Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/479641
1 7 8 H a r t f o r d TRUMPF Inc. The year was 1969. From man's first walk on the moon to the debut of the first home computer, it was a year marked with innovation, creativity and significant milestones in society — including the founding of Germany- based TRUMPF Group's U.S. subsidiary in Farmington, Connecticut. E s tablished by Christian Trumpf in 1923 and headquartered in Ditzingen, Germany, TRUMPF is one of the world's largest manufacturers of sheet metal fabricating equipment and a world leader in industrial laser technology. TRUMPF Inc., the second largest of the TRUMPF Group subsidiaries, owes its presence in North America to the pioneering spirit of an enterprising engineer, Berthold Leibinger, who obtained permission from Mr. Trumpf more than four decades ago to find an office in a country where the market was still untapped for TRUMPF machine tools. After scouting out many of the major manufactur- ing hubs in the U. S., a weary Leibinger visited a friend in Connecticut on his way home to Germany. It was during this trip that he was introduced to the Farmington Industrial Park, which would become TRUMPF's American home and the company's North American headquarters. It wasn't long before Leibinger's foresight and inge- nuity led him to become president and managing partner of the TRUMPF Group. Today, Professor Leibinger and his family own TRUMPF. His daughter, Dr. Nicola Leibinger-Kammueller, is president and chairwoman of the managing board of this indepen- dent, privately held company. Since its establishment in 1969, TRUMPF Inc. has grown from just three employees to 550 employees and is now the largest manufacturer of fabricating equipment and industrial lasers in the U.S. The company is the per- fect example of Berthold Leibinger's theory: "To be truly successful in a country, you must be immersed in the culture and its mentality." TRUMPF Inc. is the third-largest taxpayer in Farmington, and in spite of these turbulent economic times, during fiscal year 2010-2011 the company experi- enced its second most successful year in its history. Innovation lies at the heart of TRUMPF's culture, and during a time when other companies were retreating from the marketplace, in the fourth quar- ter of 2009 TRUMPF Inc. launched a new, flagship product, the TruLaser 1030. Completely conceived, designed and built in Farmington, the TruLaser 1030 is an innovative sheet metal fabricating machine with great relevance to today's manufacturers. It has, in fact, revolutionized the industry. Featuring TRUMPF technology at an affordable price, the TruLaser 1030 allows already-established fabri- cators to add laser cutting to their list of capabilities, and it also affords aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to launch a sheet metal fabricating business. But the TruLaser 1030 is only one example of TRUMPF Inc.'s commitment to research and develop- ment initiatives, an area in which the company invests heavily. The TruLaser 1030 laser cutting system's options are empowering to fabricators, who can choose the model best suited for their unique busi- ness requirements. And one of those options is TRUMPF's TruCoax laser. The TruCoax, a diffusion-cooled CO 2 laser, is state-of-the-art technology from Farmington. This laser is particularly impressive because of its light weight, small footprint, compact design, and low maintenance requirements. However, TRUMPF's definition of success extends beyond products to include a strong commitment to contributing to the quality of life in its community. TRUMPF and its employees donate time and resourc- es to many local and regional civic, social and chari- table projects, including MetroHartford Alliance, Farmington Chamber of Commerce, Race for the Cure, Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Farmington Library, Connecticut Science Center, Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the German School of Connecticut, and other Connecticut-based organizations. To help train the workforce of tomorrow, TRUMPF Assembly line for the TruLaser 1030 laser cutting machine - designed and built in Farmington.