History

HF Rubber Machinery, Inc.

Find out a little about our history and how we came to be the company we are.

Midwest Machine Works was established during January of 1960 in Topeka, Kansas, USA. With a single owner, Leonard Smith, and one employee, Midwest Machine Works grew to 55 employees by 1964. The majority of their work included providing parts, rebuilds, and services for the rubber compounding industry. The hard work and ingenuity of Midwest Machine Works formed a reputation of quality and reliability.

In 1989 Midwest Machine Works became a wholly owned subsidiary of Werner & Pfleiderer Gummitechnik in Freudenburg, Germany; thus creating Midwest Werner & Pfleiderer.


Werner & Pfleiderer has an inclusive history in rubber processing equipment since the year 1879, inventing the first internal mixer. As a result of the acquisition, Midwest was able to offer a complete range of Werner & Pfleiderer products and services. The incorporation of unique pieces of equipment and computer processing controls allowed the company to reach larger markets across the globe. 4 Krupp Elastomertechnik, a giant in the rubber processing industry who originated in Hamburg, Germany, became interested in the small yet thriving Midwest Werner & Pfleiderer. The joining of these two firms resulted in greater potential for innovation and a more comprehensive range of proven and advancing technologies.

In 1998 Krupp merged with Thyssen, another well known traditional group in the industry. The new ThyssenKrupp group has a wealth of expertise in its three main areas of business: Steel, Capital Goods, and Services in the five segments of Steel, Automotive, Elevator, Technologies, and Services. ThyssenKrupp Elastomertechnik GmbH was part of the TK Technologies segment until 2005.

In 2005, ThyssenKrupp Elastomertechnik GmbH was acquired by the Possehl Group and renamed Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH (HF).  HF Rubber Machinery Inc. (HFRM) in Topeka, Kansas is proud to be part of the world's leading supplier of rubber processing equipment and machinery. Together with a sales office in , Ohio and over 40 years of excellence, HFRM offers the highest quality products and services in the industry today and will continue to long into the future.