History
From the Leister FIX W200 hand vacuum cleaner to micro-optics and from a sole proprietorship to a group
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
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
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
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
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 for DIY and private label customers
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
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
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 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
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
2024
- Company anniversary: 75 years Leister Group
- 916 employees worldwide, 589 of these in Switzerland
