Demag Cranes & Components history

The introduction of the Rentenmark in late autumn 1923 ends inflation. (Image: Stadtarchiv Wetter)

Then starting from 1925, Demag started manufacturing excavators, locomotives and railroad cars.

Demag Fördertechnik acquires the motor manufacturer Conz in Hamburg, in which it has held a stake since 1927.

The beginnings of production probably date back to 1936, and even after the war locomotives remain part of the production programme (picture). Demag in Wetter also produces military vehicles and engines for the Wehrmacht.

Wolfgang Reuter (picture from 1938) succeeds Rudolph Bredt at the head of Ludwig Stuckenholz in Wetter.

At the main plants in Wetter, Duisburg and Benrath alone, the number of forced labourers grows to more than 3,600 by 1944.

1950 First telescopic boom crane with lifting capacity of 2.5 t.

Demag did not stop building excavators and in 1954, they developed their first hydraulic excavators.

1956 First All-terrain crane worldwide with lifting capacity of 12t.

DCC Australia, which is now rebranded to MHE-Demag Australia, is a strong player in the Australian market for industrial cranes and related services and has been established over 50 years ago since 1962.

Introduced in 1963 as "Junior", the chain hoist proves its worth for decades in a wide variety of applications and becomes a classic in the field of small hoists.

1965 Development of the first lattice-boom truck crane with tube design for boom and lifting capacity of 45t.

From 1967, Wolfgang Reuter, the only son of Hans Reuter, is the third generation to head Demag AG, following his father Hans Reuter and his grandfather Wolfgang Reuter, the founder of Deutsche Maschinenfabrik.

The Distribution Technology business unit is founded under the umbrella of Demag Fördertechnik, into which Demag Systemtechnik, which was founded in 1970, is integrated.

1976 Largest telescopic crane on the market with lifting capacity of 160t.

1979 Development of the strongest lattice-boom truck crane world-wide 800t lifting capacity.

1987 Development of largest lattice-boom crawler crane with 1,000t capacity

1990 Introduction of the strongest telescopic truck crane worldwide with lifting capacity of 500t.

1993 Introduction of a 50t All Terrain crane series.

1998 Largest lattice-boom crawler crane on the market with 1,600t capacity

The last joint appearance: in 2000 Mannesmann Dematic presents its complete portfolio at the Hannover Messe Industrie, right next to its parent company Mannesmann, whose industrial division is already known as Atecs.

Demag holding was subsequently sold to Siemens who divested this activity to US private equity investor Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) in 2002.

2003 Introduction of200t All Terrain crane with 68m of main boom.

2007 Most powerful crawler crane, TWIN CC 8800 with lifting capacity of 3,200t.

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The Wetter plant receives the Industrial Excellence Award as "Best Factory 2010", after production is modernised with high investments and great employee commitment.

In Aug 2011, Terex again has purchased the other “Demag”, Demag Crane AG which main business products are in industrial cranes and hoists, port technology and services.

Demag Cranes AG was subsequently renamed as Terex Material Handling & Port Solutions in June 2013.

Another breakthrough has been achieved when MHE-Demag was awarded a contract in 2014 by Siam Kraft Industry Co.

Finland’s Konecranes and Terex was in the process of forming a merger with an announcement made in August 2015, Terex walked away from the merger after receiving an all-cash, a $31-per-share offer from China’s Zoomlion.

However, before dropping talks with Konecranes, Terex agreed to sell its Material Handling and Port Solutions Business (formerly Demag Cranes AG) for 1.1 billion euros (US$ 1.3 billion) which were concluded in May 2016.