Course correction for ski service machines:
The first machines, the first ISPO, the first subsidiary
MPS multi-purpose surface grinding
Course correction for ski service machines:
The first machines, the first ISPO, the first subsidiary
Back in 1968, Johann Wintersteiger developed a simple stone grinding machine for ski production at Fischer Ski, to grind the surface of the ski base. It took more than 10 years to actually get started in the ski service industry, so it was not until 1978 that WINTERSTEIGER decided to switch from ski manufacturing machines to ski servicing machines. The reason for this was the consolidation taking place in the ski manufacturing industry. In just two years in the late 1970s, the number of ski factories worldwide went down from 130 to 30. Many small companies in Austria, Switzerland, Finland, or Sweden could no longer keep up with the industrialization.
In 1978, WINTERSTEIGER made the forward-looking decision to start producing ski servicing machines, and was the first to develop the multi-purpose surface grinding machine – the MPS. It was available in three different versions: the 1M with one abrasive belt, 2M with two abrasive belts, and finally 3M, with two belts and an edge grinding machine as a side unit. The MPS 3Ms was extremely successful. In 1980, WINTERSTEIGER was the first company with a side edge grinding aggregate. It was developed in just a few weeks by Hans Wintersteiger as a trade fair exhibit for ISPO.
TSMS-A stone and belt grinding machine
In 1983, the company presented the first stone and belt grinding machine for ski service: the TSMS-A. This double grinding machine had a stone on one side and a belt on the other.
The GTR 800 came next – the first machine in the new green color! Then in 1985, it was the MCR, the best-selling stone grinding machine, and finally, in 1989, the Micro series. These stone grinding machines took up very little space, and were also modular in structure, from the "single stone" module to the snowboard version with a 350 mm stone and a 350 mm belt.
The "branch office".
WINTERSTEIGER established its first subsidiary in the Bavarian community of Maisach-Gernlinden, Germany, in 1981. The subsidiary was managed by Karl Steinmann, and the first salespersons were Gerhard Scholl and Erwin Seiler. It consisted of an office for seven people and a small storage room, including a corner workshop.
Before Austria joined the EU, the ski service machines for Germany were produced in Ried, had to clear customs, and were then delivered to the subsidiary as an intermediate station. The machines were sent to the sports retailers from Maisach-Gernlinden. In 1987, the subsidiary moved to Jesenwang, where a larger showroom, including a warehouse and a workshop, were set up. After Austria joined the EU, the machines could be delivered directly to customers, so an office – most recently in Buchloe – was sufficient, and the subsidiary was closed.
