pgam
pgam is a German engineering and manufacturing brand founded in 1979, now part of the Welp Group, supplying automotive and industrial plastic and metal components as well as special protected vehicles.
Last updated September 29, 2026
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Overview
pgam (Planungsgesellschaft für Automobil- und Maschinenbau mbH) is a German engineering and manufacturing brand founded in 1979 by mechanical engineer Josef A. Marold in Osnabrück. Originally a technical design office for the automotive and mechanical engineering industries, the company moved to Georgsmarienhütte in 1986 and expanded into manufacturing, adding its own production hall and later toolmaking for prototype sheet-metal forming tools and pre-series injection moulds. It was converted into pgam advanced technologies AG and founded a UK subsidiary, pgam advanced technologies Limited, in 1999. In 2000 it acquired Wendler Karosseriebau GmbH, bringing the manufacture of special and special-protected vehicles into the group. pgam went public in September 2000 on the Neuer Markt of Deutsche Börse, issuing 2.7 million shares. Founder Josef A. Marold initiated a buyback of the shares in December 2000 and regained majority control by May 2001. After Deutsche Börse announced in 2002 that the Neuer Markt would be dissolved by the end of 2003, pgam moved to the regulated market. In January 2004 IndiKar Individual Karosseriebau GmbH was founded in Wilkau-Haßlau. In spring 2005 pgam advanced technologies AG became insolvent; in September 2005 it was taken over by the Farmingtons Group, also founded by Josef Marold. After Marold's death on 24 September 2008, Nina Welp took over leadership of the group. The group was renamed Welp Group in 2014. In 2018 it acquired Dressel + Höfner GmbH & Co. KG in Neustadt bei Coburg and Dressel + Höfner International S.R.L. in Medias, Romania, which mainly produced plastic components for the automotive industry and products for household and consumer electronics. In 2019 the Georgsmarienhütte site was expanded with an additional 6,000-square-metre hall, and Ronald Gerschewski joined as a shareholder and co-leader alongside Nina Welp. In 2022 the group developed a special protected vehicle called Talos based on the Toyota Land Cruiser 300, and in 2023 opened a new production facility in Hérimoncourt, France. In 2025 Uwe Schneider became a co-shareholder alongside Ronald Gerschewski, and the company seat was moved from Georgsmarienhütte to Wilkau-Haßlau. Today pgam operates as part of the Welp Group, a development service provider and supplier of injection moulding tools and plastic and metal components. The group also builds civilian protected vehicles and special vehicles based on off-road vehicles, transporters and saloons. In the 2023 financial year the Welp Group employed an average of 823 people and generated revenue of 127 million euros. Its services span development, toolmaking, injection moulding, thermoforming and assembly of complex assemblies in plastics, and machining, stamping and forming, cutting, welding, surface treatment and assembly in metals, with a focus on safety-critical and highly stressed components. The group serves the automotive industry, general industry, medical technology and the defence and security sector, and operates a ballistic testing laboratory at its Wilkau-Haßlau site.
History
pgam was founded in 1979 by mechanical engineer Josef A. Marold in Osnabrück as Planungsgesellschaft für Automobil- und Maschinenbau mbH, a technical design office for the automotive and mechanical engineering industries. In 1986 the company moved to Georgsmarienhütte, where more than 100 CAD workstations were available, and a dedicated production hall was commissioned the same year. Over the following years the manufacturing facilities were expanded, including toolmaking for prototype sheet-metal forming tools and pre-series injection moulds. In this context the company was converted into pgam advanced technologies AG, and in 1999 a UK subsidiary, pgam advanced technologies Limited, was founded. In 2000 the company acquired Wendler Karosseriebau GmbH, adding the manufacture of special and special-protected vehicles to the group. In September 2000 pgam advanced technologies AG went public on the Neuer Markt of Deutsche Börse, issuing 2.7 million shares. In December 2000 founder Josef A. Marold initiated a buyback of the shares and by May 2001 again held the majority. After Deutsche Börse announced in 2002 that the Neuer Markt would be dissolved by the end of 2003, pgam moved to the regulated market. In January 2004 IndiKar Individual Karosseriebau GmbH was founded in Wilkau-Haßlau. In spring 2005 pgam advanced technologies AG became insolvent; in September 2005 it was taken over by the Farmingtons Group, also founded by Josef Marold and based in Georgsmarienhütte. After Marold's death on 24 September 2008, Nina Welp took over leadership of the group. In 2014 the group was renamed: the Farmingtons Group became the Welp Group. In 2018 the Welp Group acquired Dressel + Höfner GmbH & Co. KG in Neustadt bei Coburg and Dressel + Höfner International S.R.L. in Medias, Romania; these companies mainly produced plastic components for the automotive industry and products for household and consumer electronics. In 2019, as production requirements grew, the Georgsmarienhütte site was expanded with an additional 6,000-square-metre hall, and Ronald Gerschewski joined as a shareholder and took over leadership of the group together with Nina Welp. In 2022 the group developed a special protected vehicle called Talos based on the Toyota Land Cruiser 300. In 2023 a new production facility opened in Hérimoncourt, France. In 2025 Uwe Schneider became a co-shareholder alongside Ronald Gerschewski, and the company seat was moved from Georgsmarienhütte to Wilkau-Haßlau. The Welp Holding GmbH is the parent company of the Welp Group, a development service provider and supplier of injection moulding tools and plastic and metal components, headquartered in Georgsmarienhütte. The group also produces civilian protected vehicles and special vehicles based on off-road vehicles, transporters and saloons. In the 2023 financial year the Welp Group employed an average of 823 people and generated revenue of 127 million euros. The group operates a ballistic testing laboratory at its Wilkau-Haßlau site for examining protective materials and components, used both for internal tests and by external clients; products made of glass, metal, composites and ammunition are tested, and vehicles are shot with various weapon types before the materials and components are inspected by the state ballistics office.
- 2025
Uwe Schneider becomes co-shareholder; company seat moved from Georgsmarienhütte to Wilkau-Haßlau.
- 2023
New production facility opened in Hérimoncourt, France.
- 2022
Developed special protected vehicle Talos based on Toyota Land Cruiser 300.
- 2019
Georgsmarienhütte site expanded with an additional 6,000 m² hall; Ronald Gerschewski joins as shareholder and co-leader.
- 2018
Acquired Dressel + Höfner GmbH & Co. KG (Neustadt bei Coburg) and Dressel + Höfner International S.R.L. (Medias, Romania).
- 2014
Group renamed from Farmingtons Group to Welp Group.
- 2008
Death of founder Josef A. Marold on 24 September; Nina Welp takes over leadership of the group.
- 2005
Insolvency of pgam advanced technologies AG in spring; taken over by the Farmingtons Group in September.
- 2004
IndiKar Individual Karosseriebau GmbH founded in Wilkau-Haßlau.
- 2002
After Deutsche Börse announced dissolution of the Neuer Markt, pgam moved to the regulated market.
Products and positioning
Engineering and manufacturing partner for safety-critical and highly stressed plastic and metal components, serving automotive, general industry, medical technology and defence & security sectors.
Injection moulding tools
Tools for series and small-series production, mainly for large components such as front and rear bumpers, side skirts, wheel arch liners and lock carriers.
Plastic components
One- and multi-component injection moulded parts in variable quantities, using over 50 machines with clamping forces from 25 to 3,200 tonnes, including 1K, 2K, hybrid, GID, insert and outsert processes.
Metal components and assemblies
Processing of steel, stainless steel and aluminium with high vertical integration: machining, stamping and forming, cutting, welding, surface treatment and assembly. Certified welding according to DIN 2303 Q2/Q3 and ISO 3834-2.
Special protected vehicles
Civilian protected vehicles and special vehicles based on off-road vehicles, transporters and saloons; e.g., Talos based on Toyota Land Cruiser 300.
Ballistic testing laboratory
Laboratory at Wilkau-Haßlau for testing protective materials and components, used internally and by external clients; tests glass, metal, composites and ammunition.
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