igus Company Profile: History, Ownership, Financials, Products and Leadership
Updated: 7 days ago
igus is a German family company that makes plastic energy chains, bearings and cables for moving machinery, and in recent years low-cost robots. It reported turnover of EUR 1.155 billion in 2025 and has 5,423 employees. This profile sets out its history, ownership, figures, products and leadership.
igus at a Glance
Fact | Detail |
Company | igus GmbH |
Founded | October 15, 1964, by Margret and Guenter Blase |
Headquarters | Cologne, Germany, with its factory in Porz-Lind |
Turnover | EUR 1.155 billion in 2025 |
Employees | 5,423 |
Presence | More than 80 countries, with 37 locations and 50 distributors |
Catalogue | 247,000 parts available from stock |
Ownership | 100% family owned |
Stock listing | None |
Chairman | Frank Blase |
Company History
Margret and Guenter Blase started igus in a double garage in Cologne in 1964, making injection-moulded plastic parts to order. The shape of the present company dates from 1983, when their son Frank Blase set up energy chains and polymer bearings as separate product groups and built a network of sales engineers. Growth followed: from 40 employees in 1985 to about 3,500 in 2018 and more than 5,400 today.
Key milestones
1964: Founded in Cologne.
1983: Energy chains and polymer bearings established as product groups.
1991: UK subsidiary opened.
1997: Singapore subsidiary established as the base for Southeast Asia.
2013: Subsidiaries opened in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.
2025: Turnover of EUR 1.155 billion.
Products
igus calls its field motion plastics: plastic components designed for parts that move, which need no lubrication.
Area | Products |
Energy chains | Plastic cable carriers that guide cables and hoses on moving machines |
Cables | Flexible cables made for continuous movement, and connectors |
Bearings | Polymer plain bearings, ball bearings and spherical bearings |
Linear technology | Linear guides and drives |
Low Cost Automation | Cobots, linear robots, delta and SCARA robots, with accessories and control systems |
3D printing | Printed wear parts and materials |
The company says it invents well over 200 new products a year and runs 857 injection moulding machines. Its Low Cost Automation business sells simple robots at prices well below those of conventional industrial robots, for tasks that would otherwise not justify automation.
Leadership
Name | Role |
Frank Blase | Chairman of the Board |
Artur Peplinski | Chief executive of igus International and Low Cost Automation, and management spokesperson |
Michael Blass | Chief executive, e-chain systems |
Tobias Vogel | Chief executive, plain bearings and linear technology |
Thilo Schultes | Chief executive, operations |
Can You Invest in igus?
No. igus is wholly family owned and has no listed shares.
Strengths and Challenges
Strengths
A leading position in plastic energy chains and bearings.
A very large catalogue available from stock.
A low-priced entry into robotics for small companies.
Challenges
Dependence on machine building, which is cyclical.
Low-cost robots that compete with fast-growing Asian makers.
Limited financial disclosure beyond turnover.
Current Catalogue Coverage
Catalogue checked on 15 October 2026: 1 associated product records. The links below are representative entries, rather than a claim that every historical model is currently available.
igus FAQ
Is igus publicly traded?
No. It is 100% family owned.
Where is igus based?
In Cologne, Germany.
When was igus founded?
In 1964, by Margret and Guenter Blase.
What does igus make?
Plastic energy chains, flexible cables, polymer bearings, linear technology and low-cost robots.
How big is igus?
Turnover was EUR 1.155 billion in 2025, with 5,423 employees.
Sources
igus: about igus
Wikipedia: igus
