Layher

The timber merchant Wilhelm Layher established the company in 1945 to make agricultural implements and ladders out of wood. As the German economy recovered, he identified the need for construction scaffolding, and by 1948 was already specializing in the production of ladder scaffolding. His daughter, Ruth Langer, and his two sons, Eberhard and Ulrich Layher, also worked in the company and successfully continued the business after the death of the founder in 1962. Under their management, Layher evolved into the biggest manufacturer of system scaffolding: with SpeedyScaf in 1965 and Allround Scaffolding in 1974, not only were the systems which are still standard today marketed, but also – starting in 1970 – the first steps towards internationalization were taken, with subsidiaries in the Netherlands, France and Switzerland.

In 1987, Eberhard Layher decided to retire for age and health reasons, selling his share to his brother and sister. Still 100 percent family-owned today, Layher now has subsidiaries in around 40 countries and partner companies all over the world. In Germany, operative business is handled by Wilhelm Layher GmbH & Co KG, managed by Wolf Christian Behrbohm and Stefan Stöcklein. The company has 30 service centres all over Germany, but does not itself offer any scaffolding construction services: instead it acts only as the manufacturer and supplier for customers from scaffolding, crafts, construction, industry and the events business. Its associate company – Layher Bautechnik GmbH based in Ulm – sells not only Layher scaffolding systems, but also construction equipment, construction machinery and warehouse equipment. Its managing director is Tobias Kächler.

The family owns 600 patents and protective rights worldwide. In 1965, the system scaffolding specialist designed, for example, the definitive insertion-frame system for facade scaffolding construction, with its SpeedyScaf made from steel and aluminium. In 1974, Allround Scaffolding superseded conventional scaffolding construction techniques, using steel tubes and couplers, with its bolt-free wedge-head connection technology. Layher presented its further innovation: By using higher-tensile steel grades, new production processes and design improvements, we have succeeded in minimising the weight of the basic components of our SpeedyScaf and Allround Scaffolding systems – without reducing their high load capacities. Assembly speed can be increased up to 10%, transport capacity up to 12%. Matching the scaffolding systems, there are also protective systems like temporary roofs and facade coverings for site protection and – based on a substructure using Allround equipment – the Event System for constructing temporary stages or stands. Access technology made of aluminium and wood is also part of the product range.