100 Years Nuremberg

Transformation
is in our DNA

2025

170 years of Buehler Motor, 100 years in Nuremberg.

Today, Buehler Motor is sixth-generation family owned, with Mark Furtwängler as CEO. Christof Furtwängler is also active on the advisory board as a representative of the fifth generation.

Responsible behaviour, openness, transparency and continuous quality improvement are values that have been exemplified over generations. Long-term success is made possible by continuous transformation.

Future meets
Tradition

1855

The brothers Karl Heinrich and Adolf Bühler establish a manufactory for precision clock movements in Triberg, which is taken over by Josef Furtwängler in 1892.

In 1892, the master craftsman Josef Furtwängler (1862-1925) takes over his employers' business and trades as Gebrüder Bühler Nachfolger.

In Triberg in the Black Forest, the production of mechanical clockworks is expanded, which also finds a new area of use in numerous toy applications. The first links to the Nuremberg toy industry are established.

Close to the
Customer

1925

Josef Furtwängler jr. opens a production facility in Nuremberg, which is continually expanded over the following years.

In order to be close to the main customers in the toy industry, the company Gebrüder Bühler Nachfolger GmbH, headed by Josef Furtwängler jr. (1888-1963), establishes its presence in Nuremberg.

The bombing raids after 1943 have a devastating effect on the production facility. Nevertheless, the production of drives for the toy industry can be resumed in 1945.

Appreciation
and Trust
towards
Employees

1950

Internal company community is very important at Gebrüder Bühler Nachfolger. In the 1950s, the works council organised annual excursions and meetings, for example in restaurants, funded by the management.

As a family owned company with a long tradition, treating our employees with respect and responsibility is an important cornerstone of our actions and decisions.

Employees have always had the opportunity to develop their skills. This can still be seen today in the large number of long-serving employees: in 2025, some will have been with the company for 35, 40 and almost 50 years.

Quality is our
Commitment

1955

The so-called "brass motor", which is used in the toy industry, lays the foundation for successful electrification at Buehler Motor.

Whether as a manufacturer of watches, toys or innovative drive technologies: Buehler Motor has always impressed its customers with its first-class quality.

Combined with efficient production processes based on the division of labour, the company demonstrated its ability to produce large quantities with the available human resources even in the early years.

From Nuremberg
to the World

1974

Buehler Motor expands worldwide and lays the foundation for today's internationally active company.

A milestone in the history of Buehler Motor was the opening of the first overseas production facility in North Carolina, USA, in 1974. In the following years, further locations were added in the Czech Republic, Mexico and China, as well as a joint venture in India.

Innovation
& Progress

2003

The first auxiliary water pump is produced.

At the beginning of the 2000s, the markets and customer needs change again. With the proactive development of our first auxiliary water pump, we lay the foundation for many other innovative electrohydraulic products, such as the electric oil pump for use in hybrid transmissions or even electric axles.

100 years of transformation

Buehler Motor Nuremberg celebrates its 100th anniversary at the Nuremberg site in 2025

But the history of our company began 170 years ago: Founded as a clock manufacturer in the Black Forest, Josef jr. Furtwängler opened a new production facility in Nuremberg in 1925 in order to work more closely with customers from the toy industry. Today, Buehler Motor is still a family business in the 6th generation with Mark Furtwängler as CEO.

„We look back with pride on 170 years of Buehler Motor and 100 years of transformation at the Nuremberg site. Since our company was founded in 1855 by the Bühler brothers and established in Nuremberg in 1925, we have continued to develop. My great-great-grandfather Josef Furtwängler and his son Josef Furtwängler jr. recognised the importance of innovation. Their search for new applications for existing products led to the successful integration of mechanical clockwork movements in toy applications.“
Mark Furtwängler, CEO

Core values of our collaboration

Since then, our location in Nuremberg has constantly adapted to the new requirements and challenges of our customers, products and technologies. We now offer modern drive technology for the automotive, industrial drive and aviation industries. Our commitment to our customers and employees and our pursuit of uncompromising quality remain key factors in our success. Proximity to our customers and the ability to transform successfully have been part of Bühler Motor's DNA for over a century.

Our values such as caring, fairness, ownership and passion are still the basis for the collaboration today.

We look forward to exploring the legacy of change with you over the coming months and telling you more about the special history of Buehler Motor in Nuremberg. You will find an overview, exciting interviews with colleagues and lots of background information on this page.

Transformation is in our DNA