25 Years of Growth and Innovation at Schmalz Inc. in Raleigh, NC

RALEIGH, NC (FEBRUARY 19, 2024) — In 1998, Schmalz, Inc. was just starting its operations in Raleigh, NC in a 2,000 sq. ft. building with a handful of employees. Since then, the company’s headquarters has grown 50 times that size to 100,000 sq. ft. with plans to expand even further to 140,000 sq. ft. Twenty-five years later, this expanded space is filled with 118 employees who are committed to the Schmalz mission of innovation and continuing to develop products that support customer needs.

Dr. Volker Schmitz joined Schmalz Inc. as President in 2007, and under his leadership, the company has seen many years of accelerated growth. The company revenue has increased fifteenfold since the U.S. operation began.

Now a staple of the Raleigh community, Schmalz Inc. employees prioritize giving back to the community. Schmalz reinvests 8% of annual revenues every year into hiring and training apprentices, co-op students and paid interns and is a proud member of the North Carolina Triangle Apprentice Program. Many of these apprentices are now full-time Schmalz employees.

The company also has regular fundraising drives to support the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, InterAct and Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. One of the causes most important to the employees of Schmalz Inc. is Smile More Complain Less, which was founded in honor of Schmalz employee Nick Vanhoy who battled osteosarcoma.  

Schmalz aims to maintain its double-digit growth rate in Raleigh and continue supporting the productivity and automation enhancements that drive some of the most prominent U.S. manufacturers and American e-commerce retailers. Schmalz is the global leader in vacuum automation products, robotic end-of-arm vacuum gripper tools, material handling ergonomic lift assist manipulators and CNC vacuum clamping tools. The organization is a third-generation, family-owned company based in Germany and with a history dating back over 109 years.