For over 70 years, the name Mahlo has stood for high-quality control and measuring technology "made in Germany." Now, the U.S. subsidiary Mahlo America Inc. is celebrating its 50th birthday—and looks to a promising future.

Mahlo America Inc. opened its doors for the first time in Spartanburg, SC in 1968. Located in South Carolina, a center of the textile industry, the subsidiary of the German machine manufacturer Mahlo GmbH quickly made a name for itself in the field of straightening machines and became synonymous with straight-edged products. However, with the increasing move to cheaper Asian production areas, the U.S. textile industry found itself increasingly in a crisis. Roughly 650 textile factories had to close between 1997 and 2009. Fortunately, Mahlo had already positioned itself broadly. Quality measuring systems for all web-type products in various industrial sectors had long been the focus of the machine manufacturer. The Qualiscan QMS had been introduced decades ago. There is a wide range of sensors, traversing the running web on scanners, measure and control parameters, such as thickness, moisture, or basis weight. It is just the right tool for a fast growing plastics and coating industry.

Eric Reber made a major contribution to this fact. The Technical Sales Manager is something like the father of web gauging at Mahlo America. He spent many years in Europe and the U.S. working on the development of online measuring systems. “In this way, I have also acquired a certain understanding of the needs of customers,” he says. American customers were among the most demanding and knew exactly what they wanted. This experience has also been incorporated into the development of the Qualiscan QMS-12, the latest system. “It has enabled us to catapult ourselves out of our pursuit position in a short time and to overtake the existing technology on the market,” says Reber. The scanners are built solidly, and the electronics absolutely reliable. After all: “The best sensors are only useful if they traverse reliably and smoothly.”

With the Qualiscan QMS 12, these mechanical features, supplemented by easy-to-use software, have been used to produce a complete package that is on the advance. The spectrum of sensors with beta, X-ray, laser and unique optical measurements guarantees a wide range of applications. According to Reber, this means that almost all materials can be measured. This would help the customer to achieve greater efficiency and better quality as well as save costs.

To ensure that every customer receives the optimal system for their application and thus the desired results, the responsible persons in Spartanburg have installed a pilot line. “The interested parties send us material samples and the required parameters and then we check whether and which sensor is suitable,” explains Mike Weathers, who is mainly responsible for the tests. Only when it is certain that the measurement will work as desired will the customer receive a concrete offer. “Otherwise, both sides are only dissatisfied.” Should questions, technical problems or maintenance work arise, Mahlo has a well-trained service department which is available around the clock. The combination of technical leadership and customer proximity has turned Mahlo from an underdog into a valuable player in the field of web gauging technology.

 After all, they want to continue the decades of success story of Mahlo GmbH, which is still family-owned. “Being successful in business for over 70 years is a real testimony that we can be proud of,” says Lavore. A large part of this was contributed by the employees. “We not only have highly qualified personnel, but also people who identify with the company and its values.” Like Mary Heath, Service Manager John Flynn, Service Technician Scott Plumley and Technical Manager Mike Weathers. They have been part of the Mahlo family for well over 20 years. Coupled with motivated junior staff, they ensure that Mahlo will remain successful in the decades to come.