SIG - History

SIG history 1853 to 1906

1853	The SIG Swiss Industrial Company was established as the „Swiss Wagon Works“ by the founders Friedrich Peyer, Conrad Neher and Heinrich Moser. Its proximity to the biggest waterfalls in Europe and the Laufen Iron Works favored the foundation and development of the company.
1860	SIG begins to manufacture small arms.
1878	SIG Combibloc History: Ferdinand Emil Jagenberg founds a stationery business that he expands into a machine building plant for processing and finishing paper.
1886	Friedrich Vetterli, then Head of Engineering, develops the Vetteril rifle: the first mass-produced repeating rifle. An innovation: ammunition with metallic cases.
1906	To offset the downswings of economic cycles in the wagon works and orders for firearms, SIG enters the market for packaging machinery.

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SIG history 1930 to 1975

1930	SIG Combibloc History: Application for the definitive PERGA patent, two-part package: circular base with rectangular top.
1933	Because of long transportation routes between workshops, SIG begins to develop electrically powered vehicles.
1944	SIG’s extensive know-how in designing small arms and expertise in selecting and heat treating steels leads to the manufacture of heavy-duty pneumatic tools.
1958	SIG Combibloc History: Founding of Linnicher Papierwerke GmbH.
1962	SIG Combibloc History: Production launch of blocpak.
1971	SIG takes over Hämmerli target arms business.
1974	SIG takes over pistol and hunting weapons business of Sauer & Sohn.
1975	SIG Combibloc History: The aseptic combibloc system is demonstrated for the first time on a combibloc aseptic filler.

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SIG history 1976 to 1989

1978	SIG Combibloc History: Production launch of combibloc: aseptic carton for fruit juices.
1981	SIG Combibloc History: Packaging materials plant comes on stream in Saalfelden (A) to cater for the requirement of the Eastern European markets.
1985	SIG Combibloc History: Renamed as PKL Verpackungssysteme GmbH.
	SIG Combibloc History: Market roll-out of soups with chunky content in combibloc aseptic.
1988	Acquisition of majority holding in Berger Lahr Group (synchronous and gear motors, stepping motors) on behalf of the Power Transmission and Control division.
1989	SIG takes over the Positec Electronic company (electronic controls), which then operates under the style of SIG Positec.
	Acquisition of PKL Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Germany brings about the entry into the packaging of liquid food products such as milk, juices, soups and sauces (known nowadays as SIG Combibloc).

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SIG history 1990 to 2000

1992	SIG buys the hi-tech company Adec Robot (robotics/packaging technology).
	SIG Combibloc History: PKL Group opens a new production facility in the Lutherstadt Wittenberg.
1993	SIG Combibloc history: combiTop, first recloseable spout worldwide, is launched on the market.
1995	As a result of the consolidation process in the rolling stock industry, SIG incorporates its Rolling Stock division in a joint venture with FIAT; SIG holds a 40% stake.
1997	SIG and Blaser Jagdwaffen in Isny begin collaboration in the field of hunting weapons.
	SIG sells its two business units transportation equipment (palettes, freight boxes) to HIAG and its timber business to the Rafz sawmill.
1998	SIG Packaging Systems PKL renamed as SIG Combibloc.
	SIG sells the business units butter packaging machines to the Jagenberg Group, pneumatic tools to Biax Maschinen and tunneling locomotives to Bedia Motorentechnik.
	Opening of packaging materials plant in Rayong, Thailand.
	SIG acquires Selectron Lyss AG (industrial electronics and automation). Known from then on as SIG Positec.
	SIG buys Italian sales, marketing, engineering and service organization Pamoco. Company is integrated into SIG Positec division.
	Sale of SIG Power Transmission and Control (transmission solutions) to Curtiss-Wright Flight Systems.
	Sale of SIG Bautechnik (tunnel driving) to Ulrich Ammann AG.
1999	Market roll-out of the combiLift closure.
2000	SIG Group defines its new strategy of concentrating on packaging technology.
	Acquisition of Krupp Kunststofftechnik (SIG Corpoplast).
	Market launch of combiTwist screw cap.
	SIG takes over Hamba, German filling machine builder active in the plastics sector.
	Sale of SIG Arms (firearms), SIG Positec (automation technology and the stake in FIAT-SIG.

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SIG history since 2001

2001	Change of name from SIG Swiss Industrial Company Holding Ltd. to SIG Holding Ltd. approved at Annual General Meeting.
	Acquisition of Sasib Wet (high-capacity fillers of the Simonazzi brand, and machines for labeling, palletizing and logistics), known henceforth as SIG Simonazzi.
	Joint venture with Saudi Arabia’s Obeikan Investment Group.
	Market launch if the new machine concept BLOMAX Series III.
	SIG allCap, responsible for the development and production of closures, begins operational business activities.
	Market roll-out of combifit.
2002	SIG Holding Ltd. sells Riley Product Handling (makers of vibrating conveyor belts for food products such as biscuits and snacks) in Derby, England to the management, plus all activities of SIG Rocktools (manufacturers of pneumatic hammers and drills, and hydraulic rig-mounted drills for mining) to the South African Boart Longyear Group.
	In October 2002, SIG takes over the mold maker Ryka Blow Molds Ltd. in Mississauga near Toronto, Canada. This acquisition improves the SIG Group’s access to the North American markets and strengthens its competence as a supplier of complete systems in the beverages sector. The business unit is integrated into the SIG Beverages Division.
	SIG takes over the entire shareholding of Rexam Combibloc Ltd. in Newcastle. This creates the platform for expanding SIG Combibloc business activities in the United Kingdom.
	SIG expands its presence in China. November sees the laying of the cornerstone for a new SIG Combibloc packaging materials plant in Suzhou, Shanghai area.
2003	150 Years SIG: Together into the Future. The motto under which SIG celebrated its 150 years jubilee in 2003. Founded in 1853 (see above), the company has since transformed into an internationally active packaging group. SIG Board of Directors decides to focus the group on the growing beverages market. For the future, SIG concentrates all resources the core businesses SIG Combibloc and SIG Beverages.
	SIG Corpoplast, in conjunction with Schott HiCotec, jointly develops PLASMAX, a technology for applying an internal barrier coating to PET bottles. The new process wins the important science award of Germany’s Dr. Reinhold Hagen Foundation.
	With combishape, SIG Combibloc presents a world premiere. For the very first time, it is possible to create individual shapes for aseptic beverage cartons.
	SIG successfully sells off the two business units SIG Hamba Filltec (cup filling equipment for yoghurt) to the investment group Bavaria Industriekapital AG and SIG Elettric 80 (laser guided transport vehicles) to the previous owners.
	SIG sells the two business units SIG Kautex (extrusion blow molding machines for the automotive industry and SIG Blowtec (extrusion machines for plastic containers) to the Germany financial investor Adcuram Beteiligungs AG.
	Establishment of SIG Asbofill GmbH.
2004	In the course of the group’s reorientation towards packaging of liquids, SIG sells the SIG Pack division, active in the packaging of dry goods, to Robert Bosch Packaging Technology.
	Formal opening ceremony of the new SIG Combibloc packaging materials plant in Suzhou near Shanghai, with no less than 250 invited guests.
	Integration of SIG Asbofill into the Beverages Division.
	Market launch of the combiCut screw cap.
2005	SIG sells its Italian companies SIG Manzini and SIG Comaco (equipment for processing tomatoes) to the Catelli Holding. Also disposed of are the Italian operations SIG Simonazzi (beverage filling lines), SIG Alfa (labeling machines) to the Tetra Laval Group. With these divestments, SIG continues its rigorous focus on the core business of aseptic beverage cartons and the growing market for premium products packaged in PET bottles.
	SIG Combibloc opens a new packaging materials plant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
	Market roll-out of combiSwift screw cap.
2006	Having divested the majority of the non-core business activities of the SIG Beverages division in the previous year, SIG completed its focusing on packaging solutions in the sectors of cartons and plastic bottles with the agreed sale of SIG Cantec to Soudronic AG.
	Market launch of the combiSmart screw cap.
	Market launch of combisafe.
2007	Takeover of SIG by Rank Group Ltd., New Zealand.
2008	SIG sells SIG Beverages and its subsidiary companies SIG Corpoplast with SIG Moldtec, SIG Asbofill and SIG Plasmax to Salzgitter AG.

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