily possible to cut panel formats lying on the left side of the saw blade. With this equipment, the format saw could almost be regarded as an intermediate between a format saw and a panel saw.
A licence agreement was signed with Swiss company, Samvaz, in 1985, which secured Martin exclusive distribution of the patented TERSA System planing tools and knives in Germany. The licence agreement also meant that it supplied TERSA planing shafts to competitors if they wanted to offer a machine with this technology.
Big developments over the pond
The 1990s see a four-sided planer with the designation T90 introduced, which is initially only intended for four-sided, smooth planing. The machine is quick and easy to use and gains a large following, even receiving an award for “humane workplace design”. As production progresses, the T90 is equipped with up to three additional shafts, which then allow profiling.
Another key development is the widescale introduction of electronics into Martin’s machines. The adjusting axes of the machines are equipped with electronic displays or even controls. while electronic controls for tool speed or feed are now also available at extra cost.
In the mid-90s, the T25 CNC is introduced. With this machine and its control system, Martin offers “the first machine with what was then a very powerful electronic control system for up to five axes”, it claims with pride.
As well as expansion in its product offering, Martin also has access to the southern European markets following its first participation in the Xylexpo exhibition in Milan, in addition to establishing its subsidiary, Martin Woodworking Machines, in Charlotte, USA. This enables the company to serve the increasingly important US market directly for the first time. Relatively soon, its colleagues in the USA are able to land one of the largest single orders in the company’s history. Almost 30 machines are sold to a manufacturer of kitchen fronts.
The 2000s
This decade marks the consolidation of France as one of Martin’s most important export markets – remaining its number one market even today.
A key product milestone came in the form of the T60 PreXision, “the world’s first sliding table saw” whose saw blade can tilt up to 46° on both sides.
In 2006 and 2007, Martin achieved record order intakes of up to 1,700 machines p.a., and succeeded its market share significantly in many markets.
In 2010, Martin introduced the T75 PreX. This machine was particularly innovative due to its 92° tilting angle and 205mm cutting height.
With the introduction of proAlpha in 2011, Martin now works with a so-called ERP system – an enterprise resource planning system – across all its operations. With proAlpha, every process – from quotation to material requirements and production planning to invoicing – is mapped with one software.
Moving forward to 2015, Martin enters a completely new market segment with the introduction of the Q-FIN, a special sanding machines for the wood-working industry. Thanks to sophisticated technical solutions, continuous window parts are first processed on the top and bottom side, and now also on the glass neck with the quality finishing process.
The secret of the machine is the defined cross sanding of the surfaces, which leads to an almost complete elimination of intermediate sanding. Numerous customers in the window manufacturing industry at home and abroad are now enthusiastic users of this machine, which won gold in the German Innovation Award in 2018.
In response to ever-increasing direct demand from its customers, Martin decided to establish its sales and service branch in Hanover in 2017.
Covid 19 hits
After the widespread industry slump triggered by the lockdowns of March-May 2020, Martin was able to recover in the ensuing months, containing its losses over the course of the year.
Since mid-2021, the company has experienced an “excellent order intake”. Initially believed to be a catch-up effect from the lockdown months, this momentum has continued, but with an undesirable wave of price increases from its suppliers.
Though physical celebrations have been dampened somewhat by the pandemic, Martin will nevertheless see numerous changes and additions to its product range in its anniversary year. The most obvious will be the change of the machines to the new colour, papyrus white. 25 years ago, during its 75th anniversary, the colour water-blue was introduced, first as a special colour, then permanently. Commemorating its 100th anniversary, the company and its products have a new look, befitting today’s spacious, bright workshops.
For more than two years, Martin has been developing a sliding table saw under the name “Neuform”, which will replace the models T65, T70 and T75. This machine will be marketed as T77.
With numerous special features, for example an infinitely variable speed control already in the standard version, and the completely new operating concept, ConnectControl, this machine will set new standards.
The T60A and T60C models will be replaced by a machine based on them, the T66. The ConnectControl operating concept will also set new standards on the T66, as on the further developed T14 and T29 spindle moulders.
An old acquaintance will come back on board as the T32, only this time from Ottobeuren manufacture. This combined thicknessing and surface planer has been thoroughly developed on the basis of the TP300.
Last but not least, the company’s Q-FIN has also recently undergone a decisive further development with the newly developed chamfering unit and the motor-adjustable side brushes.
Looking to the future
The past century has proven quite a journey for Martin, filled with abundant success, and a number of bitter failures and testing times.
Martin is proud of its heritage, and the challenges that have made it the illustrious brand it is today: “We can say that fate has been kind to us for the most part and that we have mastered these 100 years very successfully with Swabian creativity, a dashed measure of luck and the unconditional desire to always be better tomorrow than we were yesterday. We can look to the future with confidence.”
