In the building on Schulhausstrasse 24, Meilen, belonging to Stauder Spinning Machinery Works, who has just gone bankrupt, Johannes Rüegg has set up a factory for steel springs and punching articles.

Founding of the Limited partnership Schmid & Co. to “manufacturing of springs and punched articles for the Textile Industry” and the acquisition of assets and liabilities of the company Rüegg & Schmid. Delegates: Kaspar Jakob Schmid -Leemann and Louise Schmid-Leemann. Takeover of the buildings and forming of wing annex.

Direct exports account for 5% of Production. (For comparison: 2011 was about 27%) Products delivered to the domestic markets account for 4/5 shipments abroad.

The workforce is 14 employees comprising of: 1 Toolmaker, 1 Office Clerk, 1 Storekeepr, 1 Apprentice and 10 Laborers.

The Company was transformed into a collective company, with three of the sons as partial shareholders. Procurement of the first integrated stamping and bending machines. The production comprises many different types of springs and mass articles from wire as well as stamped products.

The company is now 50 years old. Moving into new and larger factory buildings in Oetwill am See. The work force is now 40. A first structural extension is necessary and the commissioning of a first automatic hardening furnace.

Bruno Pfenninger, Wetzikon is still the Chairman of the Board. Brothers Oskar and Armin Schmid stay on the Board until 1994/95. Main purpose of the company is now redefined as “manufacturing of springs and stamping products” as well as stamping and bending products.

Acquisition of the company by an investment group with Albert Enste, Zurich as a new Board Chairman with individual signature. Winning the tender for the outsourcing of stamping machinery together with 1 operator, 3 machines and 63 machine tools transferred from Germany to Switzerland.