More than 160 years - Harvesting sussess!

How a blacksmith's shop became a globally active group of companies

Our milestones

From the small German village of Damme into the big wide world

Find out more about the detailed history
A photo of the historic GRIMME forge from the 19th century

1861

Franz Carl Heinrich Grimme, great-grandfather of the current owner Franz Grimme, founded a small blacksmith's shop in Damme (Germany) in 1861. The blacksmith's business had actually existed since 1811, but was leased out for 13 years in the meantime, so that the chronology begins in 1861.

Portrait des Gründers der Landmaschinenfabrik, Franz Grimme Senior.

1930

In 1930, the grandson of the founder, Franz Grimme Senior, took over the forge. He was a gifted tinkerer and in his spare time made machines that simplified the heavy work of harvesting potatoes.

Luftaufnahme des Werks der Firma INTERNORM Kunststofftechnik

1987

Franz Grimme founds the company INTERNORM Kunststofftechnik (Plastics engineering) in Damme (Germany). The material polyurethane (PUR) is the basis of many technical innovations in agricultural engineering and beyond.

Luftaufnahme des Betriebsgeländes der Firma RICON.

1995

From the very beginning, GRIMME has manufactured main webs and conveyor belts for the machines itself. The high demand led to the foundation of the company RICON (factory for web and conveying equipment) in Damme (Germany) in 1995, today based in Rieste.

Luftaufnahne des SPUDNIK Firmengeländes in Idaho, USA.

2003

Acquisition of the North American potato technology manufacturer SPUDNIK in Blackfoot/Idaho.

Geländer einer GRIMME Servicegesellschaft im Ausland

2010-2022

Within a few years, own subsidiaries and service agencies were founded in France, Belgium, Ireland, Great Britain, Turkey, Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Russia as well as in Uelzen (Lower Saxony, Germany) and Langquaid (Bavaria, Germany).

Luftaufnahme des Betriebsgeländes der Firma ASA-LIFT in Dänemark.

2013

Acquisition of the Danish company ASA-LIFT from Sorö, manufacturer of world class harvesters for vegetables.

Employees in the Schmiede.one office in Düsseldorf

2017

Christoph Grimme founds the innovation lab Schmiede.one at Dusseldorf (Germany).

Luftaufnahme des neuen Werks in Tianjin, China.

2018

GRIMME opens the 13,000 sqm plant in Tianjin/China.

Messestand von SeedForward auf den GRIMME FarmDays 2021.

2021

GRIMME and the start-up SeedForward, located at Osnabrück (Germany), found a joint venture to develop biologically based applications.

Technical innovations

Our product range - in the past and today

For many decades, GRIMME developed machines exclusively for potato harvesting. Machines for planting, cultivating and storing of the valuable tuber have been added over the last 20 years. Another milestone followed in 2003 with the entry into beet technology.


Historical photo of a farmer with a horse-drawn potato harvester.

1936 - 1955

Horse-drawn potato harvesters

Simple windrowers as well as "skidding wheel harvesters" were the main products during this period. In 1953, a simple, PTO-driven windrower was added.

Historical picture of a trailed potato harvester, the model "GRIMME Universal".

1956 - 1979

The era of the "combine-potato-harvesters" begins

With the tractor, new machines also came to the farms. 1956 GRIMME presents the first tractor-drawn "combine-potato-harvester". Ten years later came the successor, the series of "GRIMME Europa Standard", which was built about 20,000 times.

Foto des GRIMME Modells Tornado auf dem Feld.

1980 - 1998

The first product extensions and cooperations follow

In 1980, a destoner and a bed former were developed. A cooperation with the German manufacturer "GRUSE" began for potato planters and with "CLIMAX" from the Netherlands for handling equipment.

Lagerhausfüller Modell SL-8018

1999

Introduction of machinery for potato planting and handling equipment.

At the international trade fair AGRITECHNICA in 1999, GRIMME presents for the first time a potato planter as well as a receiving hopper, a single conveyor and a store loader for potatoes.

Der Selbstfahrer SF 150-60 bei der Ernte auf einem Feld in den Bergen.

1999

Self-propelled harvesters

GRIMME developed the first single row self-propelled harvester as early as 1969 and the first two row self-propelled harvester in 1974. In 1999, the two row self-propelled harvester "SF 150-60" and the four row machine "SF 3000" were introduced.

Vier MAXTRON Rübenroder auf dem Feld bei der Ernte.

2003

Getting started with beet technology

With its six-row self-propelled beet harvester MAXTRON 620, GRIMME surprised the market with a completely newly developed machine with a capacity of 20-tonne bunker.

A trailed potato planter from the North American manufacturer SPUDNIK in the field.

2003

Extension of potato technology

The acquisition of the North American manufacturer SPUDNIK expanded the potato technology range.

Ein Rübenernter des Herstellers ASA-LIFT bei der Ernte auf dem Feld.

2013

Extensive expansion of vegetable technology

With the acquisition of the Danish manufacturer ASA-LIFT, the product range in vegetable technology was expanded extensively.

GRIMME MATRIX Sämaschine auf dem Feld.

2015

Precision seeder technology

At AGRITECHNICA 2017, the MATRIX 12- and 18-row precision seeder was presented, which can be used for seeding of beets, canola and chicory.

Gerenderte Darstellung der teilautonomen Erntemaschine Harvey.one

2019

harvey.one - auf dem Weg zum autonomen Roden

At AGRITECHNICA 2019, Schmiede.One presented the 41 hp harvester for demanding root crops.