Our History: "Innovation by Tradition" Reflects Our Identity
This is because we not only know where we want to go: we also know where we come from.
Our slogan "Innovation by Tradition" reflects our identity. This is because we not only know where we want to go: we also know where we come from.
Since our foundation by John Hansen in Hildesheim in 1901, where he started with just one employee and an apprentice, we have evolved continuously. In 1907, we relocated to Hannover-Wülfel as "Hansens Gummi- & Packungswerke" and rapidly grew to 70, and later to 300 employees. Despite the challenges and devastation of two World Wars, we hit the ground running again within a very short space of time.
In the 1960s, we expanded our portfolio and developed specialised products for state-owned enterprises such as the Federal Railway (Bundesbahn), the Post Office (Post), and the Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). In the 1970s, new manufacturing facilities enabled the production of new specialised products: FKM synthetic rubber. These fluoroelastomers are designed for extreme operating conditions and opened up new customer segments. From 1980 onwards, Europe became too small for Gummi Hansen. Due to the high demand for technical rubber items, exports were sustainably expanded. In addition to this successful development, a major new target group was secured: the automotive industry.
German reunification also shifted the strategic direction of the company. With the special sealing compound Heat-Fix, another product was patented from 1990 onwards.
In 2009, we restructured the corporate group: Gummi Hansen GmbH & Co. KG now focuses on the operational business for rubber and plastics. We invested in state-of-the-art machinery and expanded our portfolio into the hydraulic steelwork sector. Large-scale investments in production facilities followed in 2010: extruders for large-volume extrusions, new vulcanisation autoclaves, and presses marked the beginning of successful business in hydraulic steelwork, which we have focused on expanding over the last 15 years: pin-barrel extruders with protector crossheads and cooling troughs, and most recently in 2024, new cold-feed extruders and injection moulding (IM) presses.
For almost 125 years, we have maintained our position on the global market thanks to our dedicated workforce. Our continuous investments in state-of-the-art technology, the training and further education of our employees, and a sustainable energy supply demonstrate our relentless hunger for renewal.
Gummi Hansen – Innovation by Tradition.
