Schaeff '1937–pr.

Since the end of the 16th century the Schaeff family operated hammer mills at various locations in Franconia. In the middle of the 19th century Leonhardt Schaeff acquired the hammer mill near Hornberg (Kirchberg/Jagst). First he extended the business, however soon he was struggling for economic survival: the increasing competition through industrially manufactured products made life difficult for the smith. In 1920 the family reoriented itself and started with a retail business and repair workshop for agricultural machines in Sulzdorf (Schwäbisch Hall). Karl Schaeff sen. moved it to Langenburg. There, in 1937 he opened an agricultural machine and industrial workshop. After 1945 the activities changed to industrial manufacturing of construction machines: the company, with approximately 1700 employees worldwide, built excavators, wheel loaders, materials handling and tunnel machines, as well as forklifts. In 2001 the corporate group was sold to the US Terex Group.

Nowadays Schaeff develops, manufactures and distributes compact construction equipment. It has been a part of the Yanmar family since October 2016 and has been trading under the name Yanmar Compact Germany since January 1, 2017. The company has a factory in Crailsheim (built in 1978) and a spare parts center in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.