History

A Constant in the flow of the Company’s History

Our founder, Forestry District Director Waldemar Grube, was literally a man of the moment. Only a few weeks after the end of World War II he founded Grube’s Forestry Tools on 16th October 1945. After more than 70 years of trading and growth in an ever changing market, success is not something to be taken for granted. If there is a secret to what has been achieved, it goes like this; react to customer demand with great flexibility, offer the best quality, promote innovation and always be able to offer expert advice on forestry matters. The Grube family has always had close links to the land and forest and that continues into the third generation.

1945: Forestry District Director Grube founded Grube’s Forestry Tools
1950: First Catalogue produced; 13 pages of A6 format and 1000 copies
1951: Start of the specialist forestry journal „Die Waldarbeit”, which is still produced by the Euting Press.
1955: Third catalogue produced and this time distributed nationwide. First apprentice taken on.
1959: Grube took a stand at the Forestry and Timber Trade Fair in Freiburg/Breisgau for the first time. Waldemar Grube’s daughter Heidemarie joined the Company.
1960: The start of US imports with Nelson marking paints, Pioneer and Homelite power saws and Lawn Boy mowers. All prove top sellers for decades. Waldemar Grube’s son Heinrich joined the Company.
1965: Grube celebrated its 20th anniversary and opened a new head office.
1970: Grube celebrated its 25th anniversary and turnover reached DM 1 million. The Company took part in the Interforst Trade Fair in Munich and its international reputation grew due to significant foreign aid deliveries to forestry projects in Asia and Africa. New warehouse opened.

1978: Foundation of Grube KG as a limited partnership headed by Waldemar Grube with his son Heinrich and daughter Heidemarie as partners.
1982: Further offices and a second warehouse opened. The Company catalogue was now in A4 format and contained 204 pages. Grube KG became a trustee on Germany’s Board for Woodland and Forestry Technology.
1984: Takeover of a former competitor, Forstkultur GmbH.
1985: On the Company’s 40th anniversary it employed 40 staff and was directed by Heinrich Grube.
1986: Further expansion into exports and international aid deliveries.
1987: The first PC appeared at Grube. Takeover of the traditional Remschied based company, David Dominicus. Fax replaced telex.
1988: Founding of Grube Forst, the first subsidiary in Austria and what was then the European Common Market.

1989: First contacts made in the former DDR (East Germany).
1990: Development of a retail network in eastern Germany (Dominicus Forestry Services).
1991: Founding of the subsidiary company Grube Forest Tools in Eberwalde near Berlin. Third warehouse and more offices built in Hützel.
1993: Founding of a Grube subsidiary company in Poland.
1995: Takeover of Ebermetall GmbH (Ltd) in Eberswald.
1996: Founding of a Grube subsidiary on Slovakia.
1998: The first Nature and Leisure catalogue appeared with 36 pages. Further subsidiaries were founded in Hungary and Denmark.

2000: Takeover of Skogsmateriel Nordforest AB in Sweden and the founding of Handelshuset Skogma.
2001: Founder Waldemar Grube died.
2005: Founding of a Grube subsidiary in Bosnia.
2006: Warehouse capacity enlarged further and the Company employed over 200 staff.
2007: Takeover of Uitookalusto Oy in Finland.
2008: Shop opening and further head office expansion in Hützel. Takeover of Roland Schmid Forestry Equipment in Switzerland and Björnrud & Arnestad AS in Norway. Grube took part in Germany’s Woodland and Forestry Technology Conference with a stand of over 1000 m².

2009: Start of the new Webshop. Grube’s Hunting, Nature and Leisure catalogue appeared for the first time with 272 pages.
2010: At the start of the new decade the Grube Group employed 280 staff.

2012: Grube absorbs Kettner Germany, the oldest German supplier for hunting equipment.
2015: In June, the largest construction project in the company's history begins for Grube. The new construction of an innovative central warehouse begins at a cost of several million euros.
2016: The goods have been moved to the new central warehouse. Since January, incoming and outgoing goods have been handled there. An official opening has been scheduled for April.
2018: Official opening of the new power tool shop and the expanded small tool workshop at the headquarters in Hützel.
2019: Grube KG takes over all trading activities of Freetree GmbH as well as the Freetree and Timbermen brands with effect from 1 February 2019.
2020: 75 years of Grube. The Grube Group has 370 employees at 11 locations throughout Europe.