New-York Hamburger Gummi-Waaren Compagnie

The New-York Hamburger Gummi-Waaren Compagnie (NYH) is a German rubber goods factory founded in 1870 in Barmbek near Hamburg by Johann Hinrich Wilhelm Maurien and Conrad Poppenhusen, two former employees of the Harburger Gummi-Kamm-Compagnie. The company produced at its Hamburg-Harburg site until 2009, when production was relocated to Lüneburg. NYH has long been known for its hard rubber combs, marketed under traditional brands such as Hercules-Sägemann, Matador, and Triumph, as well as for rubber molded parts and clarinet mouthpieces. At its peak, the company employed over 1,000 people. In 1929, it took over the Harburger Gummi-Kamm-Compagnie. After World War II, production resumed in the ruins of the Barmbek factory and was moved to Harburg in 1954. In June 2009, the company announced the immediate discontinuation of hard rubber comb production for economic reasons, but resumed it a few months later due to strong demand. Today, NYH operates from modern production facilities in Lüneburg with around 200 employees. The former factory site in Hamburg-Harburg, which served rubber production for over 150 years, is partly under heritage protection, though its future use remains uncertain due to nitrosamine contamination.

The New-York Hamburger Gummi-Waaren Compagnie (NYH) was founded in 1870 in Barmbek near Hamburg by Johann Hinrich Wilhelm Maurien (1825–1882) and Conrad Poppenhusen (1818–1883), both former employees of the Harburger Gummi-Kamm-Compagnie. The location was promising: the factory was situated on the Osterbek outside the customs border but still close enough to the harbor for easy supply. From 1912 to 1926, Leopold Osbahr (1855–1937) served as General Director; he was also chairman of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce for several years. In 1929, NYH took over the Harburger Gummi-Kamm-Compagnie. For a long time, the company employed more than 1,000 men and women. After World War II, production resumed in the ruins of the Barmbek factory, which had suffered severe war damage in 1943/44, but was relocated to Harburg in 1954. At the Harburg plant on Nartenstraße, hard rubber combs continued to be produced, including the traditional brands Hercules-Sägemann, Matador, and Triumph, which were popular in the hairdressing trade. Other hair care products, rubber molded parts, and clarinet mouthpieces were also manufactured, often using labor-intensive methods that persisted for decades. In 2009, the company moved with about 200 employees to modern production facilities in Lüneburg. The factory site in Hamburg-Harburg, which had produced for over 150 years for both the Harburger Gummi-Kamm-Compagnie and NYH, is partly under heritage protection, but its further use is uncertain due to nitrosamine contamination. In June 2009, the company announced to all customers that hard rubber comb production for its own brands Hercules-Sägemann and Matador, as well as third-party brands, would be discontinued immediately for economic reasons. However, due to strong demand, production resumed a few months later.

• 2009

  Production moved to Lüneburg; hard rubber comb production briefly discontinued and then resumed.

• 1954

  Production relocated to Harburg.

• 1943

  Severe war damage to the Barmbek factory.

• 1929

  Takes over the Harburger Gummi-Kamm-Compagnie.

• 1912

  Leopold Osbahr becomes General Director, serving until 1926.

• 1870

  Founded in Barmbek near Hamburg by Johann Hinrich Wilhelm Maurien and Conrad Poppenhusen.

Traditional German manufacturer of hard rubber combs and industrial rubber parts, emphasizing quality and craftsmanship.

• Hard rubber combs

  Combs made of hard rubber, marketed under brands Hercules-Sägemann, Matador, and Triumph, popular in the hairdressing trade.

• Rubber molded parts

  Industrial rubber molded parts produced at the Harburg and later Lüneburg facilities.

• Clarinet mouthpieces

  Mouthpieces for clarinets made from hard rubber.

• Hair care products

  Other hair care products in addition to combs.

1. 1New-York Hamburger Gummi-Waaren Compagniede.wikipedia.org
2. 2New-York Hamburger Gummi-Waaren Compagniewikidata.org