History

Business idea

The first business ideas are born in the family-run shoe shop
The customer already gets full service here: professional advice, sales and repairs
Efforts are made to rationalise at a very early stage
Professional work aids are manufactured

The family tradition is continued and the expertise is professionally applied
Josef Hausdorf, grandfather of the current company owner, maintains the high level of craftsmanship in his workshop
The technical tools are further developed

Josef Hausdorf founds the first registered company: “Hausdorf Schuhmaschinenbau”.
Many new design ideas are brought to reality
The machine series Komet is started as well as the Condor models
The first series are produced
Expansion of the model range: Rekord and Knirps models are launched
The level of recognition rises

A new company “Hausdorf & Sohn Spezialmaschinenbau” is founded by Josef and his son Walter Hausdorf.
Many innovations are quickly realised: Fast Idea-to-Market Process
Groundbreaking innovations are implemented, which soon find many imitators
Fast nationwide distribution due to many years of technical lead

Expansion of exports to Japan, Australia and New Zealand
The birth of the Caravelle, the most successful machine series of all time
Start of the concept of roller application machines for pre-coating soles and heels, at the same time very successful in the furniture industry
1983 Foundation of today’s HARDO Maschinenbau GmbH
HARDO Super Mini becomes the best-selling model
Exports reach their peak, HARDO is the “No. 1 in Europe”

Expansion of exports to Japan, Australia and New Zealand
The birth of the Caravelle, the most successful machine series of all time
Start of the concept of roller application machines for pre-coating soles and heels, at the same time very successful in the furniture industry
1983 Foundation of today’s HARDO Maschinenbau GmbH
HARDO Super Mini becomes the best-selling model
Exports reach their peak, HARDO is the “No. 1 in Europe”

In 1990, the granddaughter, businesswoman Iris Hausdorf, took over the management of the HARDO Group together with her brother Dipl.-Ing. Ingo Hausdorf, managing partner
HARDO supplies machines to more than 80 countries all over the world
In 1995, HARDO is the only company in the industry to launch a much cleaner extraction system in the EVO models
The Elite models, a further development with many improvements, are launched shortly afterwards
2005 becomes a special year: the 30,000th machine is produced, a HARDO Super Mini 100 B for a customer in Paris / France
The Ortholine sets standards in orthopaedic shoe technology due to its optimal suction power
Shortly afterwards, the successful Orthomax is introduced, which combines the increased suction power due to the special suction wall with an integrated suction system
2010 HARDO celebrates its 75th anniversary

The adhesive application machines are successfully used in many branches, meanwhile in more than 20 different industrial sectors, due to the successful specialisation of these roller machines on solvent-free adhesives
Expansion of the bonding technology to more than 10 new industrial sectors through further interesting areas of application, thus many new markets are conquered worldwide for these environmentally friendly special coatings
Since 2012, the grandson of the company’s founder, Dipl.Ing. Ingo Hausdorf, has been the sole managing director and majority shareholder, together with the great-grandson of the founder, Hauke Michael Immig, the only co-partner, managing the fortunes of the family-owned company with a long tradition
Many new facilities have been installed in the orthopaedic shoe technology sector, so that the attractiveness of these businesses has been increased, which is very helpful in today’s world to provide an incentive and motivation for increasingly scarce skilled personnel.
The product range in the customer’s workshop area is constantly being expanded, and in addition to the proven machine production, the equipment department is being expanded with suction tables, gluing workstations, etc., so that customer satisfaction is increased by reinforcing the motto: “HARDO – Everything from one source”