Mayser GmbH & Co. KG
German industrial group founded in 1800 as a hat manufactory, today a specialist in safety technology, foam technology and molded parts.
Last updated September 27, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Mayser GmbH & Co. KG is a German industrial group headquartered in Lindenberg im Allgäu. It was founded on 27 September 1800 by Leonhard Mayser as the "Hutmacherey Mayser" in Ulm, making it one of Germany's oldest continuously operating family-founded industrial enterprises. Over more than 220 years the company has evolved from a hat manufactory into an internationally active group with four locations in Europe and the United States, developing and producing high-quality products and system solutions in the fields of industrial safety technology, public transport safety technology, automotive safety technology, foam technology, molded parts and headwear. Today Mayser's largest business area by revenue and employees is safety technology. The company supplies tactile and non-contact safety edges, switching mats, safety bumpers, capacitive sensors, signal transmission systems and switching devices used to safeguard doors, gates, machines and autonomous vehicles. Its foam technology division produces polyurethane specialty foams, system components, vehicle interiors, sound-absorbing materials and technical textiles, while the molded parts business serves industrial customers. The traditional headwear business continues under the Mayser Kopfbedeckungen brand, producing high-quality hats and caps. Mayser operates as an international corporate group with sites in Lindenberg (headquarters), Ulm, France (Evry), Slovakia (Rožňava) and the United States (Belleville, Michigan). The US site employs around 140 people and serves major American automotive manufacturers as well as non-automotive customers. The company presents its innovations at leading trade fairs such as InnoTrans, Foam Expo and Perimeter Protection. As a GmbH & Co. KG, Mayser remains a privately held company. Its long history, engineering focus and diversification across safety, foam and headwear markets position it as a niche industrial specialist with a strong tradition of innovation.
History
Mayser was founded on 27 September 1800 by Leonhard Mayser as the "Hutmacherey Mayser" in Ulm. The founding fell in a turbulent period marked by Napoleon's siege of Ulm, but this did not prevent the company's rapid development. In 1858 Friedrich Mayser, son of the founder, took the major step toward machine production. His decision to introduce machines into a craft that had been manual for centuries advanced the company's modernization and contributed significantly to the industrialization of Ulm. As it grew into the largest hat factory in Germany, Mayser was converted into a stock corporation (AG) in 1886. In 1914, with the participation of Munich hat manufacturer Anton Seidl, it became a GmbH. Through the introduction of women's hat production in 1924 and the takeover of the competitor Milz in Lindenberg in 1929, Anton Seidl further increased production, and by the early 1930s Mayser employed 2,500 people. In 1940 the company was taken over by Curt M. Zechbauer. In 1970 the knitwear division was established and operated until 1998. This was followed by the creation of the foam technology division in 1971, the deformation technology division in 1973 and the safety technology division in 1978. Measured by revenue and employees, safety technology is today the largest business area of the company. More recent milestones include the market launch of the "Ultraschall safety" non-contact detection solution in 2016, for which Mayser received the Robotics Award in 2017. In 2017 the US site in Belleville, Michigan, was expanded with a new building to meet rapid growth in both automotive and non-automotive sectors; the site employs around 140 people. In 2020 Mayser introduced the SP sensor profile series for tool-free self-assembly, offering a quick and easy-to-install solution for anti-trap protection on main and secondary closing edges in the door and gate market. In 2021 the company marked 50 years of foam technology since the market launch of the INDUCON® compression foam for the adhesive tape industry. In 2022 the radio transmission system for the door and gate industry was introduced, offering long ranges and short reaction times to ensure fast transmission to the controller and thus protection of people and objects. Today Mayser is an internationally active corporate group with four locations in Europe and the United States, developing and producing high-quality products and system solutions in industrial safety technology, public transport safety technology, automotive safety technology, foam technology, molded parts and headwear. The company has been shaped by committed employees and entrepreneurial foresight for over 220 years.
- 2022
Introduction of radio transmission system for door and gate industry.
- 2021
50 years of foam technology since market launch of INDUCON®.
- 2020
Introduction of SP sensor profile series for tool-free self-assembly.
- 2017
Robotics Award for Ultraschall safety; expansion of US site in Belleville, MI.
- 2016
Market launch of "Ultraschall safety" non-contact detection solution.
- 1978
Establishment of safety technology division.
- 1973
Establishment of deformation technology division.
- 1971
Establishment of foam technology division.
- 1970
Establishment of knitwear division (operated until 1998).
- 1940
Taken over by Curt M. Zechbauer.
Products and positioning
Innovative out of tradition — a diversified German industrial group combining safety technology, foam technology and traditional headwear craftsmanship.
MAYSER BLUEFOAM®
Low-yellowing PUR foam with cytotoxicity resistance, suitable for long-term skin contact, meeting ISO 10993-5, ISO 10993-10 and ISO 10993-23 biocompatibility tests.
INDUCON® milling mats
Vacuum clamping system mats that increase holding force and enable precise positioning while protecting the vacuum table, used in wood and plastics processing.
Sensor profile series SP
Tool-free self-assembly safety edges for doors and gates, flexible and easy to handle.
Ultraschall safety
Non-contact detection solution for persons and objects in safety technology.
Radio transmission system for safety edges
Certified radio transmission system for safety edges on gates, compatible with all common motor controls, offering high ranges.
Sources6 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/mayser-gmbh-and-co-kg · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled