Our History
From a garage to a global innovation leader
Guided by this principle, founder and visionary Jürgen Stehr has been shaping the construction machinery industry for over four decades.
What began in 1983 in a small garage in the Hessian town of Schwalmtal is today a globally active specialist for innovative road and civil engineering machinery. With over 100 registered patents and utility models, we don't build standard machines – we develop practical solutions that make construction sites worldwide faster, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly.
Apprenticeship and Traveling Years
After completing his training as an agricultural machinery mechanic, the young Jürgen Stehr was drawn out into the world. During his traveling years, he gained valuable practical experience outside his Hessian homeland. This period shaped his inexhaustible inventive spirit and his eye for unconventional solutions that prove themselves directly in practice.
Birth in the Garage
Jürgen Stehr took the leap into self-employment and founded his company in a small garage in Storndorf, a district of Schwalmtal. With minimal resources but immense passion, the first prototypes were created right here.
The Mini Excavator Breakthrough
When the first mini excavators emerged at the end of the 1980s, established large corporations still ridiculed them as "toys" and refused to manufacture suitable attachments. Jürgen Stehr seized the initiative: without further ado, he developed robust buckets for mini excavators himself, along with the accompanying, revolutionary hydraulic breaker. A new market niche was filled.
Vibration-Free Add-On Compactor
Stehr revolutionized compaction technology in inner-city civil engineering with the first hydraulic add-on compactor for completely vibration-free compaction. Because 100 percent of the energy is directed vertically into the ground, damage to surrounding buildings is consistently avoided. The highly efficient units are designed for flexible operation on wheel loaders, excavators, and tractors.
Focus on Tractors & Fendt Vario
Stehr was the first to recognize the enormous potential of agricultural tractors in construction. The key to success was the continuously variable Fendt Vario drive. Jürgen Stehr combined his heavy-duty special trenchers and compactors with this drive system. This was the only way to smoothly transfer full PTO speed to the ground at minimal, infinitely variable creep speeds. The tractor became a fully-fledged construction machine.
The Conical Manhole Cover Cutter
Another stroke of genius: Stehr invented the manhole cover cutter with a globally unique conical milling head. The system enables fast, precisely fitting, and clean cutting out of manhole covers during road rehabilitation in absolute record time.
Dust-Free Soil Stabilization
Environmental and health protection came into focus: Stehr launched a groundbreaking invention for completely dust-free soil stabilization. Binders such as lime or cement are mixed directly into the soil without any dust generation – a crucial advantage for construction sites near residential areas.
The All-In-One Road Maintenance System
The logical next step: Stehr revolutionized road construction with an intelligent combination system on a single tractor. While the heavy rear grader blade tears up and profiles the path, the front plate compactor compacts the material in the very same pass. This eliminates the need for three separate construction machines.
40 Years of Stehr Baumaschinen
The company celebrated its 40th anniversary. What was once a one-man garage operation has become an internationally highly respected family business, today located on a factory site spanning over 70,000 square meters in Schwalmtal.
Hessen Champions & Europe
Our innovative strength remains unbroken: Stehr Baumaschinen reached the grand finale of the prestigious "Hessen Champions" award. At the same time, our pioneering technology was presented in the European Parliament as a best-practice example.
We never stand still – for the construction sites of tomorrow.