History
2024
Who we are today
The KINSHOFER GmbH is one of the leading manufacturers of attachments for loader cranes and hydraulic excavators, as well as for rotators, tilt rotators and rotary actuators. The headquarters of the global company is located in the Bavarian village Holzkirchen, Germany. Since 2007 KINSHOFER is part of the Swedish company Lifco AB.
2024
1971
The founding of the company
KINSHOFER has been named after its founder. In August 4th 1971, Alfred Kinshofer founded the company KINSHOFER Maschinenbau Miesbach in Miesbach, Bavaria, Germany.
1971
First attachments
At the beginning the small business had only produced bridge bearings, handrails and accessories for brick factories, such as tunnel kiln trucks or lifting and lowering devices for tile presses.
1971
1973
First brick stack grapple
Two years after the company‘s foundation, the development of the first brick stack grapple began. Just one year later, the construction of a pallet fork and a clamshell bucket followed.
1975
Construction of the new production hall
As the capacities of the original factory had been exhausted, a new plant was built in eastern Miesbach in 1975.
1975
1977
Construction of the second production hall
Only two years later, this building had grown too small again, so a second building was constructed with additional office buildings.
1979
The first rotator with 360° endless rotation
In 1979, the company‘s first rotator with 360° endless rotation was developed. The company changed its name to KINSHOFER Greiftechnik GmbH in 1980.
1979
1980
Expansion of sales markets
The first sales activities in the United Stated and the UK took place.
1984
First foreign sales location
In 1984, the first foreign sales subsidiary of the company was founded in Stockport, Cheshire, England: KINSHOFER UK Ltd.
Alfred Kinshofer sold his shares in 1987, but kept being a worthy consultant for the company. The same year, KINSHOFER France was founded in Strasbourg, France..
1984
1985
New buildings in Marienstein
One year later, the planning of the new production plant and office buildings in Marienstein, the current German manufacturing of the company, took shape.
1990
Moving to the new buildings
In 1990, the construction was started and in December of the same year, the company moved to its new buildings.
1990
1997
Production in Austria and the Czech Republic
1997 was the year the construction of the factories in the Austrian village of Gmünd and the Czech Ceske Velenice was planned. Just one year later, MARS Greiftechnik was founded and the manufacturing in the new plants began.
2000
The jump across the pond
In the year 2000, KINSHOFER made the step overseas and acquired the Canadian company Liftall what was to become the subsidiary KINSHOFER North America.
2000
2003
A milestone: the HPXdrive
One milestone in the company‘s history: in 2003, KINSHOFER developed the patented HPXdrive that bestowed the if-Silver Award for »Product Design« in the »Industry« branch upon the company.
2006
Renamed to KINSHOFER GmbH
In 2006, the company finally got its current name: KINSHOFER GmbH
2006
2006
KINSHOFER acquires DEMAREC
The same year marks the acquisition of the Dutch specialist for demolition and recycling tools Demarec B.V.. The worldwide operating Swedish company Lifco AB acquired KINSHOFER GmbH in 2007.
2008
KINSHOFER in CHINA
Another logic consequence was the expansion to the east, and so the company Darda KINSHOFER Construction Machinery Co. Ltd. was founded in 2008 in China's capital Beijing.
2008
2011
KINSHOFER acquires Aponox Oy
The same year marks the foundation of KINSHOFER Aponox Oy in Hämeenlinna, Finland, with the main focus on NOX Tiltrotators.
2011
KINSHOFER acquires RF-System AB
As the year 2011 came to an end, KINSHOFER acquired the Swedish company RF-System AB, as well as the intellectual property and distribution rights of New Zealand‘s Wedgelock Equipment Ltd. at the beginning of 2012, further broadening the available product range.
2011
2013
KINSHOFER manufactures in the USA
In 2013, the new KINSHOFER US-factory opened in Sanborn in the state of New York, mainly constructing and assembling large demolition equipment.
2015
KINSHOFER acquires Auger Torque
In 2015, KINSHOFER acquired 100% of Auger Torque Europe Ltd. and Auger Torque Australia Pty Ltd.. Due to the Auger Torque products, the range of the KINSHOFER Group is now also including a wide variety of earth drills, trenchers and other attachments for truck cranes and excavators, but also for backhoes, skidsteers and telehandlers.
2015
2017
KINSHOFER acquires Solebee's
In 2017, the American company Solesbee's joined the Kinshofer Group, a manufacturer of attachments for excavators, wheel loaders and dozers from Winston, GA.
2017
KINSHOFER acquires Doherty
In the same year, Kinshofer acquired the company Doherty with offices in New Zealand and Australia. Doherty is best known for its quick couplers.
2017
2019
KINSHOFER acquires Hammer
In 2019, Kinshofer bought the Italian company Hammer, which manufactures demolition hammers and other demolition tools, based in Molfetta.
2019
Moving of the headquarters
Also in 2019, Kinshofer GmbH moved its headquarters from Marienstein to Holzkirchen, south of Munich. The production remains in Marienstein.
2019
2021
KINSHOFER acquires Cangini Benne
In 2021, Kinshofer acquires the Italian company Cangini Benne S.r.l.
2022
KINSHOFER acquires Trevi Benne
In 2022, Kinshofer acquires the Italian company Trevi Benne S.p.A.
2022
2022
Kinshofer acquires Prolec
In the same year, Kinshofer GmbH acquires the English company Prolec.
2023
Kinshofer joins Open-S Alliance
Open-S is a common standard for the hydraulic interface between machine couplers, tiltrotators and/or tools.
2023
2023
HGT joins the Kinshofer Group
In the same year, Kinshofer GmbH acquires the German company HGT.
2024
Kinshofer acquires Eurosteel
Kinshofer acquires the Dutch company Eurosteel B.V.
2024
2024
GMT new member in Kinshofer Group
In the same year, Kinshofer GmbH acquires the Dutch company GMT Equipment.
In the same year, KINSHOFER GmbH acquires the English company Prolec.
2023: KINSHOFER joins Open-S Alliance. Open-S is a common standard for the hydraulic interface between machine couplers, tiltrotators and/or tools.
In the same year, KINSHOFER GmbH acquires the German company HGT.
In 2024, KINSHOFER acquires the Dutch company Eurosteel B.V.
In the same year, KINSHOFER GmbH acquires the Dutch company GMT Equipment.
