200 Years of Innovation- Demag Celebrates Milestone Anniversary

Demag Cranes & Components celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2019. Demag traces its roots to the partnership between Fredrich Harkort and Heinrich Kamp in 1819. This partnership set Demag on the path to become an industrial pioneer and global player and became an important figure in the industrialization along the Ruhr River in Prussia. Over two centuries, Demag made innovations in many industries, including steam engines and steel, but a focus on the material handling industry pushed the company to where it is today.

With innovation and creativity at its core, the pioneering innovations over its 200-year history solidified Demag’s position as an international powerhouse. Its first innovation in material handling was also the first for the world. Demag produced the first crane with an electric drive in 1887. This innovation in spurred later innovations in wire rope and chain hoists. Demag’s first electric rope hoist was brought to market in 1912, the same year the company merged to officially become Deutsch Machinenfabrick AG, or DEMAG. The Demag Bantam, or “Little Demag”, was the company’s first chain hoist in 1953, and was capable of being used across many commercial sectors. A few years later, the Electric Rope Hoist Model P was released, a legendary hoist many customers still talk about today, to take on the heavier loads demanded by customers. “The Junior,” Demag’s PK chain hoist, was introduced in 1963 as a small, versatile hoist that sold more than 1,000,000 hoists worldwide within 30 years.

More recent innovations are part of the current product lineup. The introduction of the Demag Manulift in 1975 showed the ability of the company to think outside the box. It was the first hoist that was able to be operated with one hand with the other supporting the load, giving customers the ability to move loads quickly. The Demag DMR Wire Rope Hoist, introduced in 2015, again showed the focus on the needs of customers. The design of the DMR is flexible to fit the operations of today and tomorrow. 

With 200 years of innovations, Demag continues to be dedicated to providing quality products to customers across the globe. See how we celebrated in March. To learn more about our 200 years of history at Demag200.com.