1959

BEKUM founded in Berlin, Germany

1959

Patent for “ring neck calibration”

1960

First blow molding machine to produce PVC bottles for edible oils

1963

Worldwide First “twin-station” blow molding machine

1968

BEKUM established its facility in Traismauer, Austria

1975

First commercial “3-layer co-extrusion” blow molding machine

1976

First blow molding machine for “6-layer co-extrusion”

1979

BEKUM established its North American facility in Williamston, MI, USA

1984

Gottfried Mehnert, BEKUM’s founder received the “Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany”

1985

Lifetime Achievement Award – Blow Molding Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers

1991

Further development of “6-layer” technology to produce worldwide, the first automotive plastic fuel tanks

1992

First continuous “6-layer” co-extrusion head for production of automotive plastic fuel tanks

1995

First shuttle tandem blow demonstration at K-‘98

1999

Martin Stark, BEKUM America’s Chairman elected to the Plastics Pioneers Association

2004

First multi-parison “6-layer” co-extrusion machine in tandem blow production

2006

Gottfried Mehnert, BEKUM’s founder, and a true pioneer in blow molding with over forty patents personally assigned to him, inducted into the PLASTICS HALL OF FAME. Mr. Mehnert was the first non-American to be honored as a member of the prestigious PLASTICS HALL OF FAME.

2006

Martin Stark, BEKUM America’s Chairman received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers

2007

Introduction of the first “fully electric blow molding” machine

2010

Patent for the “C-Frame Closing” unit for electrical and hydraulic blow molding machines

2015

European Production locations relocated to and focused in Traismauer, Austria

2016

New world headquarters in Berlin

2018

Martin Stark, BEKUM America’s Chairman elected to the PLASTICS HALL OF FAME (induction ceremonies May 6, 2018)