The Bielefeld Sewing Machine Factory, founded in 1876 by Carl Schmidt, took Hugo Hengstenberg on as a partner in 1878. After losing a lawsuit, Schmidt left the company in 1883. At the end of the 19th century, the company began selling bicycles as well.
The first cash register (“Model 1”) was produced in 1901.
The ANKER brand name was first used in 1906. Between 1920 and 1938, the company expanded rapidly until World War II brought production to a halt. Starting in 1948, the company began rebuilding its operations in Bielefeld, focusing on bicycles, bookkeeping machines, and cash registers.
In 1976, the transition to the computer age failed, leading to bankruptcy. However, the ANKER brand ANKER in existence. In the years that followed, the company changed hands several times, including to Torex Retail Holdings (2007), Micros Systems (2012), and, following their acquisition in 2014, to Oracle.
In 2015, ANKER became an independent company. With the acquisitions of LocaFox and Poresy (2020/21), the ANKER was formed in 2023. Partnertech has been a strategic partner since 2025.
Since the company had to file for bankruptcy in the year of its 100th anniversary, the presentation of the bronze “Leineweber” – an award given by the City of Bielefeld to companies with a long tradition–did not take place at that time. This makes it all the more gratifying that ANKER was able to receive this honor ANKER on the occasion of its 150th anniversary. The “Leineweber” was ceremonially presented by Mayor Dr. Christiana Bauer.
During a staff lunch, current and former ANKER employees had the opportunity to look back on the company’s history while enjoying a delicious meal. In addition to a speech by ANKER CEO Hendrik Ohse, the mayor also addressed the guests and presented the award with the apt words: “Not too late, but at exactly the right time.”
In addition, information was presented on the EAA Pad as well as ANKER merch, which employees can purchase free of charge using a personal allocation.
Another highlight is coming up on June 12: On that day, ANKER will celebrate 150 years of company history in grand style at its Bielefeld location ANKER with partners, customers, and employees.
