What did the Mannesmann Group look like before the Vodafone take-over?

Under the management of Mannesmann AG, Mannesmann was a highly diversified group of companies operating successfully around the globe. It had 130,860 employees* generating sales of some 23,265 million euros* in its Engineering, Automotive, Telecommunications and Tubes sectors. The enterprise had existed for 110 years.

Mannesmann's Engineering and Automotive sectors comprised five world market leaders with their subsidiaries and affiliated companies. Their 89,832 employees* achieved sales* of 12,313 million euros. The divisions were:

  • Mannesmann Rexroth (Drive and Control Technology)
  • Mannesmann Dematic (Materials Handling)
  • Mannesmann Demag Krauss-Maffei (Plastics Processing, Compressors, Process and Laser Technology)
  • Mannesmann VDO (Electronic Systems for the Automotive Industry)
  • Mannesmann Sachs (Automotive Engineering)

In the Telecommunications sector, Mannesmann was the European leader among the new private providers. Its integrated telecommunications services covering mobile and fixed network telephony, Internet, and TeleCommerce were marketed via subsidiaries and affiliated companies in Germany, Italy, UK and Austria. Sales* generated by the sector's 28,461 employees* amounted to 9,067 million euros. The divisions were:

  • Mannesmann Mobilfunk (D2 Mobile Network and Services)
  • Mannesmann Arcor (Fixed Network and Services)
  • Omnitel (Mobile Network and Services in Italy)
  • Infostrada (Fixed Network and Services in Italy)
  • Orange (Mobile Network and Services in UK)
  • Mannesmann Eurokom (International Mobile and Fixed Network Activities)

The Mannesmann Tubes sector ranked among the world's biggest producers of steel pipe and tube. Cooperations with international companies underpinned this top position in the world's markets. The sector's 12,567-strong workforce* attained sales reaching 2,004 million euros*. Its managing division was: 

  • Mannesmannröhren-Werke (Steel Tube and Pipe)

*As at 31.12.1999; 1999 was the last full fiscal year before the Mannesmann Group's take-over by Vodafone Group Plc.

Mannesmann 1990 - 1999: Benchmark figures

Here you can view a table in PDF format.