Company history

It began in 1946 after the war that the founder Heinrich Frey has let registrate his company as a machine manufacturing company in Heidenheim. Raw materials had been rare after the war and Heinrich Frey started with the construction of oil mills and pressed beechnuts for the population. Until 1945 Heinrich Frey worked for the company Seydelmann in Aalen, manufacturing cutters and mincers until today. Butchers told him of deficits of their sausage stuffers. This was the reason why he started to develop the first electric-hydraulically operated machine with infinite speed regulation.The machine was concipated to be operated by only one foot, so that both hands were free to hold the casing. The first parts were manufactured out of scrap metal outdoors and then were welded and mounted in the own work shop.

Afterwards the machines were sprayed with red colour to achieve a good appearance and to protect them against corrosion. The completed machines were transported with the hay trailer to the next station and were despatched. The first FREY stuffer could be sold to the station restaurant in Beimerstetten. Soon the work shop got too small and it was decided to build in Herbrechtingen Bolheim in 1950 a new workshop and a residential house with office space. After one year Heinrich Frey and his wife Marianne, who supported him in the administration, could move together with their children to Bolheim.

Besides the production hall an accordant administration became necessary. Therefore a new office building was erected in 1962. Upto this time Frey manufactured only straight fillers in different sizes. This was the time FREY started the development of the Kompakta 1 which still today is a highly demanded product on the second-hand market. It was the first linking and portioning automat with only one mobile part and therefore was easy to clean. The design was hygienic, smooth and the operation was especially handy. In 1966 during the IHM fair in Munich Heinrich Frey got awarded the golden medal and the national price. In 1967 the assembly department moved into a new building. In 1968 the first casing holder device was presented which was a further help for the user. Service had always been an important point of the company’s philosophy. The consulting and presentation during exhibitions, the sale and delivery of the machine as well as the support at home. Soon an after sales support with own cars could be guaranteed.

At the end of the seventies machines for the meat industry had to be adapted more and more to hygienic aspects. Therefore Frey started to use stainless steel for the production. Heinrich 20 was the first FREY piston stuffer with a solid cylinder and housing made of stainless steel.

At the beginning of the eighties FREY started to use fully electronic controls in their filling stuffers. The first Kompakta 2 could be presented in 1982. This development had been revolutionary. Portioning and linking was now possible with only one outlet. All inputs could now be stored. Functions such as portioning pauses, piece counter, linking number and a summary of contents was completely new. At the beginning of course, there had been some difficulties due to humid conditions in the sausage kitchens. Today the controls cannot be abandoned any more. Due to little space in the construction area a new hall for the CNC-production had been built in 1983. The company’s founder Heinrich Frey deceased on April 11th, 1986. Due to his courage, diligence and ingenuity he influenced significantly the development in the construction of filling stuffers.

After the decease of Heinrich Frey his sons Albert and Heinrich Frey took over their father’s business. In 1986 additionally the production of vacuum stuffers of the type Konti could be started. The production field had been enlarged to 6.000 sqm. Today highly precise parts are manufactured for our machine program on most modern CNC controlled machines. The assembly is made in small series. After the completion of the machines they are checked conforming to the quality management system DIN EN ISO 9001:2000 before they are delivered to the customer.

In 1987 the name of the company was altered and the Heinrich FREY Maschinenbau GmbH was founded. Albert Frey was appointed managing director. Since 2005 he is leading the company together with his son Martin Frey. Heinrich Frey is leading the departments export and filling technology. Today 100 employees are working for FREY. Due to the know-how and efficiency FREY owns a top place in the sector of the filling machine construction. After the decease of Albert Frey in 2012 Martin Frey and Heinrich Frey became managing directors.

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