maxon motor is turning 50

The canton of Obwalden's largest employer can look back on half a century of history: 50 years of maxon motor ag means 50 years of innovation, quality and continuity. It therefore stands to reason that maxon drives are used wherever they need to work in extreme conditions - from the earth's interior all the way to Mars.

Originally planned as a production site of the Braun GmbH electrical group in Frankfurt in December 1961, Sachseln-based maxon motor ag is today a company with a worldwide reputation. In its 50 year existence, the company has been marked by innovation and created a new understanding of high-precision drive systems. Employing close on 1,900 staff, of which more than 1,000 work at the headquarters in Sachseln alone, maxon motor is the largest employer in the canton of Obwalden. One particular order helped maxon become world-famous and catapulted it into the public limelight - this was when NASA's Sojourner rover landed on Mars on July 4, 1997, as it was fitted with 11 maxon DC motors.

Innovation and quality: the key to success
Apart from the prestigious orders for NASA, two factors were principally behind the company's continued success: innovation and outstanding quality. maxon laid the foundation for all subsequent innovations with a program of high-precision DC motors and the patented production process for an ironless rotor with rhombic winding that almost doubled efficiency compared to traditional DC motors. In 2010, maxon won the Innovation Prize from the Central Switzerland Chamber of Commerce for the second time for the EC 22 HD - its precision motor for extreme conditions - which documents the company's continuing power of innovation. maxon motors are used in many other areas apart from space travel, such as medical technology, industrial automation, in cars and planes, measuring and security technology and in robotics.

Constant expansion, continuity in management
maxon has always attached great importance on targeted expansion and sustained growth. With production sites in Switzerland, Germany and Hungary, maxon motor today has a production area of 16,000 m2 and a distribution network in more than 30 countries; around 80 per cent is exported into 55 countries. maxon motor has been able to steadily increase sales and the headcount over the past 50 years, posting a record result in 2010. Most notably, two leading figures have helped shape the company: "Thanks to their decades of loyalty and expertise, Bodo Fütterer and Jürgen Mayer have brought continuity and stability to Sachseln", said Dr. Karl-Walter Braun, the company's majority shareholder. Today Bodo Fütterer is Honorary Chairman. Jürgen Mayer steered maxon's affairs from 1993 as CEO and presided over the Board of Directors since 2004. Eugen Elmiger, who had already worked for maxon for more than 20 years, became the new Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2011.

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