The company’s foundation is laid by Johann Schürholz with the founding of the pressing plant at the Ratscheller Weg in Plettenberg. Johann Schürholz produces washers and pressed parts in a one-man operation with a turning lathe.

On November 21, 1930, Otto Schürholz, one of Johann Schürholz’s sons, joins the company.

Johann Schürholz purchases the grounds of the decommissioned Kuhlenberg hut at the Albaumbach in Würdinghausen, which was home to an iron production until its closure. At the time of purchase, the old building of a nuts and bolts factory was located on the approximately 4-acre large grounds. The initial inventory of the Würdinghausen branch is newly acquired and amounts to four turning lathes, five press machines, planing and drilling machines as well as a roller cutter. Over time, new buildings are erected on the plant grounds. Johann Schürholz promotes his first employee, Willy Teipelmann as director of the Würdinghausen plant. There is a railway link from Würdinghausen to Plettenberg, which is used by the employees as well as to transport operational products in time.

The founder, Johann Schürholz, dies on April 21, 1945. Following that, his daughter, Hedwig Schürholz enters the company and manages the operations together with her brother Otto. Hedwig is responsible for the commercial area while Otto Schürholz takes charge of the technical part.

Thanks to the steady economic boom after the 2. World War and the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1948, the production capacities are expanded. In the early 1950s, then, the first punching machines with a punching power of 25-45 tons are commissioned and at the same time contacts are established with the car industry. A specialty at the time is the production of compensating disks for the axle and gearbox production, starting with a material thickness of 0.075 mm and incrementally increasing by 0.025 mm. In response to the steady increase in demand for turned discs, automatic lathes are developed and patented on which millions of high-quality parts are produced in the following years.

In 1955, a new production hall is constructed at the Königsstraße in Plettenberg.

Following the death of Otto Schürholz on December 6, 1959, the sons Hans-Otto and Walter receive his company shares. The company is converted into a limited partnership in 1961.

In 1964, an additional production hall including an office building is built at the Königsstraße. In addition to the required structural expansion, due to the steady increase of the bolts accessory market share, a corresponding expansion and modernization of the production capacities become necessary as well. The 1960s then also saw the investment in punching machines with a punching power of up to 100t. At this time, the company already numbered 500 customers and the number of products was in the thousands.

The Schürholz company celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Hedwig Schürholz dies on March 20, 1970. Hans-Otto Schürholz subsequently assumes the management of the company. At this time, the company already has a larger machine pool with 25 punch presses, 5 roll barrels, various turning and thread machines, lathes for washers, tool lathes, planers, surface grinders, roll cutters, plate shears, fork lifts and a bonderizing system.

A punch-bending department is created at the Plettenberg plant in 1977. Following the decision to begin the production of punch-bent parts, extensive investments are made between 1977 and 1983 in the (at that time’s) largest and most cutting edge plant of the Otto Bihler company, in part with special equipment for round products with hydraulic calibration stations. In addition to the production of bushes, the company also specializes on the manufacture of cases for injection pumps of which several millions are shipped worldwide each year.

In the early 1980s, a focus on the punch technology at the Plettenberg plant followed while a transformation was made at the Würdinghausen site toward flexible sheet metal processing. Furthermore, 1984 saw the entry into laser processing in Würdinghausen.

In 1985, the Plettenberg plant moved from the Königsstraße to the industrial site Köbbinghausen. The property area thus grew from approx. 10,000m2 to more than 20,000m2 with an initial hall size of 4,200m2. The share of washers and standard parts was steadily scaled back. Press-, punch- and drawn parts are the main focus from hereon. From the mid-80s, the production of cases for radiator cooled motors is continuously expanded and up to 500,000 pieces are shipped each month. These motors receive welded tabs with punched bolts to attach cooling systems. A welding shop is installed at the Würdinghausen plant in 1985.

During the same period, investments are made in several disc-double face grinding machines DDS 600, to be able to supply the punch products and discs with the narrowest tolerances and highest surface quality after the perpetually planned exit from the DIN-disc production. Several million cylinder-head discs are annually produced for the car industry as well as spacers and shim rings. At the same time, the processing of fine punch and cold extruded press parts with very narrow balance and thickness tolerances took place on a large place.

In 1991, a 400t punching machine with transfer device is acquired. Thanks to the purchase of this machine, the manufacture of anchor clamps for the German Federal Mail is started. The quite complicated punching parts are produced in three sizes for different cable profiles, hot-dip galvanized and finally screwed with synthetic parts. The anchor clamps are needed to fixate and lay power- and telephone lines. In 1991/92, an additional production hall is constructed in the industrial area Köbbinghausen due to the continued growth.

Establishment of the VIA Association, a cooperation of mid-sized, owner-managed businesses in the car-supplier sector. Schürholz is one of the founding members.

At the Würdinghausen plant, cutting edge production allows for the flexible manufacture of boards and molded parts up to complex assemblies. In constant dialog with the customer, the company develops innovative problem solutions in sheet metal for single parts and prototypes as well as for series of complex assemblies. With the help of modern technologies, such as 2D and 3D laser processing as well as CNC bending technologies, product developments are possible in the shortest amount of time in order to achieve significant time and cost advantages in this manner. At this point, 55 staff members are employed in Würdinghausen. Metal plates, 3D molded parts, cases and sheet metal cladding are produced. The company sets the goal to constantly work at optimizing the production and performance processes, to drive the staff qualifications and development forward, persistently work on quality improvements for its products and services and to optimize the communication both internally and externally.

New establishment of the Schürholz Polska, a production site for punch-bent parts, welded and assembly modules in Sroda Slaska, Poland.

Establishment of a joint venture in China (Yangzhou), the Jiangsu Schürholz Precision Metal Forming Co. Ltd.

Acquisition of the first servo press at the Plettenberg plant.

Certification of the Plettenberg plant according to DIN EN ISO 140001.

Introduction of SAP at the production plant Plettenberg. Following that, SAP was implemented at the plant in Poland including a connection to the Plettenberg plant.

In 2016, the Poland plant is expanded by an additional production hall. The developed space now amounts to 3,300 m²; the total area encompasses 11,500 m². The Chinese plant moves to a new production building within Yangzhou. The developed area now amounts to 3,300 m²; the total area of the property is approx. 4,000 m². In addition, the company also has sufficient expansion options for the future. Furthermore, the certification of the worker protection management system at the Plettenberg plant according to the norm BS OHSAS 18001 occurs that year.