History

From the Leister FIX W200 hand vacuum cleaner to micro-optics and from a sole proprietorship to a group

Over it’s 70-year history, the Leister Group has continuously grown into a globally, successful technology group with national companies on three continents. It all began in Germany in 1949 and since 1963 our success story has continued in Switzerland.

Founding Years

1949

Karl Leister founded "Karl Leister Elektro-Gerätebau" in Solingen, Germany as a sole proprietorship.

1949 - 59

Development of distribution network: 10 countries in Europe and Australia

1950

Production in the basement of Karl’s parents' house
Leister FIX W200 hand-held vacuum cleaner
3 employees

1954

Karl Leister invents the Leister KOMBI, a hot-air tool for welding thermoplastics.
First production building in Solingen

1959

First Leister trade show booth at the international plastics 'K' trade fair in Duesseldorf, Germany

The First Step to Switzerland

1960 - 69

Expansion of distribution network in six European countries, as well as in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Israel and Japan

1963

Opening of branch operation in Kaegiswil, Switzerland
34 employees

1966

New company building in Kaegiswil
50 employees

1967

New product line for Process Heat: Air heaters and blowers

Leister Becomes a Swiss Company

1970

New plant in Solingen

1971

First production expansion in Kaegiswil

1977

All business activities moved from Solingen to Kaegiswil
The factory in Solingen is closed and the company "Karl Leister Elektro-Gerätebau" has its new location in Switzerland.
100 employees

1979

Own motor production founded

Growth and Expansion

1980

A historical farm house is turned into an office building in Kaegiswil
150 employees

1980 - 89

Expansion of sales network in 17 countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America

1984 - 89

Third and fourth production expansions in Kaegiswil
200 employees

Emergence into New Business Activities

1992

Last production expansion in Kaegiswil
Sales and service centers in 41 countries
220 employees

1993

Christiane Leister takes over control of the company and the executive management as successor

1997

"Weldy" hot-air blowers

1998

Acquisition of Lemantech SA, a microtechnology start-up from EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland
Start of the business activities of Axetris with the business activities gas sensors and micro optics.
Laser systems for welding plastics
New company building with a warehouse in Sarnen, Switzerlan

1999

Axetris receives a cleanroom in the Kaegiswil building.
Leister Technologies Deutschland GmbH, Hagen, Germany
290 employees

Leister on Other Continents

2000

Leister Technologies LLC in Itasca, Illinois, United States

2004

Leister Technologies Ltd., Shanghai, China
Production relocation of Weldy hot air units to China

2007

Acquisition of "IR Microsystems SA" to expand Axetris’ product portfolio

2008

Acquisition of a representative, industrial building for the use as headquarters in Kaegiswil

2009

Leister Technologies KK in Yokohama, Japan

From Separate Companies to an Organization

2011

Leister Process Technologies with its business units Leister and Axetris, as well as the Leister subsidiaries abroad, are transformed into a corporate structure.
Leister AG becomes the holding company for the new Leister Group.
500 employees

2012

Leister Technologies India Pvt., Chennai, India

2013

Leister Technologies Benelux Ltd. with locations in Houten, the Netherlands, and Herenthout, Belgium
Leister Technologies Italia srl, Milan, Italy

2014

Acquisition of Seamtek LLC, United States, to expand the Leister product portfolio with stationary welding machines
620 employees

2016

Leister Technologies GmbH acquires the Leister sales partners in Germany
Start of digital transformation, Leister GEOSTAR G7 LQS with automated recording of welding parameters

2018

Integration of the LQS function in the myLeister app and development of further IoT products
Acquisition of Krelus AG to expand the Leister product portfolio with powerful infrared heaters
Establishment of the Leister Academy for product-oriented and application-specific training
Construction of the extension of the factory and the fully automated, small parts warehouse begins in Sarnen

70 Years of Leister

2019

Extension completed, enabling the consolidation of Leister Technologies AG’s production building in Sarnen
The Kaegiswil site is available to Axetris AG for future expansion
Leister Tech Asia Pte. Ltd, Singapore
900 employees

2020

Construction extension begins for a cleanroom and production space for Axetris AG in Kaegiswil
myLeister web platform with new, digital customer services

2022

Foundation of the sales organization Leister International AG in Switzerland
960 employees

2023

Opening of the new production site in Coimbatore, India.

2024

Company anniversary: 75 years Leister Group
900 employees worldwide, 590 of these in Switzerland

2025

Leadership change at the Leister Group. Marcel Roth becomes the new Chairman of the Board, and Dr. Nicolas Niedhart is appointed CEO.