Fairy tales start with „once upon a time“ – an extraordinary story starts with a vision. We invite you to a stray through the Alfra-company history – because our roots are the basis for tools and machines matching with your high expectations.
At the beginning of the 20th century new standards of metalworking changed the German economy. A.H Mehring took his chance and founded our later sister company, Sägen-Mehring in Dresden. After World War 2, Gerhard Döring took over. Under his leadership Sägen-Mehring GmbH moved to Hockenheim. The city in northern Baden-Wuerttemberg is the location for our administrative headquarter today. .
Left: Company building in Hockenheim Talhaus
Right: Place of foundation Dresden
In the early 70’s, the company history gathered pace. Christian and Wolfgang Döring bought the tool grinding shop Alfred Raith in Ditzingen. For the sons oft he company founder this meant the entry in the distribution of saw blades for metal cutting.
Left: Production in Ditzingen
Right: From left to right: Christian Döring, Gerhard Döring, Wolfgang Döring
1978 Alfra took over the Greenlee Tool GmbH in Hanau. Since then, punches and tools for cabinet engineering are part of the Alfra-product range – today one of our key features.
Picture: hole punchers and hydraulic manual punches, made by Alfra: A good team for decades
In the 80‘s begun the success-story of another innovation: We developed our own metal-core-drilling-machines with the name ALFRA ROTABEST®. The product performed convincingly on the market because of a variety of user-friendly applications, such as the patented safety device for overhead-work.
Left and right: View into the history of our Alfra Rotabest line
Along with the own production of hole punches and other machining tools, Alfra gave a boost to the export business, too. Today deliveries into more than 120 countries take a growing share of 65 % of our total sales. Since the mid-1990’s Alfra is maintaining on an international course. After the foundation of subsidiaries in Switzerland and Great Britain, in the new millennium a foreign branch in the USA arose and the sales office in Singapore was opened. The global Alfra-family kept growing with TMA Netherlands as her latest member.
From left to right: Mehring AG Switzerland, Alfra Tools USA, Alfra UK LTD, Alfra S.E.A Singapore
Alfra made another mark for quality „Made in Germany“ by taking over AKM Berlin. The former construction- and manufacturing company in Berlin/Stahnsdorf has been transformed into an own Alfra-plant in 2007. On 600 square meters production space we are manufacturing for example hydraulic pumps, core drilling machines or deburring technology. In total we are producing in-house with a content of around 85 % at two German locations.
Left: Production of core drilling machines at the Berlin Stahnsdorf plant
Right: Alfra factory Berlin Stahnsdorf
Since 2007, Döring Holding GmbH und Co KG served as a superordinate company to bring Alfred Raith GmbH and Sägen-Mehring GmbH under one umbrella. When Markus Döring took over the company shares from Wolfgang and Christian Döring in 2011, he also unified the companies informally.
From left to right: : Wolfgang Döring, Markus Döring, Christian Döring
Since 2017 the company Alfred Raid operates as ALFRA GmbH. Our concept: a new name, along with traditionally high quality-levels. Of course Alfra is certified according to DIN ISO 9001:2015.
The Alfra Logo: Since 2017 with a slogan
Since December 2019, the former Beermann Zerspanungstechnik GmbH has been the third location to strengthen the companys in-house production. The youngest Alfra plant in Herborn, Hesse, is perfectly equipped for special tasks such as the production of small series and prototypes. A machine park of the most modern standard offers future-oriented manufacturing processes - carried out by expert employees.
Left: Modern machinery for special tools
Right: The Alfra plant Herborn
Together with the company Ehrt, which is specialized in CNC punching and bending machines, Alfra designs the prototype of a new 4-station trolley for conductor rail processing - according to the customer requirements of a well-known listed company in the technology and electrical engineering sector.
Not only against the background of the Corona crisis Alfra continues to work on the future-oriented positioning of the company. For example by planning a virtual showroom. Also the production in Germany is still in focus. In total, we now produce at three German locations with an 85 percent share of in-house production.
Picture: On the way to a bright future
