History

1937

Founding of the company
On 16th. January 1937, the following entry appears in the Burbach official registry: Fritz Schäfer – manufacture of metal goods of all kinds.
The first products were manufactured in the cellar of the house he lived in.

1948

Relocating the business
The change to series production for transport boxes meant that the original production facilities soon became too small and so operations were transferred to the old “Dorfwiese” (village green) in Neunkirchen-Salchendorf in 1948.

1951

Four brothers all pulling together
The four sons, Hans, Gerhard, Manfred and Theo Schäfer take on the management of the young enterprise in 1951. In addition to their manufacturing operations, they decide to expand the retail business.

1952

The EMW
In December, the EMW, Ironmongers and Hardware Dealers, is founded: “Trading with industrial raw materials and products of all kinds.”

1953

FIX storage box
The innovation: A box with a “peep hole”!
The development and series production of the FIX storage box is not only a mile stone in the company’s history, but an innovation that has left an indelible mark on modern storage logistics today.

1962

The "Pfannenberg"
Take over of the former iron ore mine “Pfannenberger Einigkeit". “Pfannenberg GmbH” is founded.

1970

SCHÄFER WERKE GMBH
The company now operating under the name “SCHÄFER WERKE GMBH” builds an administration building and extensions to the production facilities on the Pfannenberg site.

1971

New plant at Betzdorf
Construction of the Betzdorf works for the production of steel furniture for office, workshop and shop floor.

1993

SCHÄFER Ausstattungs-Systeme
Establishment of SCHÄFER Ausstattungs-Systeme GmbH: In addition to the main works in Neunkirchen, production to order is begun at a further location - in Betzdorf (Sieg).

1996

SCHÄFER Housing Systems
SCHÄFER Gehäusesysteme (Housing Systems) GmbH was set up at the Dresden site for the production of PC and server housings.

1998

SCHÄFER IT-Systems
Production of server and network cabinets (NetCase and PC Case ranges) is launched under the brand name SCHÄFER IT-Systems.

2000

NT Rack
Development of the separable NT Rack, with access from all sides.

2005

PE Rack
The low-cost PE Rack is launched.

2007

New frame profile
Successful development and launch of an especially high load-bearing frame with the name "Smart Profile (SP)".
Production of SP network and server cabinets extends the product range.

Water-cooled server cabinet
UNIQLE, the self-sufficient, water-cooled server cabinet with the Rack Management System is presented to the public for the first time at the CeBIT in Hanover.

2008

Data centre technology
COLD SECTION, the flexible cold-aisle enclosure and SWAP PANEL 9, the modular and flexible raised floor system, are launched at the CeBIT.

2009

Server cabinet solution with side cooler
Presentation and successful launch of LOOPUS – the water-cooled server cabinet solution.
The new PX Rack replaces the low-cost PE Rack.

2011

UNIQLE improvement
The advantages of UNIQLE are further improved and supplemented with additional benefits – from now on, cooler and rack are available as separate units.