| 1513 |
Hand needles are first made in Aachen Germany. |
| 1566 |
A Elias Krause from Aachen is said to have started the needle manufacturing trade to England. |
| 1615 |
The World’s first steel hand needles are made in Aachen Germany, by making fine needles from pure steel. |
| 1663 |
An Aachen manufacturer invents a major engineering break-through for producing the head of a pin. |
| 1755 |
First ever patent is awarded for a “needle with an eye”. |
| 1790 |
Thomas Saint applies for a patent for a machine to sew shoes. |
| 1794 |
Aachen becomes under French rule and becomes the principle needle supplier for France. |
| 1807 |
Napoleon records that Aachen has 13 needle factories employing some 7,500 workers. |
| 1840-50 |
The sewing machine is invented by Elias Howe, Hunt, Singer and others. |
| 1869 |
Franz Neuss Company starts manufacturing sewing machine needles in Aachen. |
| 1861 |
Leo Lammertz starts a needle factory which was later bought by the current Klasse’ manufacturer. |
| 1897 |
Records show there are some 8 million sewing machines in the World using 200 million needles annually. |
| 1900 |
Aachen now has 20 factories producing sewing machine needles. |
| 1945 |
After the second world war, only 4 Aachen factories are able to re-start production. |
| 1959 |
Aachen is once again producing 35% of the World’s sewing machine needles. |
| 1965 |
12 Needle factories now operating in Aachen and surrounding districts producing approx 400 million needles. |
| 1974 |
Production reaches 655 million needles per annum. |
| 1980’s |
Now 11 needle factories in China producing 800 million needles and European factories such as Singer Clydebank, Prym Iselohm close down. By 1984 only 5 needle factories remain in Aachen, and the Aachen production is down to only 5.7% of domestic machine needles world-wide. |
| 1993 |
The factory combining the original Rhinenadel, Beka and Lammertz factories introduces “integrated technology” which greatly increases production capacity and the quality of machine needles. This factory commences producing premium Klasse’ brand needles in 1995. |
| 2000 |
Only 3 sewing machine needle factories remain in the Aachen district. |
| 2007 |
All machine factories in Aachen now closed with all 3 major factories setting up new factories mainly in India due to cost of labor and India’s strength in engineering. |
