In its 75-year history,
Mapal has evolved from modest beginnings into a global precision tool manufacturer with a reputation for innovation and customer focus. Founded in 1950 by Dr Georg Kress, an economist and tax advisor with no technical background, the company began when he acquired a struggling client’s business, OBA Präzisionswerkzeugbau. He sold his successful tax firm and renamed the company MAPAL (short for Maschinen und Präzisionswerkzeugfabrik Aalen) initially producing woodworking machines before switching to threading tools.
A turning point came in 1952 with the purchase of a patent for a single-bladed reamer. “The technicians said it wouldn’t work,” recalled Dr Kress, but he persisted, refining the design with carbide guide pads and securing patents that laid the foundation for MAPAL’s future. By 1962, the company had patented a reamer with indexable inserts, establishing its expertise in fine-bore machining.
Dr Dieter Kress joined in 1969, bringing technical acumen to the family business. On his first day, he designed a new clamping method for indexable inserts: “It is still the principle we use today.” As president from 1974, he made the bold decision to abandon threading tools, which then accounted for two-thirds of turnover, to focus solely on reamers. He said: “We had to differentiate ourselves.” he said, betting on a niche product with no direct competition.
Mapal’s reamers found a natural home in the automotive industry, where flexible machining centres replaced rigid transfer lines. The company’s technical consultants worked closely with customers, even contributing to engine development. “We didn’t just sell tools — we sold solutions.”
International expansion began in 1977 with a US subsidiary and accelerated in the 1990s, following major customers worldwide. Today, Mapal operates in 25 countries. Strategic acquisitions in Germany — WWS, Miller, Weisskopf, August Beck, Robert Strom, ISOTOOL, and WTE — broadened the portfolio to include PCD tools, solid carbide drills and milling tools, ISO tools, actuating mechanisms, and clamping systems. The transformation from a small Swabian firm to a global player was driven by technical innovation, customer proximity, and entrepreneurial courage.
The third generation of the Kress family entered Mapal’s executive management in 2008, when Dr Jochen Kress joined the leadership team after eight years as a development engineer. By the time he became president of the Mapal Group in 2018, the industry was already undergoing significant change. Under his leadership, Mapal has actively responded to the automotive sector’s shift toward electromobility, developing efficient manufacturing solutions early in the transition.
Dr Kress also steered the company toward broader customer segments, expanding into aerospace, fluid power technology, and die and mould applications. In 2017, Mapal founded the digital start-up
c-Com to support tool management services. “We are aligning our organisation with the future,” said Dr Kress. The company has since integrated c-Com into the Group and continues to invest in digitalisation.
Sustainability has become a core focus, with an environmental management system implemented across all sites. Numerous measures in production and administration contribute to MAPAL’s commitment to responsible business practices.
At headquarters in Aalen, Dr Kress has led a reorganisation of management structures around core processes to streamline decision-making and adapt to the company’s global scale. The structural, organisational and cultural changes he initiated are designed to shape MAPAL well beyond its 75th anniversary year.