J.D. Neuhaus winches powered by air from Pacific Hoists

J.D.Neuhaus has been moving loads for more than 260 years.

When Johann Diederich Neuhaus built his first wooden shaft winch in 1745, he presumably had no idea how significant it would later become for effortlessly moving heavy loads. This masterpiece, however, did allow him to be registered as a "fabrickator" (manufacturer) in the "Meister Rolle der Sprockhövelschen Fabricke" (scroll of factories in Sprockhoevel). This was the laying of the foundation stone of the J.D. Neuhaus company. We initially produced winches for the locks and the many horse-drawn barges on the Ruhr river. Later, the winches were used for lifting railway carriages onto tracks and for loading goods. Use in coal mines in the German "Ruhrgebiet" became increasingly significant and around 1880, our winches were already capable of moving loads of up to 7,500 kg. As the quality of the available materials improved, our products became increasingly compact with a higher performance. A historic innovation was made by us in 1952, with the construction of a hoist featuring an air-operated vane motor. For our principal customers, who belonged to the underground mining industry, this represented a decisive advance. With the new J.D. Neuhaus air hoists, it was possible to work significantly more effectively, economically and safely. This marked the start of our very own economic miracle.

Preserving history, mastering the future.

Even today, seven generations after its foundation, J.D. Neuhaus remains in family hands. The hoist museum at our Witten location demonstrates that history is a living part of our corporate culture. Since the mid-1990s, we have been a member of the "Les Hénokiens," an association of companies that have been in business for at least 200 years and are still family-owned and managed by the descendants of the original founder. Today, J.D. Neuhaus' company chairman is Wilfried Neuhaus-Galladé. Under his management, the direction of the family-owned business has been adapted to suit the changing conditions of the global markets.