History

1880’s

By the age of 23, Oscar Friedheim had developed a wealth of knowledge of the paper industry – but he had also developed a tenacity for business and prosperity, something he was sure he would find in London. Oscar made it to English shores and set up shop in Blackfriars – the conception of Oscar Friedheim, as a business. An ideal locale just paces from Ludgate Hill & Fleet Street, a centre for the print, publishing, and paper trade in the Late Victorian era. The railways then gave the company extended reach, Oscars sales area expanded to Hertfordshire, the Midlands, and even Scotland – a sure boost once business was under way. By the end of the decade Oscar’s name was laid to his first machine, designed in Berlin by Louis Peltner – The British & Colonial Printer & Stationer dubbed this ‘Mr Friedheim’s Machine’ stating it was being used ‘by nearly all the leading firms in the country’

1890’s

By this time Oscar, and his wife, had naturalised as Brits and signed the Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown declaring as a paper merchant of 7 Water Lane, where the company would thrive for a further 4 decades. Oscar’s portfolio was never just that of a paper merchant, but by 1893 he could offer blocking & embossing presses, card punching machines, cornering machines, and a plethora of card and paper cutters, perforators & die stampers. One could produce 100,000 visiting cards a day – a huge level of productivity at the time.

1900’s

It was by this time that Oscar had hired his first five employees, who between them would serve the company for a combined 230 years – a testament to the loyalty and success each found with Friedheim. Oscar had also become the sole owner of 7 Water Lane, a building historically shared by industry peers. The extra space was needed to house the ever-growing product portfolio: By 1906 a handful more suppliers were obtained – including Fabel & Schleicher, and Gutberlet folding machines.

1910’s

By the end of the 1st World War, existing stocks had depleted and trading had ceased, but Oscar Friedheim survived in both substance and reputation – the war now over, efforts were made into Europe to re-engage trade across the continent. During those tempestuous years the once-young trolley boy, Oscar’s very first employee was made Managing Director – a proud move toward a future of which many were in doubt – but not Oscar Friedheim. Always one to stay ahead of the times, Friedheim met the demand for bronzing – pioneering past just performance, Friedheim’s was ‘dustless’ thus meeting conditions of the new Factory Act. Production was impressive; 6,000 feet an hour for bronzing, while it took just 8 hours to fold 30,000 sheets.

1920’s

Prevailing over tough times, the early 20’s saw Friedheim take on more technologies & manufacturers including Kohlbach, Fischer & Krecke, and patented bronzers from Kohma.

Oscar let the machines do the talking – the Optima guillotine with a patented radial movement, automatic folders with an output of 5,000 sheets per hour, while the rotary printers of Keese were working at 9,000 sheets an hour.

But In 1927, Oscar had seen London for the last time, for it was this year he travelled back through the Baltics to his final resting place, a sanitorium on the outskirts of Berlin. On the 17th of May 1928 Oscar Friedheim died at the age of 69.

1930’s

This was a time when the industry was changing, infrastructure & communication advancements levelled the playing field – competition was growing. The list of specialised machines had grown: aniline printing presses (flexographic), envelope making machines, window punching & patching, bag making machines and of course bronzing machines. The Kolbach range was leading by a vast margin, 2,700 had been sold to date including 52 repeat orders prior to 1935. By 1938, these figures were 4000 and 100 respectively. Soon Hunkeler would add itself to Friedheim’s prestigious portfolio – a relationship still thriving 70 years later.

1940’s

As the country held on during the Second World War, Friedheim stood once more the test of time – however it would sustain injury. The Blitz of Christmas 1940 saw Blackfriars reduced to rubble. An incendiary bomb fell in the lift shaft of 7 Water Lane- neither the building nor many of the machines behind its doors survived. Friedheim however was to endure another loss: Mr Hermann Pohl, one of Oscars’ first five employees passed away – this was a loss of not just a faithful employee of 43 years, but of an industry legend – Mr Pohl set the ultimate benchmark for Friedheim engineers and dictated the necessary levels of expertise for decades to come. Before the end of the war, damage control was already underway, Friedheim sent letters through to Bobst and Martini in Switzerland, from this the Friedheim-Bobst relationship bloomed. At the time, industrial red tape meant Martini had to support the manufacture of their machines on British soil – this was a significant venture but by all measures, a success.

1950’s

In a move of genius, the surviving directors bought a sundries business with enough supplies to both turn a profit, and supply Friedheim in a post-war environment where shortage was rife. Revival was in the air, Friedheim had new staff, new machines, and the Festival of Britain: held in London’s Southbank, this was on Friedheim’s doorstep and gave invaluable exposure. Further to this, 50 years after the installation of Friedheim’s first telephone using London’s underground telephone system a world first at the time, Friedheim continued to innovate by investing in a cinema – displaying industrial films and even taking it on the road. The challenges of the print industry were growing and Friedheim were determined to stay at the forefront of expertise – they invested in the knowledge and skills of the engineers, a vital part of Friedheim’s values still integral to this day.

1960’s

Revenue hits £1Million: a far cry from the 1944 balance sheet of £15 7s 4d. Oscar Friedheim had made its first million. It was at this point that directors of Friedheim & Bobst, would begin touring the country with films and projection equipment – colour projection was still new and they drew high levels of attendance. On the 11th of May 1963, Friedheim opened the doors to its new Headquarters: 250 Waterloo Lane. This had been an ambition of Friedheim’s since the dawn of WW2. It was just the next year Friedheim obtained the sole European selling rights for Photo-Typositor typsetting machine manufactured in the USA by Visual Graphics Corporation. Shortly after, the Blumer and MBO distribution agreements were made – today we approach 50 years of mutual success.

1970’s

By the end of 1971, the rapid growth of Friedheim and its staff meant extensions were needed on all floors, after an extra floor had already been built on top of the roof, aptly dubbed the ‘roof room’. A big year for Friedheim and a big year for the industry – there were no less than three international exhibitions from ’71 to ’72, The Printing & Allied Trades Exhibition, Drupa, & IPEX; based across Olympia and Earls Court, Friedheim had multiple stands and over 80 machines. Muller-Martini were developing as their own sales organisation in the UK and Friedheim looked for the next curve – they established distribution agreements with Daverio and Von Roll. Momentum did not cease and the optimism in the 70’s was to be evidenced in Friedheim’s balance sheet- revenue hit £10 Million, the next year this figure was £15 Million.

1980’s

1980 saw IPEX held at the National Exhibition Centre for the first time. Friedheim took 15 Stands and hundreds of tonnes of machinery. The engineers then, as they do today, worked hard to demonstrate the talents of their technology. It was also this year Aurelia sheet-fed offset printers manufactured by OMCSA would give agency to Friedheim – leading to the establishment of Oscar Friedheim (Litho). This was a significant time for Friedheim; new distribution agreements were developed with Miyakoshi and Lasercomb, this was also the year that Peter Morris would begin his long relationship with the company.

1990’s

Print catches up with the innovation of the century, the computer. Digital Print is born and it is a game changer, an advent to an extraordinary worldwide market. The first Adobe software became available. The Polymer note was also invented, Queens Elizabeth 2nd was immortalised across Australia and changed security printing indefinitely. Friedheim remained agile to the needs of the industry and diversified with it, in the coming years Friedheim would evolve to the entity it is today. By the end of the 20th Century, Friedheim would make its final move and in a wave goodbye to the legacy of Blackfriars and Waterloo, finally changes its name from Oscar Friedheim, to Friedheim International.

2000’s

2005 saw Friedheim International take its final form, the move to Hemel Hempstead was a success and a management buyout took place – for the first time in over 90 years Friedheim was once more a Private Limited Company. Thanks to the expertise of Mark Bristow & Pete Morris, with over 40 years’ experience between them, Friedheim survived the devastation that the 2008 financial crash caused the print industry and set about retaining its place as the market leader in Print Finishing…. They introduced numerous new manufacturers, divisions, and have lead the company from strength to strength.

2010’s

The last decade saw a lot of change, in both the markets and internally. Friedheim’s packaging Division was conceived with the work of Martin Howells, who still leads the division to this day. The converting division had also taken on its own deserved entity in the ranks alongside bindery and post press product categories. With great success at this time, also came great sadness with the passing of Pete Morris – always remembered for his honourable leaderships style, unmatched friendliness and strength of character. While the company grew, so too did the challenges Friedheim had to take on.

2020’s

The decade has been a tumultuous one for the world at large. For Friedheim however opportunity came knocking and these have been secured with both hands. Launching it’s Scientific Division and taking on global leaders in milling Willy A Bachofen (WAB), followed by Three-Tec and RWD, diversification was needed to immunise the portfolio against the regular market shifts seen in years prior. New leadership came in the form of the then Sales Manager Darren Crane, now Managing Director, as Mark Bristow takes on the role of Chairman after 25 years at the helm. All sales divisions embraced change with new agencies and new employees, including the recent representation of renowned digital finishing machinery manufacturer TECNAU. Although Friedheim has been growing and gaining strength at a record pace, we’re not finished there…