History

The THIELE company was founded in 1935 by August Thiele.

In the early days 8 employees welded chains still using a forge fire. Over time the heavy physical work was greatly simplified with the introduction of automatic bending and welding machines. THIELE began with the production of chains for the mining industry in the 1950s. The stainless steel (23 MnNiMoCr 54) which is generally used nowadays for high-performance chains was developed and tested by THIELE engineers. All of the heavy mining chains were designed by THIELE, and THIELE was additionally responsible for the development of mining chain rated sizes ranging from 22 mm to the present day size of 48 mm.

The takeover of heavy anchor chain manufacturer Schlieper and snow chain manufacturer Nordland at the end of the 1960s further expanded the THIELE product range.

Today, the THIELE group produces 5,000 different types of chains and accessories. We have proven our claim as the leading innovator in this sector time and time again, and we manufactured both the longest (915 m) and the heaviest (100 t) anchor chains in the world.

THIELE remains a family-run operation today. We work closely with our customers in a never-ending search for improved, innovative solutions backed by the additional support of renowned universities and leading research institutes. We conduct intensive research in the materials engineering and shaping sectors to constantly bring you products that are lighter, more stabile and safer.

We have been constructing and designing products using CAD for many years. We rely on computer-controlled production processes in the manufacture of our chains and forged parts to guarantee you a consistent level of the highest quality. By continuously improving our processes, we have achieved top standards on a global scale in our production processes.