History

Over the past 80 years, ante has grown from a small shop to an internationally operating full-line manufacturer.

A summary of our success story:

• 1927
  Josef Ante, the grandfather of today's company owner Jürgen Ante, founded a company to produce sawn lumber, pitwood and broom handles in Winterberg-Züschen.
• 1946
  The sons Erich and Alfred Ante join the company after the war. Erich Ante takes over as manager.
• 1959
  Construction of a new sawmill hall and a dual gang saw.
• 1964
  A planing system is put into operation.
• 1969
  The entire manufacturing process is mechanised.
  Carpenters are hired in order to offer pre-jointed construction timber.
• 1978
  Josef Ante GmbH is founded.
• 1979
  ante-holz GmbH is founded. A small diameter lumber mill with a circular saw is built at the border of NRW, in Bromskirchen-Somplar, Hesse.
• 1982
  Erich Ante's son Jürgen takes over as manager.
  Sawn lumber product is moved to Bromskirchen-Somplar.
• 1983
  The circular saw system is replaced with a gang sawline with trimming circular saw.
• 1984
  ante-holz begins producing outdoor wood.
  Installation of two boiler pressure impregnation systems.
• 1986
  Construction of a second log sorting system.
• 1988
  Commissioning of a new circular sawline for construction timber.
• 1989
  An additional planing system with two machines is put into operation.
• 1990
  Construction of a band saw system for log cut-offs.
  The new office building in Bromskirchen-Somplar opens.
• 1991
  The engineered framing centre in Winterberg-Züschen is modernised and two automatic framing systems are put into operation.
• 1992
  Major expansion of the premises in Somplar is completed.
  A profile cutting and stacking system is put into operation.
• 1994
  ante-Leimholz GmbH & Co. KG is founded and production of the products KVH® (solid structural timber) and BSH (glued laminated timber) starts.
• 1995
  Spin-off and founding of ante Haus und Garten GmbH & Co. KG and ante-holz polska in Kozuchów: Production of labour-intensive outdoor wood products.
• 2000
  Major fire in the gluelam plant and immediate start of rebuilding.
• 2001
  Initial exports of construction timber to the USA.
  Commissioning of the pellet production line.
• 2002
  Commissioning of the large diameter lumber mill.
  The industry magazine "Holzkurier" selects ante-holz as the lumber mill of the year in Europe.
• 2004
  Construction of a new high-performance planing plant.
  Formation of an advisory board.
• 2005
  Commissioning of the planing plant.
  Retrofitting work on the lumber mill to increase the sawing capacity.
• 2007
  Construction of the lumber mill with further processing in Rottleberode (Saxony-Anhalt).
  Start of KVH® production.
• 2009
  Market launch of our own ante neo furniture line (indoor/outdoor)