Product catalogue

STUV HISTORY

Future through origin.

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MILESTONES

STUV - Roots and growth.

Take a look at our exciting journey through over 140 years of Steinbach & Vollmann at our traditional production site in Heiligenhaus. Since our foundation in 1883, we at STUV have been working hand in hand with our customers. Our flexibility and responsiveness have always been the recipe for success for the satisfaction of our customers - and they will continue to characterise our thoughts and actions in the future. Immerse yourself in our eventful history and discover the milestones that have made STUV what it is today!

1883

Foundation.

in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge opens in New York and the first Orient Express starts in Paris. Steinbach & Vollmann also embarks on an exciting journey when it is founded by the two merchants Rudolf Steinbach and Eduard Vollmann in Sprockhövel, Westphalia. The trade in locks, fittings and machines characterises the commission business.

1890

Move to Heiligenhaus.

Otto von Bismarck steps down as Chancellor after 19 years. And STUV enters the production stage with the takeover of the Heiligenhaus-based company August ten Eicken. The move to the current company headquarters is completed with a number of structural changes and the transfer of all 20 employees. The production of safe and mortise locks continues without interruption.

1894

98 employees.

Pierre de Coubertin founds the International Olympic Committee in Paris. The economy in Germany picks up strongly and so the number of employees at STUV rises to 98 and the annual turnover to 300,000 marks. The two owners travelled through Germany, sometimes alternating for months at a time, according to precisely worked-out plans, and were thus in direct contact with customers on a permanent basis.

1907

New products.

US President Theodore Roosevelt sets a record, shaking 8,513 hands in one day. At STUV, new parts are designed and produced in-house and launched on the market with names that were popular at the time. These include safe locks, lever handle connections and master locks.

1911

More than 200,000 locks.

The RMS Titanik is launched in Belfast. In Heiligenhaus, despite the economic slump in 1908, sales increase again. The permanent expansion of the business and operating premises is not interrupted. The number of locks produced exceeds 200,000 for the first time.

1914

World War I.

The First World War brings production to a standstill in many areas. STUV also has to go into war production with the manufacture of snap hooks. Only the Scandinavian business with safe locks continues.

1918

High security locks.

With the Twin Peaks Tunnel, one of the longest tram tunnels in the world is put into operation in San Francisco - STUV enters the niche segment for high-security locks. Prison locks are developed and manufactured for a large number of prisons and police stations in Germany and other European countries.

1920

260 employees.

Walt Disney takes on his first job - for 40 dollars a week. There is also a lot of recruitment at STUV, as the demand that has built up over four years ensures full order books. The workforce grows by leaps and bounds to 260 employees.

1925

Opening of new markets.

The film "The Gold Rush" by and starring Charlie Chaplin is released. The mood at STUV is almost like a gold rush. New markets open up with innovative products, adapted to general progress. These include special locks for vending machine construction, for steel furniture and petrol pumps and cold store door locks. The transfer of the long-established manual production to industrial production is initiated after the transfer of responsibility to Erich Vollmann. The establishment of systematic work preparation and methodical cost accounting run parallel to this development.

1933

Economic downturn.

No more "gold rush mood" in Germany. Due to the economic downturn of the previous years, there is an almost complete standstill, as a result of which Heiligenhaus' trade tax income falls from 256,000 to 61,000 marks. From 1934 until the Second World War, STUV's broad product range repeatedly proves to be a guarantee of orders.

1939

Roller in the Second World War.

During the Second World War, Steinbach & Vollmann, like many German companies at the time, was involved in war production and manufactured armaments, among other things. Due to the shortage of labour, production conditions were characterised by the insertion part of forced labour. After the end of the war, Steinbach und Vollmann had to reorient itself and faced the challenges of reconstruction and denazification. The return to civilian production goods and the restoration of international trade relations were central tasks in the post-war years in order to secure the future of the company.

1950

Electroplating.

Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal are the first people to climb Annapurna I, the first ever successful ascent of an eight-thousander. At STUV, the extremely high demand in the post-war years and the desire for independence make it necessary to install its own electroplating shop.

1958

Commercial agent network.

The female dog Laika is launched into space with the Soviet satellite "Sputnik 2", making her the first animal to orbit the earth. During this time, STUV has an extensive network of commercial agents. Market economy, commercial skill and targeted and refined market orientation pay off for STUV. New products are developed, previous parts - sales drivers of the past decades - are phased out.

1983

Over 5,000 customers.

"The A-Team" is on television for the first time. A 1-A team also works at STUV. The production programme now consists of several thousand parts, which are divided into five different product groups and purchased by over 5,000 customers at home and abroad. Customers include small craft businesses as well as large global corporations. The products are designed, produced and distributed by 350 employees.

2003

Double bit locking technology.

Germany wins the title at the Women's Football World Cup for the first time. Meanwhile, STUV scores the next goal - a new lock system for prisons and forensic clinics is launched in the high-security market segment. The series includes a wide range of mechanical and motorised locks based exclusively on robust double bit tumbler technology, which can be changed quickly and easily without tools in the latch of a lost key. The HSL line includes transponder solutions for connection to GM systems or PLC controls.

2008

Solar thermal system.

Barack Obama becomes the first US president of colour. Steinbach & Vollmann celebrates its anniversary. During this time, 165 people work at the Heiligenhaus site. The company provides training and also invests in infrastructure for the future. A solar thermal system for the production of process heat for electroplating is installed. With a collector area of 400 m2 and an output of 210 kW, it is one of the largest systems in Germany.

2012

Fully automatic AKL.

The US rover Curiosity lands on Mars - the start of an extraordinarily successful mission. STUV also invests in state-of-the-art technology: new machining centres, computer-controlled robots for key production and a new automated small parts warehouse (AKL) are just some of the key innovations. With a capacity of 26,500 containers, the 3-aisle, fully automated warehouse is also planned to be future-proof with a view to further expected economic growth.

2019

Investments.

In Finland, Sanna Marin becomes the youngest female head of government in the world at the age of 34. At Steinbach & Vollmann, production capacities are geared towards the future by investing in a new hall for the pressing and punching shop. A modern replacement building is erected on the site of the previous shed roof halls. In addition to the centralised and space-efficient storage of tools in modular high-bay warehouses, the machinery in the hall will be rearranged and adapted to today's operating processes.

2020

Transformation.

The coronavirus pandemic is changing the world. STUV is also undergoing a transformation. Together with the SME holding company Endurance Capital and the Sayn-Wittgenstein family, Andreas Kupka takes over Steinbach & Vollmann GmbH & CO. KG (STUV). The company is reorganised for a changing world, new products are developed and companies are acquired. STUV repositions itself and lays the foundations for a successful future.

2024

Development of digital markets.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen becomes German football champions for the first time. STUV enters a new market with the acquisition of Lock Your World GmbH, an innovative provider of electronic locking systems. With PYLOCX®, STUV adds the world's most secure locking system to its portfolio. STUV also sets an important milestone for sustainability and resource conservation with its new charging park for electric and hybrid vehicles. STUV is also continuing to develop in the area of sustainability. With the help of a 2,000 m² photovoltaic system on the roof and the construction of a modern combined heat and power plant, STUV achieves an almost self-sufficient power supply in summer.

Wähle ein Jahr aus

1883

Foundation.

LEARN MORE

More nicer STUV.

Foundation.

Move to Heiligenhaus.

98 employees.

New products.

More than 200,000 locks.

World War I.

High security locks.

260 employees.

Opening of new markets.

Economic downturn.

Roller in the Second World War.

Electroplating.

Commercial agent network.

Over 5,000 customers.

Double bit locking technology.

Solar thermal system.

Fully automatic AKL.

Investments.

Transformation.

Development of digital markets.

This is STUV.

Sustainability.

STUV Academy.