Max Neuhaus

1.1.1900 – 5.2.1984

The next chapter of our story begins exactly one minute after the beginning of the 20th century. At midnight on the 1st of January 1900 a new son was born in the Neuhaus house. He was the seventh son of the couple Louis and Emma Neuhaus who saw the light of day in this remarkable hour and who became the fifth winch manufacturer. He was christened Max.

After leaving school he wanted to become an industrial tradesman and so he started an apprenticeship with the company “Dittmann-Neuhaus und Gabriel-Bergenthal” in the city of Herbede. Whilst working in various industrial companies he was constantly reminded about the ever decreasing business in his parent´s company as the work to be done after the 1st world war consisted mainly of the repair of old winches.

Max Neuhaus

Consequently at the age of 17 Max Neuhaus made the first steps towards learning how to regenerate the J.D. Neuhaus family business. When he was 19 he entered the company and became the company secretary and took overall responsibility for running the business. Building on the tradition of the house of his parents he specialised in the trade of winches and lifting equipment which he expanded steadily by astute promotion of the company products. He also continued the repair aspect of the business. The profits from the business were reinvested in new machinery and in 1923 the workshop was greatly enlarged. The first powered transmission driven machine tools were also acquired at this time..

The year 1925 was a very important one for Max Neuhaus and his company. From the Reichsbahn-Zentralamt (Central Office of the German Railway) in Berlin he won an order for 300 rail lifting winches. This order was a sound basis for further extending the fabrication facilities. And soon another order for 300 items of rail lifting winches followed so that he could increase the work force to 25 people.

After the second world war the underground coalmines continued to request Neuhaus equipment. In 1952 in order to fulfil this ever increasing demand a new manufacturing area was built for which the plans had been drawn for some time. This year his eldest son J. Diederich Neuhaus, entered the company as a dedicated and indispensable member.