News

As in 2022, Lessmann will start the fair year at  GrindTec from March 7^th to 10^th. This year, the international trade fair for tool processing and tool grinding will take place in Leipzig for the first time. At the same time, the international supplier fair "Z" as a platform for suppliers, and the Intec, which is known as the international trade fair for machine tools, manufacturing, and automation technology, take place on site. The brush manufacturer can be found at the GrindTec in Hall 5, booth B08. 

In October, Lessmann is represented for the fifth time at the DeburringEXPO in Karlsruhe, the leading trade fair for deburring technologies and precision surfaces. The DeburringEXPO trade fair offers an overview of the current state of the art, developments and trends, processes and procedures, quality assurance and services. As in 2021, Lessmann can be found at booth 202. 

During September 2022 Lessmann will integrate the manufacture of strip brushes from the Solingen factory into their Oettingen plant. The integration is planned to be completed by the end of September; this means all Lessmann production will be based on the one site.  “The decision to relocate was not easy for us” says Managing Director Jurgen Lessmann “nevertheless, it brings us important advantages in manufacturing more efficiently in the future”

The machinery from our Solingen plant will start being dismantled and moved mid September to ensure a seamless move to the Oettingen site.  This will expand our current manufacturing area by 700m2 and will also create new employment opportunities.

A part of the current employees from Solingen have taken our offer of joining the current workforce at the Oettingen site.  “We are extremely pleased that some of the current employees have decided to join us here in Oettingen and support us with their technical know-how” says Managing Director Dieter Lessmann.  In order to make their move and start in Oettingen as easy as possible, the company as always will be on hand to support them all relocation related matters. 

After an enforced 2-year break from trade shows, Lessmann attended the Augsburg GrindTec show in March. It was the first time Lessmann have exhibited at this international show for grinding technology and it was an extremely successful event for the company. Now we are preparing for the next upcoming show.

In June, Lessmann will be participating again at the TUBE show in Düsseldorf, for many years this international tube fair has been a fixture in the trade fair calendar. This year the company will mainly focus on the presentation of processing weld seams, deburring cut edges and removal of pipe coatings (cutback application). More than 1.000 exhibitors from all over the world will present their products in an area of approx. 52,000m². You can visit Lessmann in Hall 6 – booth G31.

Lessmann the German brush company will also have a booth on the AMB show in Stuttgart from September 13th to 17th 2022. This event is an international show for the metalworking industry. Situated in Hall 5 -booth C01 you will find a wide variety of brush solutions – including brushing with robotic automation.

The highlight of the 2022 show calendar is the International Hardware Fair in Cologne which is taking place from 25th to 28th September 2022. The Cologne show was the first show which was cancelled at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. In 2020 more than 2,900 exhibitors were due to attend from over 60 countries and this year’s B2B show will be no different and again attract purchasers from trade and industry. For the Cologne show Lessmann will present itself on a completely new-designed stand in Hall 10.2 – booth H-021.

As early as September 2021, the 61 employees of the brush manufacturer were able to move into their new offices at the main location in Oettingen.
A total of 200 floor-to-ceiling windows, an atrium in the center of the building and many glass elements in the interior created a feeling of openness and transparency. "The move to the new administration building is a major milestone for us, with which Lessmann is laying its future on a stable foundation," says Technical Managing Director Jürgen Lessmann. In fact, Lessmann relied on a stable foundation for the building, because the current 5-storey building (including the basement) can be expanded by a further 2 floors.

Lessmann presents a new product in the industry. The further developed knotted cup brush impresses with its new performance. The brush with a diameter of 65 mm is characterized by its extra narrow knots (6 mm). With 30 knots, the tool has an above-average number of individual knots, measured against comparable products currently on the market.

This innovative further development is based on the knotted cup brush established on the market (diameter 65mm, 18 plaits, Lessmann Art. No. 482.217), which every user is familiar with. With the higher number of knots and at the same time thinner individual knots of the new tool, the two products complement each other perfectly in terms of application. The brushing effect on flat surfaces is more aggressive and the brush removes more material.

Lessmann builds new administration building

A milestone was reached in the construction of the new administration building. At the beginning of July, the structural work for the new office building at Lessmann, Oettingen, was completed. This was celebrated with a topping-out ceremony in a small selected circle.

After the topping-out ceremony by the site manager and master carpenter of the building company, Jürgen Lessmann, technical managing director, thanked all companies involved in the construction for the good and smooth cooperation. The managing director of the building company, gave a short speech about the long-standing cooperation, during which five buildings have been built on the company site in Oettingen in the recent years. Finally, the responsible architect, was pleased about the so far very successful and architecturally interesting project and inspired for further building measures at the Oettingen family business.

Due to lack of space in the current offices and the aging administration building (built in 1978), the management decided to invest in a new office building.

This decision was a turning point in the company's construction history: the oldest building at the site, dating from 1954, the family's former residential and office building, had to make way for the new project.

Construction of the new administration building began in April 2019, with completion and occupation planned for May 2021. 580 m² in area, the building is more than 15 m high and extends over 4 levels. The building shell of the building contains 1200 m³ of concrete and 250 tons of steel. On the ground floor there is a modern entrance area, a spacious canteen and the personnel office. Social rooms are accommodated in a new connecting building to the production, on the 3 upper floors the offices as well as several meeting points, small kitchens and retreat areas for individual use. The building will be equipped with the latest technology, for example, the most modern heating-cooling ceilings will ensure a pleasant room climate at all times. A total of 188 floor-to-ceiling windows on the outer face and a skylight in the middle of the building, which extends through all floor levels, will provide natural light to all rooms in the building.

With this representative investment, the manufacturer of technical brushes is once again making a commitment to the Oettingen site. "We want to offer our employees a modern working environment in which they feel comfortable. In addition, with this building we create good conditions for employee training, customer training or various industry meetings. And last but not least, we have sufficient space for further company growth," says Managing Director Jürgen Lessmann.

At the beginning of August the managing directors Dieter and Jürgen Lessmann handed over a donation of 500 € to Lukas Zuber, the 1st chairman of the association Wildtierrettung Ries Mitte e. V. With this donation the company Lessmann from Oettingen supports a very young association, which was founded at the beginning of 2019 and currently has 9 members.

The members are informed by the farmers and fly off the fields with a drone with thermal imaging camera before mowing, in order to find deer fawns or bird clutches and to take them out of the field during the time of mowing. From the beginning of May, the club members are on call during the entire mowing season to fly the fields early in the morning. “This year we could already save more than 80 fawns and 5 bird clutches in the areas around Oettingen, Wechingen, Munningen or Hüssingen. This corresponds to over 500 drone kilometres and 60 pure flight hours", says Zuber. Jürgen and Dieter Lessmann are very pleased to be able to support this charitable purpose and volunteer work directly in the region.

Extension of the product range with strip brushes

Lessmann, The German Brush Company, announces that they have taken over Robert Thaler in Solingen since April 2019.

Since the family-run company Robert Thaler had no successor, the owners decided to sell the company to Lessmann. Robert Thaler has been developing and manufacturing strip and industrial brushes since 1920. The combination of experience and innovation ability, traditional craftsmanship and modern production technology as well as many years of know-how make the company a specialist in its field.

The takeover enables Lessmann to expand is product range in a meaningful way. In addition to the technical brushes previously offered, which are all produced in Oettingen, Germany, Lessmann can now offer a wide range of strip brushes and sealing brushes, which are also “Made in Germany”. The name “Robert Thaler” will remain as a trademark of Lessmann GmbH.

Lessmann will continue the production of strip and sealing brushes at the Solingen site and take over all employees. In addition, the previous owners will continue to support the company on site in the coming month to ensure a smooth handover for employees, customers and other business partners.

„The takeover of Robert Thaler is not only an optimal addition to our product range, but also the corporate culture and customer structure fits us very well. We are looking forward to the task of continuing this traditional company”, says Dieter Lessmann, Managing Director.

On Monday, April 8, 2019, the annual trainee graduation took place in Lessmann's house.

After two and a half years of apprenticeship, two industrial clerks were handed over by their commercial trainers to the new areas of responsibility at Lessmann. After 3 1/2 years of training, the two mechatronics technicians were also adopted by their instructor. They have already taken over their new responsibilities in the departments.

Lessmann still wishes a lot of fun in the company and looks forward to the coming time!

Also for the year 2019 Lessmann was awarded by the IHK Schwaben as a "training company 2019".

The following professions are being trained by Lessmann:

• Industrial clerk / -man
• Industrial Mechanic (m/w/d)
• Mechatronics engineer (m/w/d)
• Specialist in Warehouse Logistics (m/w/d)
• IT specialist (m/w/d)

Already now you can inform oneself about the different apprenticeships to start training in September 2020 with the Lessmann GmbH.

The anniversaries at Lessmann were honored at the annual closing ceremony

A year-end party for all employees has been a tradition at the company Lessmann in Oettingen for decades. In this festive setting, the management thanked all employees, who contributed to a again very successful operating result. In addition, several employees who were actively involved in the in-house continuous improvement process and thus contributed to improved processes in the company were rewarded with a generous gift.

Special thanks went to the anniversaries and employees who retired. With their many years of service, their loyal employment and commitment, they are an important pillar in the company, for which were honored by the management.

Trainee excursion to the AMB trade fair in Stuttgart

On Tuesday, 18 September 2018, the apprentice excursion of Lessmann took place with a total of 18 apprentices and students and the four instructors.

The program included a visit to the AMB exhibition, an international metalworking exhibition in Stuttgart. For this purpose, the business trainees informed the rest of the group about the facts about the trade fair, the Lessmann booth and the exhibited products, machines and applications during the journey, as part of a "trade fair briefing".

At the fairgrounds, the young talents were able to visit Lessmann's exhibition stand and the ten exhibitor halls, with over 1,500 exhibitors. The trainees had to answer a questionnaire consisting of 18 questions about the AMB trade fair. Among other things, the booths of the competitors in the field of technical brushes, as well as the brand new trends in the tool and mechanical engineering industry were of particular interest.

After exciting impressions at the exhibition center, the excursion was rounded off with a lunch and a stay at "Laser-Tag", a sports hall in Göppingen, where several teams compete in the dark for a special course.

In July 2018, the Lessmann GmbH in Oettingen received the class 9b of the secondary school Maria Stern from Nördlingen.Already during a tour of the plant in February, Lessmann provided the 26 pupils with various brushes and raw materials for the project "Brush Objects".

Together with her teacher and project manager Mrs. Ranftl, they visited the exhibition of their art objects, which they had produced in class. Some works of art reach a total height of half a meter.

Three of these objects are kept by Lessmann GmbH and have given the class a donation. The money goes into the class coffers and benefits a common school trip.

Lessmann is already looking forward to working together in the next few years.

With completing the steel construction and the roof a milestone in the construction of the new high rack storage area was reached and the owners Jürgen and Dieter Lessmann celebrated it with a roofing ceremony, which is a traditional German custom.

All involved partners and companies, all employees working on the building site and the neighbors were invited. In a short address Jürgen Lessmann was talking about the construction progress. A challenge was the installation of the tank for the sprinkler system, which lies under the new hall. The tank was necessary because of more strict fire protection requirements the previous tank was not adequate any more.

Jürgen Lessmann thanked all involved companies which made good and solid work. He thanked the residents for their patience which is necessary because of the additional noise and dirt and he also thanked all his employees who have to work under uncomfortable working conditions caused by the building constructions.

After following short welcoming speeches by the mayor of Oettingen and the architect in charge who both commended the clear commitment to Oettingen, Germany as the location for business, the construction supervisor hold a traditional speech which is typical for a roofing ceremony. He was talking about the long-lasting collaboration between his company and Lessmann and he pointed out the innovative brush company which demonstrates with investments in machines and buildings that they are ready for the future with high quality products and services made in Germany.

Following to this official part all guests were invited to a good and solid meal and they could let fade away the event in cosy ambience

In the end of the freezing season at the beginning of march the construction work for a new project started: The enlargement of the high rack storage area. On an additional area of 1300 m² a new stock with several thousands of storage positions for palettes and containers will be created within the next months. This investment is necessary to adapt the internal logistics to the positive developments of the company.

With this investment Lessmann shows clearly, that the company adheres to Oettingen in Germany as a location for industry. For the managing directors Jürgen and Dieter Lessmann it is very important that their family business is positioned well at the present production site in Oettingen and to be able to deliver the high quality products worldwide to competitive prices. 

Electrochemical cleaning is an established process for the treatment of stainless steel surfaces. For this process Lessmann developed a brush which allows also the treatment of areas which are hard to reach, for example the interior of small tubes. The result is an interior brush with carbon fibre – the processing of the filling material to prepare it for electrochemical applications was a big challenge when developing the brush.

Lessmann holds for this innovation a European patent and applied for the Innovation Award of the European Brushware Federation FEIBP, which was awarded at the end of September. The managing directors Jürgen and Dieter Lessmann were on the spot and presented their innovation the brush manufacturers from all over Europe, who finally voted the winner for the FEIBP Innovation Award 2015. Lessmann was placed first before competitors from Italy, France and Switzerland.

At the last weekend in September Lessmann arranged an inauguration ceremony of the production hall and an open day for the public.

For the inauguration of the production hall more than 150 people arrived in Oettingen. The new production hall is with dimensions of 54 x 78 meters and 30.000 m³ building volume the biggest separate building in the company’s history.

Company Director Dieter Lessmann welcomed all the business partners, customers and suppliers as well as the employees who were all invited to this event.

Afterwards there was a speech of Oettingen’s mayor and assistant district administrator who are really glad about Lessmann’s commitment to the production site in Oettingen.
The architect followed with a diverting discourse about the characteristics of the new building and the long-lasting, cross-generational business relationship with Lessmann. 

After an ecumenical blessing of the production hall, Company Director Jürgen Lessmann addressed the audience about the company’s values and emphasized how important are fairness, reliability and honesty for this family-owned business. He also thanked all the employees for their daily commitment and obligation which is necessary for the company’s success. 

Afterward the Company Directors were surprised by the employees with a painting which shows the company estate from above.

The Big Band of Oettingen’s grammar school framed the event with live-music.

At the following day there was an open day for the public in the German brush company. More than 3.000 visitors were interested in the modern production facilities as well as in the products and the working or training opportunities in the company.

Highlights of this day were a robot which showed a brush application of the automotive industry, a cinema which showed the new corporate video as well as guided tours through the company where employees answered the questions of the employees. Besides there was a brush flea market which returns goes to social facilities in Oettingen.