Tradition meets innovation
For decades, BUCHELE has stood for quality, safety, and technical expertise—from its beginnings to its current market leadership.
From manufacturer to brand – BUCHELE
Since 1910, BUCHELE has stood for quality, innovation, and reliability in door and gate construction. What began over 100 years ago has developed into an internationally recognized company for security solutions.
From locksmith to specialist: over 100 years of door expertise
The history of BUCHELE began in 1910 when Johannes Buchele founded a locksmith’s workshop. In the 1950s, his son Hans Buchele began manufacturing steel doors – laying the foundation for today’s core business. Thanks to continuous development, the range of doors and gates grew steadily. The once regional craft business became an internationally active manufacturer of high-quality special doors and gates made of steel and stainless steel.
The outbreak of World War I initially marked the end of the company “Johannes Buchele Metalworks, Gas and Water Supply Business.” On August 5, 1914, the company’s founder was drafted and went off to the front. Production and work came to a complete halt from one day to the next. The Western Front—Flanders, Belgium, and Luxembourg—were his posts. There, he was seriously wounded in 1916. He lost sight in his right eye. However, this would not prevent him from continuing the company’s history after the war ended.
On March 31, 1919, Johannes Buchele was granted citizenship in Ebersbach. This also marked the resumption of business operations for the “Johannes Buchele Locksmith, Gas, and Water Supply Business.” It was a difficult start, because after the end of the war, defeated Germany simply lacked everything. Raw materials such as iron, steel, and metals were hard to come by. This resulted in exorbitant prices.
Between 1919 and 1945, the business continued to perform locksmith and blacksmith work, install gas and water lines, and, on the side, repair and sell bicycles.
Hans Buchele, now 14 years old, began an apprenticeship as a locksmith at his father’s business, which he completed by passing his journeyman’s examination in 1935. At first, his participation in the Labor Service prevented him from working at the company. From 1937 to 1938, he spent a year at a company in Uelzen, where he gained his first experience in door manufacturing—knowledge that would prove invaluable to him later in life. Starting in 1939, he was first called up for military service, which seamlessly transitioned into active military duty.
In July 1943, Hans Buchele was seriously wounded after making an emergency landing at an Italian military airfield near Naples. During a nighttime raid by American bombers, the airfield was bombed. Hans Buchele was struck by a piece of shrapnel in his right elbow. His arm remained stiff for the rest of his life. The war was over for him. After lengthy stays in military hospitals and regular hospitals, he returned to work at his father’s company.
Effective January 1, 1949, the company was re-registered under the name “Buchele und Sohn Bauschlosserei und Beschlägefabrikation.” In addition to its locksmith services, the company now also produced hardware and shutter latches.
Hans Buchele took over the company. Steadily growing demand made it necessary to hire additional employees. Soon, the metalworking shop on Viehmarktstraße became too small, so a new building was planned and constructed shortly thereafter. Construction of the new company building on Kanalstraße in Ebersbach began in 1950. The building was never occupied and was sold to a neighboring company shortly after completion. Production and the warehouse remained on Viehmarktstraße for the time being. At that time, about 5 employees worked there.
Starting in 1952, simple steel doors were manufactured. These were custom-made, solidly crafted by hand. Some of these early examples are still in use today, such as at the substation of the former Scheufele company in Ebersbach.
In 1958, the company building on Mühlweg was constructed, and the company moved in shortly thereafter. Business operations were conducted from this location until 1982. During this time, the number of employees rose from 5 to about 20. Production of the first fire doors began.
First joint company outing for the entire Buchele family and the entire staff to the Black Forest.
It was not a particularly good year in the company’s history. Due to a heart condition, Hans Buchele was forced to hand over the reins of the company to his sons, Hans-Peter and Werner. At just 21 and 19 years old, the two had to face the harsh reality of running their own business.
Eine stetig steigende Nachfrage nach Stahltüren machten einen Anbau an das bestehende Gebäude im Mühlweg erforderlich. Es musste mehr, schneller und wirtschaftlicher produziert werden. Die Anschaffung einer Abkantpresse und einer Schlagschere waren erforderlich. Ein großer Schritt für eine kleine Firma. Dies war der Einstieg in die industrielle Produktion von Türen und Toren.
A steadily growing number of employees and increasingly demanding production processes made a larger machine park necessary. Soon, the Mühlweg building became too small. Part of the property was lost due to the construction of Federal Highway 10. This caused the company extreme space and expansion problems. A solution at the Mühlweg location was impossible. Therefore, the property was sold to the city of Ebersbach. Today, this site is home to the city of Ebersbach’s water treatment plant and municipal nursery. A suitable plot of land was quickly found, and construction of the new company buildings began just one year later.
Construction of the company and administrative building progressed rapidly, and so the company was able to move into the new building on Industriestraße as early as the summer of 1982. It was seen as a major step into a “huge” property—many times more space than before! At first, there was still talk of renting out part of the warehouse and the office space. However, this changed very quickly. The increased focus on manufacturing sheet-steel doors proved to be the right path. The further development and refinement of sheet-steel doors was our strength. This led to higher sales volumes and a steady expansion of our product line. Renting out space was no longer an option. More space was needed.
And so, in 1985, the first expansion was carried out. The production area was doubled. A 5-meter press brake and a 6-meter guillotine shear required space. More doors, larger doors, an expanded door lineup—business was booming. Part of this new production hall was built with a basement and, during the “Cold War,” was converted into a shelter for 299 people.
A door is not just an entrance barrier. It is also meant to provide safety and protection. Ever-increasing demands and requirements for doors made it necessary to maintain proper documentation of our doors’ performance. So, in 1986, we decided to have the doors tested at a recognized testing institute. The first soundproof door tests were conducted by Prof. Holtz in Stephanskirchen near Rosenheim. That same year, the first tests were conducted at our factory using the mobile testing unit belonging to Mr. Rüdiger Müller from Rosenheim. The first security doors and airtight doors were successfully tested. The security doors were classified into classes ET1 through ET3.
Starting in 1987, our product line was expanded. In the area of security doors, Buchele now also offers bullet-resistant doors. The first tests were successfully conducted at the Ballistics Testing Center in Ulm. Doors in ballistic resistance classes M1 through M5 now round out the product line.
After just four years, the production space was once again too small. A third expansion became necessary. The painting operation was moved out of the production area into a new building. There, a state-of-the-art paint shop with an integrated exhaust system was installed. The old paint shop was converted into a two-story warehouse for hardware and other small parts.
After reunification, the goal was to tap into and serve the market in the east. Thanks to the partnership between the town of Ebersbach/Fils and Ebersbach/Sachsen, the opportunity arose to purchase a property with land in Ebersbach/Sachsen. Ebersbach/Sachsen is located approximately 60 km east of Dresden in the border region with Poland and the Czech Republic. The buildings of the former Treuhand enterprise were in a very dilapidated condition. Therefore, the decision was made to demolish the main building and one of the outbuildings, renovate another outbuilding, and construct a new building.
After just 14 months of construction, the company building in Ebersbach, Saxony, was completed on April 31, 1992. In May, a large opening ceremony was held for all employees from Ebersbach/Fils and Ebersbach, Saxony. Production began in May. Even during the 14-month construction period, the six employees from the East were already working in Ebersbach/Fils to learn how to manufacture and install doors. Today, the facility primarily manufactures soundproof, burglar-resistant, and bullet-resistant doors.
We had our first trade show experience that year in Berlin at BAUTEC, the international trade fair for construction and building technology. We shared a booth with ITW Industrietore GmbH from Donzdorf. This trade show participation was to lay the foundation for many more trade shows to come. After all, it is only by presenting our door product line at trade shows that we can showcase our products to a broad and international audience.
Our first participation in the international trade fair “Security” in Essen, with a 50-square-meter booth. We showcased our line of property protection and security doors for the first time.
This year, for the first time, we presented our complete product line at “Bau,” Europe’s largest construction trade fair, in Munich. Since the old fairgrounds had long since become too small for the scale of this event and were bursting at the seams, we—as new exhibitors—were housed in a tent outside the exhibition halls with our 50 m² booth. It was a challenge on those cold, windy January days. But the trade show’s success proved us right. We were on the right track. It wasn’t until we moved to the new exhibition grounds in Munich-Riem that we were able to secure a spot inside a hall, and we’ve been regular exhibitors there ever since—with growing success.
To gain a stronger foothold in the fire protection sector, the company acquired an insolvent competitor in Albstadt in 1996, along with the associated real estate. The company held a license to manufacture fire doors that fit perfectly into the Bucheles system. This added a complete line of fire doors and gates to the product portfolio.
Since 1997, the fourth generation of the “Bucheles” has been ready to take the reins. Ralf Buchele, the son of Hans-Peter Buchele, joined the company after completing his degree in business administration and has since been responsible, together with his father, for the company’s financial and accounting operations.
Less than 10 years had passed since the last expansion, and once again the production space was too small and there was not enough office space for the growing number of employees. The fourth phase of construction was planned and began.
In 1998, the fourth construction phase was completed and the company moved in. Today, the building houses the administrative offices, sales, shipping, and part of the production facilities. The technical operations management team led by Werner Buchele and all technicians took over the entire office space in the old building. In the same year, the company acquired another market competitor and its property in Siegburg near Cologne. This company was a leading provider of soundproof doors and windows. The acquisition of this firm allowed the company to expand its existing sales territory and tap into a new customer base.
Jürgen Buchele becomes the third managing director at Stahltürenbau Buchele GmbH. The company is now managed by three brothers. Each is responsible for his own area: Hans-Peter Buchele for costing and finance, Werner Buchele for engineering and development, and Jürgen Buchele for sales and marketing.
With the establishment of its first permanent sales office for Northern Germany, the company is breaking new ground. Through personalized support and a local point of contact, the company offers customers better and faster service. More intensive product sales by trained staff ensure that individual customers receive expert advice on-site. Short distances, quick action. At the same time, field sales representatives have access to a network of installation companies, which saves customers the costs associated with unnecessarily long travel distances and travel times.
Thanks to continuous development and innovation, Buchele’s profile is growing. This prompted the Industry Association for Gates, Doors, and Door Frames, based in Hagen, Westphalia, to formally induct Buchele as a member in 2004.
To streamline administrative processes, reduce costs, and improve quality and flexibility, the Albstadt property is sold, and the company headquarters, workplaces, and production facilities are relocated to Ebersbach/Fils. To ensure consistently high, verifiable quality for its international clientele, Buchele decides to pursue certification under DIN EN ISO 9001. The certification is carried out by ZDH Zert, based in Bonn.
Andreas Buchele, son of Werner Buchele, begins working in the company’s technical department after completing his studies in building physics. His primary area of responsibility is the further development of the sound insulation product line. With the acquisition of acoustic measuring equipment, sound measurements can now also be performed on-site.
With the opening of a sales office for Eastern Germany, based in Dresden, Buchele aims to further expand the distribution of its products in the new federal states. Here, too, service and a focus on customer needs are intended to ensure customer satisfaction.
This year, Buchele participated in the Bau trade show in Munich for the eighth time. A substantial booth size of 100 square meters made it possible to vividly present the extensive product range to the trade audience. We are particularly proud of the debut presentation of our flush-mounted door series, PLANELine.
Despite the crisis-ridden global economy, 2009 was a successful year in the company’s history. A great deal of capital was invested in the development of the PLANELine door series. However, this was a wise move in light of the coming
A reason to celebrate. Stahltürenbau Buchele GmbH is celebrating its 100th anniversary!