Benseler

Benseler GmbH & Co. KG, trading as the BENSELER Firmengruppe, is a German family-owned industrial group headquartered in Markgröningen in Baden-Württemberg. Founded in 1961 by Manfred Benseler as a metalworking operation in Markgröningen-Talhausen, the company has grown over more than six decades into one of the market leaders in surface, coating and deburring technology. Its two core business areas are Coatings and Deburring (Entgratungen); since 2018 it has also offered additive manufacturing in the metal sector. The group coats, paints, deburrs and cleans plastic and metal surfaces, primarily for the automotive industry and other technically demanding sectors. The company describes its mission as combining coating, deburring and additive manufacturing into well-considered solutions for technically demanding serial components. Its service portfolio spans zinc-flake coating, cathodic dip coating (KTL), powder coating, wet painting, PVD special coatings, thermal deburring (TEM), electrochemical metal machining, high-pressure water-jet deburring, chemical bath deburring, cryogenic deburring and industrial parts cleaning according to VDA 19. Benseler is regarded as one of the pioneers of zinc-flake coating in Germany. The BENSELER Firmengruppe operates a network of sites across Germany — including Markgröningen, Marbach am Neckar, Bogen in Lower Bavaria, Frankenberg in Saxony, Kornwestheim, Hattingen and Lüdenscheid — as well as international subsidiaries and holdings in Poland, Mexico, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. The group employs more than 1,000 people. It remains a family business: after Manfred Werner joined as managing partner in 1983 and his daughter Birgit Werner-Walz in 2003, the family holding continues to steer the group's long-term future. Since 2023 the operative management of Benseler Holding has been exercised solely by Thomas Müller and Dr. Mathias Mühleisen, while Birgit Werner-Walz moved to the family-holding level after 20 years in active management. Benseler positions itself as a reliable partner for technically sophisticated serial production, emphasising experience, competence and high manufacturing flexibility, as well as openness to new technologies. Its customer base is concentrated in the automotive industry, but it also serves general industry and new technology fields. The group has expanded through acquisitions — such as the LISI Automotive BETEO GmbH & Co. KG in Gummersbach in 2019 — and through joint ventures, including the 3D Laser BW GmbH & Co. KG founded with 3D Laser in 2018.

The BENSELER Firmengruppe traces its origins to 1961, when Manfred Benseler founded a metalworking operation in Markgröningen-Talhausen, the site of his first company. In 1978 the business moved to Markgröningen. Over the following six decades the group grew steadily and developed into one of the market leaders in surface, coating and deburring technology. In 1983 Manfred Werner joined as a managing partner, a role he held until 2008; his daughter Birgit Werner-Walz joined in 2003. In 2008 Manfred Werner left the management, and the company shares were transferred to the next generation. In 2016 the group expanded its management team with Mathias Mühleisen and Thomas Müller. At the Markgröningen headquarters the main business initially covered coating and deburring; today the site focuses on zinc-flake coating of bulk and rack goods, a technology in which Benseler is one of the pioneers in Germany. With the opening of the Marbach am Neckar plant in 1990, thermal deburring was relocated there; the site also houses equipment for electrochemical metal machining and high-pressure water-jet deburring, and is known for industrial parts cleaning. Since 1993 the group has included Techno Color Oberflächenveredelung, a coater of plastic parts for the motorcycle and automotive industries, based in Bogen in Lower Bavaria; it was renamed Benseler Beschichtungen Bayern GmbH & Co. KG on 1 September 2012. There the group offers wet painting for smaller components and special PVD coatings. In 2016 the site was expanded with a second plant and a cathodic dip coating (KTL) line for body-in-white and automotive structural parts. In Frankenberg, Saxony, facilities were built from 1994 for Benseler Beschichtungen Sachsen GmbH & Co. KG and Benseler Sachsen GmbH & Co. KG, including powder coating, wet painting, cathodic dip coating and, in 2001, deburring. The coating area specialises in components made of aluminium and steel; the deburring area covers electrochemical metal machining as well as chemical bath deburring and cryogenic deburring. In 2004 Benseler built a production facility in Kornwestheim for cathodic dip coating and electrostatic powder coating, mainly of lightweight components made of magnesium and aluminium. Since 2018 the company has operated a self-developed 3D laser cleaning process there to prepare vehicle parts with complex geometries for the coating process. In 2006 a deburring facility was added in Hattingen, offering the same portfolio as the Marbach site. On 30 October 2015 the Benseler group acquired the shares of Vossloh AG in BV Oberflächentechnik GmbH & Co. KG (BVO) in Werdohl, having previously held a 50 percent stake; the contract also sealed the relocation of the plant. In 2017 the group opened a new site in Lüdenscheid, where its subsidiary Benseler Oberflächentechnik NRW GmbH & Co. KG offers corrosion protection for threaded parts; the new building in Lüdenscheid-Wibschla received the German Design Award in 2018. In 2018 Benseler entered metal additive manufacturing, founding 3D Laser BW GmbH & Co. KG together with 3D Laser of Kirchheim unter Teck. With effect from 1 January 2019 the group took over LISI Automotive BETEO GmbH & Co. KG in Gummersbach, expanding its portfolio in zinc-flake processes and screw securing. In 2019 it also founded Benseler Mexiko S. de R.L. de C.V., based in Querétaro, Mexico. In 2021 the group established its new subsidiary Benseler Polska Sp. z o.o. in Strzelce Opolskie, Poland, handling thermal deburring (TEM) and industrial parts cleaning for Polish automotive and non-automotive customers. The group also holds participations in Thörigen (Switzerland) and Říčany (Czech Republic). In 2023 the operative management of Benseler Holding passed solely to Thomas Müller and Dr. Mathias Mühleisen. Birgit Werner-Walz left active management after 20 years and, together with her sister Dr. Karin Keller-Werner and other shareholders, set the course at the family-holding level to keep the group a family business for the next generation. The group has also built a network of cooperation partners. It has worked with the Theo-Lorch-Werkstätten for over 15 years (as of 2020), offering integrated workplaces at sites such as Kornwestheim and Marbach. Benseler Entgratungen GmbH in Marbach is a founding member of the Cleaning Excellence Center (CEC) established in 2011 in Leonberg, a competence network for industrial component and surface cleaning; Benseler offers industrial parts cleaning according to VDA 19 at its Marbach and Frankenberg sites. Since November 2016 Benseler Entgratungen GmbH & Co. KG in Marbach has been a partner of the Inprec-Tec cooperation network, working with industry and research on PECM technology projects. Since the summer semester of 2011 the group has also supported outstanding students through the Deutschlandstipendium together with Chemnitz University of Technology and Mittweida University of Applied Sciences.

• 2023

  Operative management of Benseler Holding exercised solely by Thomas Müller and Dr. Mathias Mühleisen; Birgit Werner-Walz leaves active management after 20 years.

• 2021

  Founding of Benseler Polska Sp. z o.o. in Strzelce Opolskie.

• 2019

  Takeover of LISI Automotive BETEO GmbH & Co. KG (effective 1 January); founding of Benseler Mexiko S. de R.L. de C.V. in Querétaro.

• 2018

  Entry into metal additive manufacturing with the founding of 3D Laser BW GmbH & Co. KG; Lüdenscheid-Wibschla building wins German Design Award.

• 2017

  New site opened in Lüdenscheid for corrosion protection of threaded parts.

• 2016

  Management expanded with Mathias Mühleisen and Thomas Müller; Bogen site expanded with a second plant and KTL line.

• 2015

  On 30 October Benseler acquires Vossloh AG's shares in BV Oberflächentechnik GmbH & Co. KG (BVO).

• 2012

  Techno Color renamed Benseler Beschichtungen Bayern GmbH & Co. KG on 1 September.

• 2011

  Benseler Entgratungen GmbH in Marbach becomes a founding member of the Cleaning Excellence Center (CEC) in Leonberg.

• 2008

  Manfred Werner leaves management; company shares transferred to the next generation.

• 2006

  Deburring facility added in Hattingen.

• 2004

  Production facility for cathodic dip coating and electrostatic powder coating built in Kornwestheim.

• 2003

  Birgit Werner-Walz joins as managing partner.

• 2001

  Deburring facility added in Frankenberg.

• 1994

  Facilities built in Frankenberg, Saxony, for the coating and deburring companies.

• 1993

  Techno Color Oberflächenveredelung in Bogen joins the group.

• 1990

  Opening of the Marbach am Neckar plant; thermal deburring relocated there.

• 1983

  Manfred Werner joins as managing partner (until 2008).

• 1978

  The company moves to Markgröningen.

• 1961

  Manfred Benseler founds a metalworking operation in Markgröningen-Talhausen, laying the foundation for the BENSELER Firmengruppe.

Reliable partner for technically demanding serial components, combining coating, deburring and additive manufacturing with over 60 years of experience, high flexibility and openness to new technologies.

• Zinc-flake coating

  Corrosion protection coating of bulk and rack goods; Benseler is one of the pioneers of this technology in Germany.

• Cathodic dip coating (KTL)

  Applied to body-in-white and automotive structural parts, as well as lightweight magnesium and aluminium components.

• Powder coating

  Electrostatic powder coating, including at the Kornwestheim and Frankenberg sites.

• Wet painting

  Wet lacquering for smaller components, offered at the Bogen site.

• PVD special coatings

  Physical vapour deposition special coatings offered at the Bogen site.

• Thermal deburring (TEM)

  Thermal energy deburring, relocated to Marbach in 1990 and also offered in Poland.

• Electrochemical metal machining

  Electrochemical machining including PECM technology, offered at Marbach and Frankenberg.

• High-pressure water-jet deburring

  Deburring using high-pressure water jets, available at the Marbach site.

• Chemical bath deburring

  Chemical deburring process offered in Frankenberg.

• Cryogenic deburring

  Cryogenic deburring process offered in Frankenberg.

• Industrial parts cleaning

  Industrial component cleaning according to VDA 19, offered at Marbach and Frankenberg.

• Additive manufacturing

  Metal additive manufacturing, entered in 2018 via 3D Laser BW GmbH & Co. KG.

• Thread locking / screw securing

  Portfolio expanded through the 2019 takeover of LISI Automotive BETEO.

1. 1BENSELER Firmengruppe - Startseitebenseler.de
2. 2BENSELER Firmengruppe - Erfolgsgeschichtenbenseler.de
3. 3BENSELER Firmengruppe - Unsere Firmengeschichtebenseler.de
4. 4Benseler (Unternehmen) – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
5. 5Benseler (Unternehmen) – Wikidatawikidata.org