Our history

1971 – Company founding in Ravensburg

On 1 July 1971, Max Hobe senior, a mechanic and carbide tool grinder with a strong pioneering spirit and inventiveness, founded Hobe GmbH. In his modest grinding shop, he crafted high-precision cutting tools made of cemented carbide, at first mostly to customer specifications.

1974 – Relocation to Baienfurt

The business grows in size and develops accordingly. On the back of this growth, the company rents larger premises around 6 km north of Ravensburg to expand manufacturing capacity.

1979 – Acquisition and move into the current company headquarters

As Baienfurt appears to be the ideal location, the company acquires a suitable commercial property. This move also creates more room for growth.

1987 – Max Hobe junior joins the company

After completing his commercial training and apprenticeship in the precision and measuring device area, Max Hobe junior joins the company to support his father in the management of the family business as well as in technical product development.

1993 – Dagmar Hobe joins the company

Max Hobe's daughter, Dagmar, a trained business economist takes on a position as the head of financial accounting and production management thus completing the internal family succession.

1994 – Generational change in the family

Max Hobe senior, the company's founder, retires from professional life and leaves the management completely in the hands of his children Dagmar and Max Hobe junior. These rely on the continuing trend towards miniaturisation of technical components and push the size reduction of Hobe tools forward.

1997 – Introduction of self-developed standard tools

Hobe presented its first patented in-house products at EMO Hannover, the world's leading metalworking trade fair. Now, the company's comprehensive know-how flows increasingly into the development of standardised micro-tools that ensure rapid availability and best application results.

1998 – Hobe enters the international arena

Hobe's entry into Switzerland marks but the beginning of a series of global business partnerships. Today, Hobe's sales network spans 17 countries on four continents.

2000 – Launch of its own brand borin®

Under the borin® brand, Hobe offers a complete system of in-house-developed micro-tools for internal boring with suitable tool holders. It scores with its high repeatable accuracy and ease of use.

2000 – Acquisition of a new production facility

Once again, Hobe expands its production area: An annex to the main building will hold machine tools of the latest generation to expand current machinery. Hobe always stays one step ahead with its state-of-the-art production systems, which are regularly upgraded and maintained.

2001 – Introduction of the private labels spinin® and tourin®

Hobe extends its own offering of precision tools for boring, counterboring and reaming with the launch of the spinin® brand. The tourin® brand rounds off its extensive offering for cutting manufacturing process with tools for internal milling and whirling.

2002 – Award from WiR Innovation Prize 01/02 

The Wirtschafts- und Innovationsförderungsgesellschaft Landkreis Ravensburg (Economic and Innovation Promotion Agency of Ravensburg) gives Hobe an award for the development of the borin® internal boring system.

2002 – Innovation Award of Baden-Württemberg

The tool system borin® receives yet another award: Hobe is awarded the Dr.-Rudolf-Eberle Prize for "outstanding efforts of SMEs to develop and apply new technologies".

2004 – Award from WiR Innovation Prize 03/04

The WE-Innovation Committee honours a proprietary Hobe Special Method of equipping micro-tools with ultra-hard cutting materials.

2007 – Complete overhaul of manufacturing equipment with the introduction of CNC

Now, after the first CNC-controlled grinding machine goes into operation in 1993, the entire product range is manufactured automatically. The small craft business grows steadily into a modern, medium-sized tool making company.

2009 – Introduction of own brand probin®

Hobe adds plug gauges to its offering as the perfect complement to its self-developed range. Under the brand probin®, probe tips, suitable for borin® holder systems, are offered for the production-oriented quick testing of internal forms.

2009 – Further expansion of production capacity

Further production premises are rented opposite the main building, while modernising the facilities for the production of carbide blanks.

2010 – Quality management certification

Hobe demonstrably meets the requirements of DIN EN ISO 9001 in November 2010. Compliance with quality standards is reviewed annually.

2011 – Celebration of the company's 40th anniversary

A good reason to celebrate: Leveraging its continued technology edge and innovation over four decades, Hobe GmbH establishes itself as one of the few German micro-tools manufacturers on the international market.

2013 – Acquisition of the rented production facility

Hobe now owns 1,700 square meters of production and office space at its Baienfurt headquarters.

2016 – Sale of Hobe GmbH to Hobe Tools Holding GmbH

In the course of corporate succession, the Hobe siblings transfer business management to the new co-owner Dr. Ing. Jens-Jörg Eßer. Hobe micro-tools website is completely redesigned and equipped with an online store for easy ordering of standard products.

2017 – Expansion of our production

With the development of a new production area and the redesign of the social, meeting and training facilities, we support our growth ambitions.

2018 – Investments in direct sales in our core market Germany

The expansion of our direct sales activities started in 2017 and was completed this year. Four application consultants are now supporting our customers directly in the key regions of Germany.

2019 – Expansion of sales in European countries

We are strengthening our presence in our neighbouring countries with new and additional sales partners in France, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria.

2021 – We have been on the market for 50 years now

In 2021, we celebrated our 50th anniversary. We see great potential for microtools in the future due to the unbroken trend towards even smaller components.