Haumiller Engineering Precision Automation, Built for You

Charles Haumiller started Haumiller’s Machine Shop in 1942 in the basement of his auto repair shop at 143 S. Liberty St., Elgin. Charles had been the proprietor of the garage from 1929 until 1944. In 1943, he semi-retired from the auto repair shop and concentrated on the machine shop. He designed and patented a machine to automatically cut off and bend copper tubing. These tubes were used in the "bug bombs" in World War II, which were the original aerosols.

In 1947, Clifford Haumiller joined his father in the machine shop, and in 1953 became the sole owner of the machine shop. They struggled through numerous projects: wheel chair manufacturing, hot spinning of tubes, an automatic olive place pack machine, special machines for the dinette manufacturers, a scotch printing press, and semi-automatic adapters for stapling guns.

Haumiller Engineering Co. was incorporated. Then in 1965 the company moved into a new building at 960 E. Chicago St., Elgin, which had 3600 sq. ft. of floor space later expanding this location to 8000 sq. ft. At that time there were 10 employees.

The new space and facilities provided what was needed to produce "made to order equipment", the custom designing and building of high-speed assembly equipment for small parts. This equipment was originally designed for the aerosol industry, but it evolved into machinery that was used for other products such as pumps, pharmaceutical and medical items which required expertise for high speed assembly. The first overseas Tipping Machine was sold to Pamasol in Pfaffikan, Switzerland in 1971.

The E.S.O.P. (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) was started and the transition toward employee ownership began. The following year there were 20 employees. It was decided that a new and larger building was required. 445 Renner Drive, Elgin at an original 12,000 sq. ft. was built and occupied on November 13, 1981. In 1986, the first CAD/CAM system was acquired.

Many changes were taking place at Haumiller in the middle of the 1980’s. In 1985, an additional 8,500 sq. ft. expansion to the Renner Drive building was constructed. In 1986, the first Cad Cam system was acquired.In the same year, with a total of 50 employees, the company became 100% employee-owned. The following year Clifford Haumiller resigned as President, and Fred Yeck was appointed.Haumiller was growing and needed more space to accommodate its 75 employees and growing customer base. In 1989, a 14,500 sq. ft. addition was completed to the Renner Drive facility. Haumiller continued its success and by 1997 Fred Yeck resigned as President. Vice President, Russ Holmer was appointed to the position. With a new President came new innovations to Haumiller.

By 1998, annual sales hit company records creating momentum. The following year Haumiller would design its first machine using SolidWorks.The new millennium came and with it many changes and advancements for Haumiller. The company remained financially stable in the economic crash of 2008 and began to expand it's customer base even further to solidify its future.

Business was growing rapidly and it became more apparent that Haumiller was growing out of their current home of over 30 years. As machine orders grew in both footprint and quantity, a decision was made by the Board of Directors to purchase land at 370 Joseph Drive in South Elgin with the intention of building a new location in the near future.

At the close of the 2016 fiscal year, Haumiller sustained its momentum with ongoing revenue growth. Bolstered by the successful acquisition of their inaugural multi-million dollar medical project and a burgeoning workforce totaling 112 employees, the Board of Directors greenlit the decision to proceed with construction on the newly acquired land in South Elgin, paving the way for further expansion.

Haumiller's recent expansion to a 57,000 sq. ft. facility has significantly boosted the capacity to handle the escalating workload. With a workforce of 122 employees, this expansion not only provides ample room for their professional advancement but also positions Haumiller to recruit more talented individuals in the years ahead, ensuring sustained growth and progress.

The year 2020 began as any other year at Haumiller. By March a global pandemic, COVID-19, emerged and shut down the world economy. While many businesses closed down, laid off employees, or were forced to adopt a remote business model, Haumiller was deemed an essential business by the state of Illinois. Its extensive capability to produce machines for a diverse variety of customers, it was decided that Haumiller would continue on with production.As a result of the pandemic, Haumiller’s customers needed ways to quickly ramp up production of essential consumer goods such as medical devices, cleaning products, and personal care supplies. Therefore, Haumiller expanded staff and production hours as customer orders increased in historic highs. In mid-year 2020, Haumiller’s Board of Directors agreed to build a  30,000 sq. ft. expansion to the three-year-old facility.By early 2021, Haumiller had a building footprint of 87,000 sq. ft. By the end of fiscal year 2021, Haumiller saw back-to-back record profit years and expanded its employee headcount to over 160.

In response to significant growth and evolving customer demands, Haumiller opened a new facility in Belvidere, Illinois. This state-of-the-art building adds over 81,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity, specifically designed to support the production of large, high-speed automation systems. Purchased earlier this year, the facility was fully renovated and equipped to enhance Haumiller's capabilities. Reflecting the company’s employee ownership culture, this expansion reinforces Haumiller's dedication to innovation, quality, and meeting the needs of its customers.