In the year 1912 Wilhelm Mebus senior started the production of tools for the shoemaker handicraft in Schwelm and already before the Second World Wore the fast-growing production was expanded to include basic, yet already motor-powered scouring-machines.
After his fathers death in the year 1954 Wilhelm Mebus junior, then 23 years old, took over the business and was able to increase the exports accounting within shortest time.
When in 1973 the rival businesses Rafflenbeul und Frobana closed down, they transferred their spare part depots to Mebus from which even today costumers are still supplied with spare parts and accessories.
In the mean time the business, led in third generation by Peter Mebus, has developed to one of the strongest offerers within the facility range for orthopaedic technicians.
Whereas originally mainly machines and presses for shoe repair and orthopedics
were manufactured, today whole workshops, including the fitting- and patient area
are among the delivery program of the family buisness.
One of the focuses is the manufacturing of central suction systems, both for dusts and fumes.
Plants, at which up to 20 machines are attached, do not represent rarity.
In the year 1995 Mebus took over the selling for the products of the Company Hess in Magstadt and though meanwhile Hess gave up the production of combined finishers and trimmers due to internal restructuring, the Mebus service Team is further at all Hess-costumers disposal.
A milestone in the company history was then put in the year 2001, by the association of the two traditional companies Speelmans from Belgium and Mebus to the today's company AFT international.
AFT stands for Advanced Foot Technology and all the staff committed themselves to this maxim. The constant pursuit of innovation in the service of the costumer is our main focus.
With a very high measure of flexibility and an assortment of nearly 30.000 articles AFT can satisfy nearly each customer's request, both in machine building and material
manufacturing .
Nearly 100 engaged staff members, distributed over three locations with altogether
15.000 m ² manufacturing area, work daily in an enterprise, which can look back on together 225 years company history because also in the Belgian part of AFT, where Speelmans was established in 1887 as a tannery, the company’s 125th anniversary is celebrated in 2012.
