Timeline in the history of Mannesmann
It began with a revolutionary invention
| 1885 | Reinhard and Max Mannesmann file a patent application for the process of rolling seamless steel tubes invented by them |
| 1886 | Granting of the patent and rolling of the first seamless steel tube |
Ever international
| 1887-1889 | Mannesmannröhren-Werke plants were established in Remscheid, in Bous in the Saarland, in Komotau in Bohemia (Austria) and in Landore, Wales |
| 1890 | Formation of the company Deutsch-Österreichische Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG headquartered in Berlin which integrated the tube works in Remscheid, Bous and Komotau; in the same year Reinhard and Max Mannesmann developed the pilger rolling process |
| 1893 | Reinhard and Max Mannesmann stepped down from the company management board. The head office was transferred from Berlin to Düsseldorf |
| 1897 | The subsidiary company Deutsche Röhrenwerke A.-G. was founded in Düsseldorf to produce welded tubes |
| 1899 | Takeover of the previously independent Mannesmannröhren-Werk plant in Landore, Wales |
| 1908 | The Deutsche-Österreichische Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG was split into Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG based in Düsseldorf and its subsidiary Mannesmannröhren-Werke Ges.mbH based in Vienna. Construction of a new tube works began in Dalmine, Italy |
From a tube manufacturer to a coal and steel conglomerate
| ab 1911 | Acquisition of collieries, ore mines and limestone quarries |
| 1914 | Acquisition of Schulz Knaudt AG, Duisburg, which was developed into the iron and steel works Hüttenwerk Huckingen in the following years |
| 1940-1945 | Employment of prisoners of war and forced labor to maintain production |
| 1952-1954 | By order of the Allies, Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG and its subsidiaries were unbundled to form three successor companies, in 1954 the Group was reformed under the leadership of Mannesmann AG |
| 1952-1955 | The Group established steel and tube works of its own in Brazil, Canada and Turkey |
A pioneer in diversification
| 1968-1975 | Phased acquisition of hydraulics specialist G.L. Rexroth GmbH, marking the start of the diversification of the Mannesmann Group. In the following decades the Group developed and expanded its business activities in the fields of mechanical engineering and plant construction, drive systems and process control, electrical engineering and electronics as well as automotive engineering |
| 1969 | Coal mining operations folded into Ruhrkohle AG |
| 1970 | Agreement between Thyssen and Mannesmann on a division of labor, formation of Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG |
| 1989 | Foundation of Mannesmann Mobilfunk GmbH with subsequent development of the Telecommunication Division |
| 1990 | Foundation of Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann GmbH, Duisburg |
| 1991 | Europipe GmbH joint venture company established to produce large-diameter pipes |
| 1993 | Foundation of MHP Mannesmann Hoesch Präzisrohr GmbH, head office of Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG transferred to Mülheim an der Ruhr |
| 1994 | DMV Stainless BV established jointly with Dalmine SpA of Italy an Vallourec of France to produce stainless tubes |
| 1997 | Joint venture company V & M Tubes established together with Vallourec in the field of seamless hot-rolled steel tubes |
| ab 1998 | Acquisition of Austrian, Italian and British telecoms companies |
An end and a new beginning
| 1999 | A resolution was adopted to split the Mannesmann Group into independent Engineering & Automotive and Telecommunications divisions in the year 2000 and float the Engineering & Automotive division on the stock market as Atecs Mannesmann AG |
| 2000 | A majority shareholding in Mannesmann AG was acquired by the British-based Vodafone Group. Mannesmann AG and the Mannesmann telecommunications activities were absorbed into Vodafone, Salzgitter AG acquired a majority interest in Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG and Atecs Mannesmann AG was sold to Siemens AG |
| 2001 | Mannesmann AG held its last AGM on August 22, among the resolutions passed was a change of name to Vodafone |
The tubes story continues
| 2003 | Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG becomes the sole owner of DMV Stainless |
| 2004 | Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG increases its interest in Röhrenwerk Gebr. Fuchs GmbH to 100 % |
| 2005 | The stock corporation Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG is converted into a limited company; Mannesmann‘s interest in the joint venture V & M Tubes is sold to Vallourec and in the following year its stake in Vallourec is also sold |
| 2007 | Acquisition of Vallourec Prècision Etirage S.A.S., bringing a substantial expansion of the precision tubes product segment |
since 2008 | Investments and extensive restructuring to tailor tubes production and companies to current and future market requirements |
| 2017 | Relaunch of the brand appearance Mannesmann |
