Friedr. Gustav Theis Kaltwalzwerke

Friedr. Gustav Theis Kaltwalzwerke GmbH was a German cold-rolling steel company headquartered in Hagen-Fley. Founded on 1 August 1910 by Friedrich Gustav Theis in the Wesselbach valley in Hohenlimburg, the company initially manufactured reed rails for weaving machines before adding cold-rolled strip production in 1920. Over the following decades it grew into an international group, the Theis-Gruppe, producing cold-rolled metal strip and solid profiles for the automotive, medical, packaging and tool industries. The group expanded through acquisitions in Germany, France, Spain, the United States and elsewhere, and established cutting centres in Italy, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Poland. After a period of financial difficulty and insolvency proceedings beginning in 2009, the company was rescued in 2012 under the majority ownership of the Dutch FN Steel Group. In July 2017, the Waelzholz Group acquired 100% of the shares, integrating Theis into its operations. At that time, Theis had around 750 employees across 10 locations worldwide, including approximately 400 in Germany.

The company was founded on 1 August 1910 by Friedrich Gustav Theis (1883–1949) in the Wesselbach valley in Hohenlimburg. Initially, it produced reed rails for weaving machines. From 1920, cold-rolled strip production was added. Due to spatial constraints in Wesselbach, no major expansions could be made there. After lengthy negotiations, a suitable site was acquired in Hagen-Halden in 1938, large enough for future-oriented planning. Between 1939 and 1945, the company Friedr. Gustav Theis, Kaltwalzwerk und Drahtzieherei, was one of the Hohenlimburg companies that employed foreign workers and forced labourers. Delayed by war influences and rationing measures, the first trial operation started in Halden in 1944. The further expansion according to the latest findings of modern rolling mill technology could only begin in October 1945. All halls, machines, systems and control equipment were systematically aligned for efficient production flow. By relocating the heavy production to Halden, the Hohenlimburg plant was relieved, allowing a sensible grouping of all facilities there, with a focus on special products: reeds, profiles, flat wires and narrow strips. The facilities in Halden had to be continuously adapted and expanded to the increasing production volume. When Friedrich Gustav Theis died on 26 October 1949 after a short severe illness, his son-in-law Werner Flachmeier took over a company that, as a significant strip steel manufacturer, delivered its products all over the world. Werner Flachmeier died far too early in 1972. Afterwards, his daughter and granddaughter of the founder, Viola Hallman, who had been trained in company management since 1971, took over the chairmanship of the management of the Theis works. Through energy and new ideas, she succeeded in building a corporate group of considerable size from the Theis works within a few years with the support of a qualified staff. In 1975, a plant for the production of packaging steel strips was acquired from the Stanley Corporation. The following year, the Hagen strip refiner Alte und Schröder was taken over. In 1978, Friedrich Gustav Theis GmbH moved its headquarters from Hohenlimburg to Hagen-Fley. The managing director was the graduate engineer Hermann Jamnig. The old main plant in Wesselbach was demolished in the 1980s/90s, making way for residential development from 2000. Only the Art Deco administration building was preserved. Today it is a residential building between Wesselbachstraße and Friedrich-Gustav-Theis-Weg. In 1986, the steel division of the US-American Wallace Barnes Group in Bristol (Connecticut) was acquired (thereafter Theis Precision Steel). In 1990, Theis Ibérica was created from the spin-off of a division of the Spanish company Alvarez Vazquez in Basauri near Bilbao. Also since 1990, stainless precision strips have been produced in the newly built Fley plant. In 1996, a new 20-roll rolling mill was built at the Hagen-Fley plant. In 1998, two French cold rolling mills were acquired (Gorcy La Roche in Montigny-sur-Chiers/Lorraine and Les Usine Laprade in Arudy/Aquitaine), and in 1999 another (Paturle Aciers) in Saint-Laurent-du-Pont/Rhône-Alpes. In 1999, the small-quantity manufacturer Kuhbier+Knörr in Lüdenscheid joined the Theis Group. In 2001, cutting centres were founded in Segano near Milan, Italy (Theis Italiana) and in Singapore (The Theis Hutchison Group). In 2002, a cutting centre followed in Kingswinford, UK (Theis Highley Steel), and in 2006 a cutting centre in Poland (Theis Polska). In 2008, all shares in Stahlwerk Unna were acquired. At the end of March 2009, the company filed for insolvency after orders plummeted by more than half during the global economic crisis. At that time, the company still employed 1,465 people, 650 of them in Germany. Management errors were blamed for the insolvency. It was intended to conduct an insolvency plan procedure for restructuring under self-administration. On 21 December 2011, the creditors' meeting approved the insolvency plan for takeover by the FN Steel Group. The new majority shareholder was the Dutch van den Hombergh Holding BV, and the previous managing director Viola Hallman held only 10% of the company. Since March 2012, the company was officially considered rescued. The FN Steel Group, part of the Dutch industrial investment group Hombergh Holdings B.V., took over 90% of Theis. In 2013, the company shares were transferred to a foundation. On 14 June 2017, the company announced that the Waelzholz Group had completely acquired the company shares of Friedrich Gustav Theis Kaltwalzwerke GmbH. After approval by the antitrust authorities, the takeover of 100% of the business shares was completed on 6 July 2017. At that time, the company still had 10 locations worldwide with approximately 750 employees, around 400 of them at the German locations Hagen, Lüdenscheid and Gelsenkirchen.

• Founded by Friedrich Gustav Theis in Hohenlimburg.

• Added cold-rolled strip production.

• Acquired a new site in Hagen-Halden.

• First trial operation in Halden.

• Death of founder Friedrich Gustav Theis; son-in-law Werner Flachmeier takes over.

• Werner Flachmeier dies; Viola Hallman becomes managing director.

• Acquired a packaging steel strip plant from Stanley Corporation.

• Took over Alte und Schröder.

• Moved headquarters to Hagen-Fley.

• Acquired steel division of Wallace Barnes Group (Theis Precision Steel).

• Founded Theis Ibérica; started stainless precision strip production in Fley.

• Built a new 20-roll rolling mill in Hagen-Fley.

• Acquired two French cold rolling mills.

• Acquired Paturle Aciers and Kuhbier+Knörr.

• Founded cutting centres in Italy and Singapore.

• Founded cutting centre in the UK.

• Founded cutting centre in Poland.

• Acquired all shares in Stahlwerk Unna.

• Filed for insolvency.

• Creditors approved insolvency plan for takeover by FN Steel Group.

• Officially rescued under FN Steel Group.

• Company shares transferred to a foundation.

• Waelzholz Group announced acquisition of Theis.

• Acquisition completed; Theis becomes part of Waelzholz Group.

Specialist in cold-rolled steel strip and profiles for demanding industrial applications.

• Cold-rolled steel strip

• Solid profiles

• Stainless precision strip

• Packaging steel strip

• Flat wire

• Narrow strip

1. 1Friedr. Gustav Theis Kaltwalzwerke - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
2. 2Friedr. Gustav Theis Kaltwalzwerke - Wikidatawikidata.org