The History of Sulzer

 Father Johann Jacob Sulzer-Neuffert (1782-1853) and his two sons Johann Jakob (1806-1883) and Salomon (1809-1869) (pictured from top to bottom) laid the foundation for the Sulzer company in 1834 with the opening of a cast iron foundry in Winterthur.

175 Years of Sulzer In the first two decades, Sulzer Brothers was a cast iron foundry with a couple of dozen craftsman. The transformation into an industrial enterprise only began in the middle of the 19th century. Above all, the development in 1867 of a revolutionary valve-fitted steam engine by Charles Brown for Sulzer contributed to the company’s rise. Step by step, Sulzer moved into the production of refrigerating machines, centrifugal pumps and central heating systems. The company also developed and produced steam engines for ships. Around 1900, Sulzer employed 3 000 people. Thanks to a cooperative agreement with Rudolf Diesel, Sulzer became a leading producer of diesel engines, which gradually replaced steam engines.At the end of the 1930s, Sulzer began to produce heat pumps. Shortly after World War II, Sulzer started manufacturing gas turbines and textile machines. It also entered the nuclear technology sector.In the 1960s, Sulzer strengthened its position through a number of major takeovers. It aquired new business areas, particularly pumps, hydro turbines, paper machines, and medical technology, and started the development of separation columns.The oil crisis of the 1970s slowed a period of rapid growth. In the 1980s, Sulzer was reorganized step by step and the product range streamlined, but also complemented with surface technology.Around the turn of the millennium, large business areas were sold or spun off. In recent years, Sulzer has doubled sales and quadrupled operating profit with the present four divisions: Sulzer Pumps, Sulzer Metco, Sulzer Chemtech, and Sulzer Turbo Services.