A difficult start, rapid growth

Courage, foresight and, last but not least, stamina: these are the skills that characterize the classic entrepreneurial personality. They are an important basis for the outstanding share of medium-sized companies in the overall economic success in Germany to this day. Gerhard Götzen is a typical example of this with his MAE.

In 1931, the foundry engineer was employed as plant manager at the Werner steel mill in Erkrath near Düsseldorf. In addition to this activity, he also supported the neighbouring company "Maschinen- und Apparatebau G.m.b.H. Erkrath", known as MAE for short, in his spare time. The company was mainly engaged in mechanical processing for the neighbouring steel mill.

Seized his chance

The generally poor situation during the period of the Great Depression quickly brought MAE, which had only been founded in 1926, into economic difficulties. In this situation, Gerhard Götzen saw his chance: together with another partner, he averted impending bankruptcy proceedings, reached a settlement with the creditors and re-established the company under the same name on August 6, 1931.

The starting conditions were very unfavourable: the still weak market and the financial burdens from the settlement proceedings made positive development impossible. The company operated at a loss for many years, even after the general economic situation in Germany improved. The number of employees reached its low of 15.

Shelves, cabinets and brakes

The turning point came when the second shareholder left MAE. In just a few years, the company was able to increase its size to 220 employees. The company's fields of activity were changed and expanded: In addition to mechanical processing, the company began to build its own manufacturing program. The production of industrial shelving and steel cabinets made of sheet metal and tubing became an important mainstay. A wide program covered all areas from office cabinets to material storage. The products were sold very successfully in the reviving economy of the 1930s.

Another line of business dealt with completely different products. The production of mechanical brake drives for electric street cars was quite successful and secured with own patents. According to its own information, MAE was the market leader in Germany in this field. A wide range of programs met the different requirements of the transport companies.

M like machines

MAE also began manufacturing the second product mentioned in the company name after 1933: machines were built, both as contract production for other companies and on its own account. Thus, they produced grinding machines for razor blades as well as presses.

More decisive for the further success of MAE, however, was the cooperation with the engineering company Walter Pöting oHG from Hagen in Westphalia, which took off in 1937. Walter Pöting had worked as a plant engineer in various glassworks. The production of hollow glassware in Germany was still largely manual labour. Legal regulations to protect jobs prevented automation that had long been implemented in Western Europe and the USA. The fall of these regulations, but above all the automatic production lines for mass hollow glassware such as beverage or medicine bottles, developed by Walter Pöting and affordable even for smaller glassworks, created a large market occupied only by Pöting. MAE took over the production of the individual parts and the assembly of these machines. In many years, more than half of the turnover was achieved with the Pöting machines, which were distributed worldwide and sold at profitable prices.

Site expansion

This was a good financial basis to expand MAE's own manufacturing program. The company buildings at Steinhof were expanded and enlarged to meet the latest demand. The social facilities were remarkably extensive for the time: the company had its own company doctor and a large green area with resting benches on the boundary of the site facing the railroad, as well as a company sports club and a singing group.

The company survived the year of war from 1939 to 1945 relatively unscathed. The average number of employees was around 170. In addition to the standard program, which continued to be produced, capacity was utilized for the machining of aircraft parts.