Dignitaries Help Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Farmington Company

FARMINGTON, CT — TRUMPF Inc. celebrated its 50th anniversary Monday at the company’s headquarters in Farmington, with guests including Dr. Emily Haber, German Ambassador to the United States, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Dr. Nicola Leibinger-Kammueller, CEO of the TRUMPF Group.

Each dignitary addressed TRUMPF customers and employees at the celebration. Peter Hoecklin, President and CEO of TRUMPF Inc., also reflected on the company’s anniversary milestone and introduced two new company innovations – Active Speed Control and Track & Trace.

In 1968, entrepreneur Berthold Leibinger was in search of a U.S. subsidiary for the sales and service of TRUMPF machinery in America. After visiting Detroit and Chicago, Leibinger visited with a friend in Connecticut and fell in love with the back roads of Farmington and the state’s illustrious history of manufacturing. In July of 1969, TRUMPF moved into a rented building in Farmington and the company’s first U.S. subsidiary was born. 2019 offers itself as a monumental year for TRUMPF as it celebrates fifty years in America.

“After Germany, the U.S. is TRUMPF’s second-largest single market with 607 million U.S. dollars in sales,” said Leibinger-Kammüller, serving as CEO of the TRUMPF Group since 2005. “That

puts the United States ahead of China. Including Mexico and Canada, we are talking about 775 million U.S. dollars in sales for North America.”

TRUMPF is made up of several locations in the U.S. and North America. TRUMPF’s headquarters in
Farmington, has grown substantially over the years from a sales location to a manufacturing
facility, where numerous groundbreaking ceremonies for new construction have been held. Over 900 employees work within production areas, technical service, research and development labs, customer demonstration centers and administrative offices at TRUMPF in the United States. The diode factory in Princeton, New Jersey has a workforce of almost 300, and a further 100 colleagues are employed at the production site for machine frames in Monterrey, Mexico. The total number of employees for all TRUMPF locations across North America is now over 1,500.

In her speech to more than 200 guests, Haber said “The TRUMPF Inc. presence in the United States is a success story. It is a symbol of U.S.-German partnership and the dedication of German companies to investing and producing in the United States.”

Leibinger-Kammüller added, “The success of a company like TRUMPF here, in the United
States, depends on this multinational relationship. Here, too, this relationship has been built upon the very close bond that exists between the US and Germany.”

From becoming the first foreign production site for TRUMPF punching tools, the American subsidiary now develops and produces machines, lasers and tooling to supply American industries – including traditional agriculture and farming, automobile and aerospace, and the innovative consumer electronics industry. TRUMPF’s path to today’s success has been marked by bold and farsighted entrepreneurial decisions, the continuous hard work of employees, and the valued relationships with the company’s customers.

“On the occasion of TRUMPF’s 50th anniversary, we celebrate the accomplishments of this great
Connecticut manufacturer. From its world class training center and innovative technologies to its
dedication to improving the work-life balance of its current and future employees, TRUMPF continues to be a leading manufacturer in Connecticut,” Lamont said.

While TRUMPF’s presence in Canada and Mexico play a vital role in the company’s success, it
continues to increase its presence in the United States. The TRUMPF Smart Factory in Hoffman
Estates, Ill., opened in 2017, serves as the international center of excellence for Industry 4.0. This
year’s opening of TRUMPF’s new fully interconnected technology center in Costa Mesa, Cal. is also
another milestone to be celebrated alongside the company anniversary. These steps drive home the company’s focus - remain close to its customers to better understand their changing needs within the precision sheet metal fabrication industry.

Story by Emily Simone/TRUMPF