1940s
PIONEERING SPIRIT
- 1945
Foundation of Böhler & Weber
- 1945
Manufacturing of goods for daily use
FIRST STEPS
The company was founded after World War II by Max Böhler and Ferdinand Weber, and named after the first two letters of their last names: BÖWE (today BOWE). In a former cowshed, they started using ordinary materials and simple tools to manufacture everyday products. Wind motors, conveyor systems or cooking pots made from scrap metal were just some of the items the two founders produced.
1950s
PAVING THE WAY
TOWARDS AUTOMATION
- 1950
Manufacturing of dry cleaning & car wash systems
- 1952
Building the first own production hall
- 1953
Rudolf Wanner, a brilliant engineer, joins the company
- 1953
Manfacturing of cutting systems for continuous paper
FAST
DEVELOPMENT
In the 1950s, the company expanded into dry cleaning and car wash systems, and it also started to manufacture steam generators and textile finishing machines. In 1953, the entrepreneurs decided to enter a second, completely different industry with the production of paper cutting machines: office automation. They already recognized the future relevance of replacing manpower with machines in offices and administration. Just eight years after its foundation, the business already employed 100 people.
1960s
SMART USE OF
KNOW-HOW
- 1960
Entering the document management business: building the first inserter, P5
- 1966
Delivering the 10,000th dry cleaning machine for textiles
CREATIVE
MINDS
With a sure eye for future trends, the enterprise entered the document management business with its first automatic cutting machine. Creative engineers joined the team and it soon launched its first inserter.
1970s
CONTINUOUS PROGRESS
- 1970
Böhler & Weber receive the Federal Cross of Merit
- 1976
Inventing the world's fastest inserter at that time, the 501 (today's 9G)
- 1978
Going global with the foundation of the first "real" subsidiary in the USA
ASPIRING COMPANY
With a pioneering spirit, the ability to spot trends and to hire clever engineers, BOWE was soon able to present what was the world’s fastest inserter at that time. Public recognition for the founders and their commitment and investment in the future came in 1970 when they were awarded the Federal Cross of Merit.
1980s
STRIDING INTO A
DIGITAL WORLD
- 1984
World premiere at Cebit: presentation of the first software controlled inserting system
INTELLIGENT
PAPER MANAGEMENT
At the dawn of the digital age, the enterprise launched the first software-controlled inserting system and even then, back in the 1980s, flexibility and intuitive operation were the primary goals of our smart software. Several subsidiaries were also founded and effective sales partners secured in order to build up a worldwide sales network that was always near at hand for customers.
1990s
FOCUS ON
PAPER MANAGEMENT
- 1991
Focusing on paper management, complete separation from cleaning technology business
- 1991
Renaming to BÖWE SYSTEC (today BOWE SYSTEC)
- 1992
Expansion of the global sales & service network with the foundation of more subsidiaries worldwide
- 1993
Entering the card mailing market as an expert in Track & Trace
- 1994
Inauguration & moving into a new company building, today's Headquarters
- 1996
Growing importance of software
HIGH SECURITY
MATTERS
The firm focused on intelligent paper management and an independent company, BÖWE SYSTEC (today BOWE SYSTEC), was founded. At the same time, the first inserting system for the secure mailing of plastic cards was developed and as software (today's division BOWE IQ) became more and more important, the enterprise became an expert in track and trace. Our top priority was 100% integrity and many banks became our customers. Commercial success meant more space was needed and a new, modern Headquarters was built in Augsburg.
2000s
ALL FROM A
SINGLE SOURCE
- 2000
Software: DBDI (database driven inserting)
- 2003
Launch of the world's first automatic job changeover system BIPS
- 2004
Company goal: full-service provider for the mailroom
- 2007
Software: BOWE One for modern, networked Mailroom Management
- 2007
Entering the intralogistics business
STRENGTH THROUGH
TEAMWORK
Having built up a strong team over a period of 60 years, the key factors in the company's success were its first rate engineering based in modern facilities in Germany combined with local sales and service for customers. By now, the GROUP had subsidiaries in 30 countries worldwide.
Furthermore, BIPS (BOWE Intelligent Productivity System), the world's first automatic job changeover system, was also launched and this considerably reduced changeover times and significantly increased production performance.
Thanks to a good entrepreneurial instinct, steps are taken into the intralogistics industry at an early stage.
2010s
DRIVING
INNOVATION
- 2010
Becoming part of the strong conglomerate of Possehl Group
- 2012
Inserting is reinvented with the revolutionary Fusion Cross inserting system and its unique Flow-Principle
- 2016
Expanding the intralogistics business with an extended portfolio of conveyors, sorters and picking solutions (today BOWE INTRALOGISTICS)
- 2019
Expanding business with process-optimizing software, e.g. Warehouse Management Software (today BOWE IQ)
REVOLUTIONARY
TECHNOLOGIES
In 2010, BOWE became part of the major Possehl Group. At around the same time, the new high-speed inserter and its unique Flow-Principle revolutionized the inserting market with this completely new inserting technology. The high-speed Fusion Cross inserting system based on this technology was presented to a fascinated audience at drupa in Düsseldorf along with BOWE Cockpit smart control software. Finally, an all-rounder in the inserting market that could handle everything.
From 2016 on, the company continued to invest in future-orientated markets and expanded its portfolio with additional packet and parcel sorting systems, conveyor technology or process-optimizing software for for the courier, express and parcel market (CEP) or the e-commerce business amongst others in order to become a one stop shop for the intralogistics business.
2020s
Automation from experts for experts
- 2020
75th anniversary of the company
- 2021
The three divisions of the BOWE GROUP – BOWE SYSTEC (mailroom automation), BOWE INTRALOGISTICS (intralogistics solutions) and BOWE IQ (software division) – create future-proof automation solutions that are precisely tailored to the specific needs of their target markets
WE ARE BOWE
Today, BOWE stands for more than just smart inserting technology. The BOWE GROUP is now the international umbrella for BOWE SYSTEC, BOWE INTRALOGISTICS and BOWE IQ. The BOWE GROUP and its divisions offer integrated automation technology and smart IoT software solutions. Made in Europe and tailored to your industry.
Splitting our activities into the three business areas of document processing, intralogistics and software allows our experts to focus on the individual requirements of our customers and their markets and so create automation solutions that are even more precisely focused. We have more than 75 years of smart automation solutions behind us and we have a lot still to do.