Zahoransky

Zahoransky AG is a German family-owned technology company headquartered in Todtnau-Geschwend in the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg. Founded in 1902 by Anton Zahoransky, it began as a maker of tufting and drilling machines for the local brush-making trade and grew into a broadly positioned supplier of precision machinery and tooling for high-tech industries. Its core business today spans injection molds, blister-packaging machines, complete production lines for toothbrushes, machines for making brushes and brooms, and machines for mascara and interdental brushes. The company describes itself as a reliable, stable and long-term planning family business that has made customers successful for more than 120 years, with over 10,000 machines, systems and injection molds installed at more than 4,000 customers worldwide. Zahoransky is widely regarded as one of the leading companies in the brush-machinery industry and as the world market leader in mold and tool making for the toothbrush industry. Around 80 percent of toothbrush molds worldwide are said to come from Zahoransky, and in 2013 every second toothbrush in the world was reportedly produced on its machines. Its products serve the Personal Care, Broom & Brush and Health Care sectors, helping to make the world more hygienic, cleaner and healthier. The group operates four production sites and, according to its German Wikipedia entry, employed about 690 people across eight worldwide service locations in 2025, with revenue of 92.7 million euros in 2023. The company is organized as an Aktiengesellschaft but remains privately held by the Zahoransky family. It has been led across three generations, most recently by the business engineer Ulrich Zahoransky, who has headed the company since 1995 and is due to retire from management at the end of 2025; from 2026 no member of the Zahoransky family will remain in the management board. International subsidiaries and service companies operate in Spain (Logroño, since 1972), India (Coimbatore, since 2002), Hong Kong (since 2004), the United States (West Chicago, Illinois, since 2006), Shanghai (since 2008), Japan (Kobe, since 2012) and Brazil (São Paulo), alongside Zahoransky Automation & Molds GmbH in Freiburg im Breisgau. The company has been recognized by customers and public bodies, including Business Partner of the Year awards from Procter & Gamble in 2011 and 2012 and the Wirtschaftsmedaille of Baden-Württemberg in 2012.

Zahoransky was founded in 1902 by Anton Zahoransky (1875–1951) in Todtnau, in the Black Forest, where brush making had been a centuries-old craft. The company initially produced tufting machines for the brush-making trade. In 1909 it developed its first combined drilling and tufting automats. After World War I, it opened its first branch in Freiburg-Lehen in 1922 and another near Strasbourg eight years later. In 1935 it built its first automatic shearing machines for brush production. After World War II, a branch was opened in Müllheim and production resumed. In 1952, the year after the founder's death, the company built its first twin production line for toothbrushes, which became its core business. In 1959 Heinz Zahoransky (1928–2024), a son of the founder and a qualified mechanical engineer, became managing director and served on the board until 2005. In 1965 the company entered injection-molding technology; in 1969 it built its first automatic machine for bottle brushes; and in 1971 its first fully automatic twin machine (inserting, drilling, tufting, shearing). Two years later it acquired ESTO, a maker of bottle-brush machines. Also in 1973 Zahoransky exhibited 50 machines at the first Interbrossa trade fair and had 315 employees. The first packaging machine was built in 1978, followed in 1980 by the first compact system with CNC control for toothbrush production and in 1983 by a fully automatic toothbrush line with integrated blister packaging. In 1991 the mold and tool making operations were spun off into separate companies, and from 2002 foreign subsidiaries outside Europe were established. Since 1995 and until the end of 2025, the company has been led in the third generation by the business engineer Ulrich Zahoransky (born 1954). After Ulrich Zahoransky retires from management at the end of 2025, from 2026 no member of the Zahoransky family will remain on the management board. Zahoransky established itself as the world market leader in mold and tool making for the toothbrush industry. Around 80 percent of toothbrush molds worldwide are said to come from Zahoransky, and in 2013 every second toothbrush in the world was produced on Zahoransky machines. The group operates four production sites and, according to its German Wikipedia entry, employed about 690 people at eight worldwide service locations in 2025, with revenue of 92.7 million euros in 2023. Its subsidiaries and holdings include Zahoransky Automation & Molds GmbH in Freiburg im Breisgau; Zahoransky S.A. Unipersonal in Logroño, Spain (since 1972); Zahoransky Moulds and Machines Pvt. Ltd. in Coimbatore, India (since 2002); Zahoransky Asia Ltd. in Hong Kong (since 2004); Zahoransky USA Inc. in West Chicago, Illinois (since 2006); Zahoransky Asia Ltd. in Shanghai, China (since 2008); Zahoransky LTD. in Kobe, Japan (since 2012); and Zahoransky do Brasil Comércio de Máquinas Ltda. in São Paulo, Brazil. Zahoransky AG and Zahoransky Automation & Molds GmbH are members of the Wirtschaftsverband Industrieller Unternehmen Baden. The company has received recognition including Business Partner of the Year awards from Procter & Gamble in 2011 and 2012 — an honor achieved by only four of 75,000 suppliers. In February 2007 senior boss Heinz Zahoransky was awarded the Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande for his life's work, and in the same year he received the regional merit cross from the northern Spanish autonomous region of La Rioja. On 7 November 2012 Zahoransky was awarded the Wirtschaftsmedaille of the state of Baden-Württemberg. Also in 2012 it received the first-ever Entrepreneur Prize of the city of Freiburg im Breisgau in the trade-fair category, for bringing the Interbrush, the world's leading trade fair of the brush industry, to Freiburg. Heinz Zahoransky has been an honorary citizen of Todtnau since 2005, and Anton-Zahoransky-Straße in Todtnau, where the group headquarters is located, is named after the company founder.

• 2012

  Received Procter & Gamble Business Partner of the Year award again; Zahoransky LTD. established in Kobe, Japan; awarded Wirtschaftsmedaille of Baden-Württemberg and first Entrepreneur Prize of Freiburg.

• 2011

  Received Procter & Gamble Business Partner of the Year award.

• 2008

  Zahoransky Asia Ltd. established in Shanghai, China.

• 2007

  Heinz Zahoransky awarded Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande and La Rioja merit cross.

• 2006

  Zahoransky USA Inc. established in West Chicago, Illinois.

• 2004

  Zahoransky Asia Ltd. established in Hong Kong.

• 2002

  Zahoransky Moulds and Machines Pvt. Ltd. founded in Coimbatore, India.

• 1995

  Ulrich Zahoransky became managing director (third generation).

• 1991

  Mold and tool making spun off into separate companies.

• 1983

  Fully automatic toothbrush line with integrated blister packaging.

• 1980

  First compact system with CNC control for toothbrush production.

• 1978

  Built first packaging machine.

• 1973

  Acquired ESTO, a bottle-brush machine maker; exhibited 50 machines at first Interbrossa; 315 employees.

• 1972

  Zahoransky S.A. Unipersonal established in Logroño, Spain.

• 1971

  Built first fully automatic twin machine (inserting, drilling, tufting, shearing).

• 1969

  Built first automatic machine for bottle brushes.

• 1965

  Entered injection-molding technology.

• 1959

  Heinz Zahoransky became managing director.

• 1952

  First twin production line for toothbrushes, establishing the core business.

• 1935

  First automatic shearing machines for brush production.

• 1930

  Another branch opened near Strasbourg.

• 1922

  First branch opened in Freiburg-Lehen.

• 1909

  Developed first combined drilling and tufting automats.

• 1902

  Founded by Anton Zahoransky in Todtnau; produced tufting machines for brush making.

World market leader in mold and tool making for the toothbrush industry; leading company in the brush-machinery sector; family-owned precision technology provider for Personal Care, Broom & Brush and Health Care.

• Injection molds

  Precision molds for the toothbrush industry and other complex plastic products.

• Blister packaging machines

  Packaging machinery integrated with production lines.

• Toothbrush production lines

  Complete automation lines for toothbrush manufacturing.

• Brush and broom making machines

  Machinery for the brush and broom industry.

• Mascara and interdental brush machines

  Specialized machines for mascara brushes and interdental brushes.

1. 1ZAHORANSKY AG | Homezahoransky.com
2. 2Companyzahoransky.com
3. 3Zahoransky AG - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Zahoransky - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org