IMA Schelling Deutschland GmbH

IMA Schelling Deutschland GmbH is the German operating company of the IMA Schelling Group, a German-Austrian machinery and plant engineering group that develops and manufactures modular special-purpose plants and processing solutions for the wood, metal and plastics industries. Its headquarters are in Lübbecke, North Rhine-Westphalia, and its roots go back to 1951, when Erich Klessmann founded the company in Gütersloh, Westphalia. The Lübbecke plant was established in 1960, initially as a mechanical production facility. For decades the business was known as IMA Klessmann and became a well-known supplier of equipment for the woodworking industry. The company's product program covers the entire process chain for panel-shaped materials made of wood, metal or plastic: storage, cutting, handling and transport, edge banding, CNC machining, drilling, sorting and stacking. IMA Schelling Deutschland positions itself as a leader in batch-size-1 plants for digitized, fully automated and networked production, and it sells its high-end solutions worldwide through service and sales companies. In addition to machinery, it offers a broad service program and digitalization products, including software for complex high-end plant logistics. IMA Schelling Deutschland is part of the IMA Schelling Group, which was formed in 2016 from the long-standing cooperation partners IMA and Schelling Anlagenbau. The group's parent company is IMA Schelling Group GmbH, based in Lübbecke, which is controlled by the ultimate parent LEGRO Group GmbH in Schwarzach, Austria. The group reports 1,966 employees, 18 sales, service and production companies, 70 sales partners worldwide and total revenue of €395 million in 2024. The German entity operates under the IMA Schelling Woodworking and IMA Schelling Board business lines, serving furniture, panel and woodworking manufacturers as well as metal and plastics processors.

The German business that became IMA Schelling Deutschland GmbH was founded in 1951 in Gütersloh, Westphalia, by Erich Klessmann (1908–2000). It emerged from the company TEXTIMA and focused on manufacturing equipment for the wood industry, which is how the IMA name took shape. In 1960 a plant was established in Lübbecke, initially only as a mechanical production operation. In 1989 the company began cooperating with Meinert GmbH, founded in 1952 in Porta Westfalica. From 1991 onward, in response to the globalization of markets, IMA started founding sales companies around the world. In 1999 IMA merged with Homag Maschinenbau AG to form Lignum Technologie AG, which in 2004 was renamed Homag Group AG. In November 2005 IMA was acquired by Adcuram Industriekapital AG. In 2015 IMA was bought by Schelling Anlagenbau GmbH, and since 2019 it has operated under the name IMA Schelling Deutschland GmbH. The Austrian sister company, Schelling Anlagenbau GmbH, was founded in 1917 by Georg Schelling in Schwarzach. Its first services were repairs for local whetstone factories, mills and sawmills. After the end of the war in 1945, it began producing woodworking machines. In 1968 Schelling built its first automatic large panel sizing plant for a Dutch company, and in 1971 it brought the first computer-controlled plants to market. In 1986 it produced saws with graphical operator guidance and moving images on screen, and at the end of the 1980s it founded subsidiaries in the United States and the United Kingdom. Further markets were opened in the 1990s and 2010s, and its machines expanded beyond wood to process plastic and metal panels as well. In 2015 Schelling Anlagenbau GmbH bought IMA Klessmann in Germany and has operated as IMA Schelling Austria GmbH since 2019. The two sub-groups had already cooperated since 1990. After Schelling acquired IMA, a group was formed that now appears under the name IMA Schelling Group. The parent company of IMA Schelling Deutschland GmbH and IMA Schelling Austria GmbH is IMA Schelling Group GmbH, based in Lübbecke. IMA Schelling Group GmbH is controlled by the ultimate parent company LEGRO Group GmbH, based in Schwarzach, which is owned in equal thirds by Stefan Franz Gritsch, Günther Lehner and Wolfgang Rohner. GLM Beteiligungs AG (based in Rheineck, Switzerland) holds 14.6 percent and D.A.Ch.S. Capital AG (based in Sachseln, Switzerland) holds 10 percent of IMA Schelling Group GmbH. The group describes itself as rooted in medium-sized traditions and values, with the courage, experimental spirit and enthusiasm for technology of founders Erich Klessmann and Georg Schelling forming the basis of today's success.

• 2026

  IMA Schelling Precision presents the xm 250 cut-off saw at ALUMINIUM 2026.

• 2024

  The group reports total revenue of €395 million.

• 2019

  The German entity is renamed IMA Schelling Deutschland GmbH; the Austrian entity becomes IMA Schelling Austria GmbH.

• 2016

  The privately held IMA Schelling Group is formed from the long-standing cooperation partners.

• 2015

  Schelling Anlagenbau GmbH buys IMA Klessmann in Germany.

• 2005

  IMA is acquired by Adcuram Industriekapital AG in November.

• 2004

  Lignum Technologie AG is renamed Homag Group AG.

• 1999

  IMA merges with Homag Maschinenbau AG to form Lignum Technologie AG.

• 1991

  IMA begins founding worldwide sales companies in response to market globalization.

• 1990

  The two sub-groups IMA and Schelling begin cooperating.

• 1989

  IMA begins cooperation with Meinert GmbH, founded 1952 in Porta Westfalica.

• 1986

  Schelling produces saws with graphical operator guidance and moving images on screen.

• 1971

  Schelling brings the first computer-controlled plants to market.

• 1968

  Schelling builds its first automatic large panel sizing plant for a Dutch company.

• 1960

  A plant is established in Lübbecke, initially as a mechanical production operation.

• 1951

  Erich Klessmann founds the company in Gütersloh, Westphalia, which later becomes IMA Klessmann.

• 1917

  Georg Schelling founds Schelling Anlagenbau GmbH in Schwarzach, Austria.

Specialist for modular special-purpose plants and high-end processing solutions, positioned as a leader in batch-size-1 plants for digitized, fully automated and networked production.

• IMA Schelling Woodworking

  Solutions for the woodworking industry.

• IMA Schelling Board

  Solutions for the board industry.

• IMA Schelling Precision

  Solutions for the metal and plastics industry.

• IMA Schelling Consulting

  Consulting services.

• xm 250

  First largely standardized cut-off saw for aluminum, non-ferrous metals, solid and hollow profiles, automatically adapting to material and cross-section.

1. 1IMA Schelling Group | IMA Schelling Group GmbHimaschelling.com
2. 2Über uns | IMA Schelling Group GmbHimaschelling.com
3. 3Geschichte | IMA Schelling Group GmbHimaschelling.com
4. 4IMA Schelling Deutschlandwikidata.org
5. 5IMA Schelling Groupde.wikipedia.org