Establishment of Schrauben- und Facondreherei Ottobeuren by Jakob Fallscheer, Paul Maier and Fritz Walz at the former barracks near Ottobeuren Abbey.

The number of employees grows to around 80 by the end of the War. Production is shut down in April – 2 days before the American forces arrive – and does not resume until September. The restrictions imposed in the occupied zones make it difficult to recruit new customers and source materials. Currency reform also inhibits the economy.

Things start to improve and the production facilities in Ottobeuren become too cramped.
Image: Machine room

Acquisition of the property in Babenhausen and opening on 22 October 1951 SFO is renamed as SFB (Schrauben- und Facondreherei GmbH Babenhausen)

Lathe room

„Rainer Fallscheer joins the company“

Werner Peters joins as managing director, succeeding Fritz Walz.
Rainer Fallscheer is appointed successor to his father, Jakob Fallscheer.

Franz (‘Ferry’) Steibli joins the company as technical director.

The company changes its name to Schwäbische Formdrehteile GmbH.

Image: Quality assurance

Ferry Steibli is made authorised signatory. He adopts a fresh strategy and focuses consistently on the manufacture of high-quality precision turned parts.

Ferry Steibli is appointed co-managing director and acquires shares in the company over the following years.

An important step forward for the company: Launch of assembly production and manufacture of hydraulic and pneumatic valves, which are gradually established as a core competence. Franz Steibli develops an electrochemical deburring system (ECM system) to address issues in the company’s own production.

The system becomes a resounding success and is sold to other companies later on.

Establishment of VAB Ventil- & Anlagenbau Babenhausen GmbH. At this time, the corporate group is owned in three equal parts by the shareholders Rainer Fallscheer, Fritz Walz and Franz Steibli.

Dietrich Waiblinger joins as technical director and remains until 2001. He is instrumental in the company’s success.

Establishment of VMB Vorrichtungs- und Maschinenbau Babenhausen GmbH under managing director Gerhard Gensch to accommodate steady growth in the construction of ECM systems.

Selling the group is on the agenda, as Rainer Fallscheer and Werner Peters are keen to retire and Franz Steibli falls seriously ill during this period.

To secure the location in Babenhausen, siblings Petra and Thomas Steibli buy all the shares to continue the company as a family business with its 240 employees.

Change in the legal form to become a limited partnership with a private limited company as general partner (GmbH & Co. KG) and absorption of VAB GmbH into the group.

Petra and Thomas Steibli continue to run the company in the spirit of their father. Ferry Steibli succumbs to serious illness.

Establishment of a joint venture with AGROMET in Poland, which at the time had 116 employees (today a 100% subsidiary of SFB Group).

The Polish factory expands the group’s business portfolio with its specialisation on agricultural gears.

Establishment of another company in the ECM sector in Memmingen: DIVA-TEC as a provider of special ECM machinery.
Subsequent move to Erkheim (today the amo-tec premises)

Purchase of an adjacent plot and expansion of SFB’s premises from 11,000 to 23,000 m2.

Image: Aerial photo of SFB

Festivities marking the 60th anniversary of SFB with Christmas market on the premises with several thousand visitors.

SFB receives the first Bosch Group Supplier Award as the world’s best provider in this segment.

Construction of a large assembly hall on the new site, as a major order for chassis components enabled the significant expansion of the mobile hydraulics division.

Road construction and dedication as Ferry-Steibli-Straße.

The ECM division is sold.

Sale of VMB and DIVA-TEC

Launch of CNC multi-spindle production.

Establishment of amo-tec GmbH in Babenhausen.

Establishment of SFB Polska in Ostrzeszów.

Construction of another production hall for multi-spindle machines.

Construction of and relocation to a new production hall at SFB Polska.

AGROMET in Poland expands its facilities.

Relocation of amo-tec GmbH to Erkheim, as the space in Babenhausen is no longer sufficient due to growth. (previous production space of 800 m2, but 3,400 m2 in Erkheim)

SFB turns 75.

SFB Polska expands its facilities.

Launch of Strategy 2030 – restructuring of the 4 partner companies within SFB Group (SFB Babenhausen, amo-tec Erkheim, SFB Polska und Agromet Poland)

In 2022, the two managing partners Thomas and Petra Steibli expand the management by including Bruno Hanselka with the strategy of sustainably positioning and developing SFB Group on the market as a family business.

Stefan Schmidtlein – Member of the Management – entered his retirement in 2023.