Founded as "Technisches Büro Habasit" (Technical Office Habasit) in 1946 in Basel by Fernand Habegger and Alice Fluck (later Mrs. Habegger), the firm started as a provider for machines, tools and technical innovations. In 1953 the firm entered the spindle- and machine tape market, and in 1959 moved to its current main office in Reinach, Basel-Country. The first foreign subsidiary was set up in 1965, in England, paving the way for rapid and extensive international expansion, with further subsidiaries opened in 1967 in Canada, Spain, Austria, Sweden and the USA, 1968 in Japan, 1972 in Brazil, 1974 in Germany, 1976 in Italy, 1979 in France, and 1981 in Norway. In 1983 the company started selling aramide power transmission belts. The very first flat belt on the market with an aramide tension member and joinable without adhesive. In 1985 the Group had a total of 738 employees and turnover of CHF 130 million. The next year, further subsidiaries were opened in Belgium and the Netherlands. Habasit’s founder, Fernand Habegger, passed away in 1992. From the mid-1990s onwards, the firm’s international expansion increased through takeovers in Switzerland, Italy, the USA, the UK, East Asia and China. Today, Habasit has more than 30 subsidiaries, 16 production units, and around 250 service providers and representatives in more than 70 countries. In 2013, the Group employed over 3,600 people globally, and recorded consolidated Group revenues of CHF 629.6 million.
