In the 18th century, the Grimme family founded a smithy in the town of Damme in Lower Saxony. This was leased for 13 years in 1848. Franz Grimme's great-grandfather took it over again and continued the Grimme family's tradition of craftsmanship. The site was relocated within Damme at the end of the 19th century and is still owned by the Grimme family today. The small company grew continuously and over the years an agricultural machinery business and a household goods store were established.

With four employees, Franz Grimme Sr. started the agricultural machinery production in the third generation. He was a passionate tinkerer and was already working on the more efficient harvesting of potatoes at a young age. The first product was a row header for horse-drawn wheel harvesters. Within a few years, annual production rose to over 1,500 units per year. The blacksmith business and the trade in agricultural machinery and household goods continued.

The single-row potato harvester "Europa Standard" was the breakthrough and GRIMME became the market leader in Germany. Within just two years, the workforce was increased by 50%. Due to the closure of the ore mine in Damme, GRIMME was able to recruit many skilled workers for further expansion. The first hall on the current factory premises was built and today serves as the factory canteen, the "Kartoffelhaus".

in 1970, Franz Grimme, who studied mechanical and industrial engineering, joined his parents' company at the age of 24 and worked his way through many positions in the company. in 1980, he took over the management of the company from his father. At that time, GRIMME had around 350 employees.

In the mid-1980s, Franz Grimme took over a small company from Hanover that manufactured products made of polyurethane. A small team produced the first parts from this basic material, which were installed in potato harvesters and stone collectors. The foundation stone for a success story was laid and in 1987 the company INTERNORM Kunststofftechnik was founded in Damme, which today employs over 330 people.

Franz Grimme founds the first foreign subsidiary "GRIMME Potato Harvesters Limited" in the USA (Idaho). Machine sales for North America were coordinated from this location. 5 years later, the first European sales and service company was established in Great Britain.

From the very beginning, GRIMME has manufactured screening and conveyor belts for the machines itself and therefore has unique know-how. The high demand led to the founding of RICON, Sieb- und Fördertechnik in Damme in 1995, which is now based in Rieste and employs over 170 people.

in 2003, the family business SPUDNIK in Blackfoot/Idaho, founded in 1956, was taken over. Within just a few years, SPUDNIK became the North American market leader in potato technology. in 2020, the company enters the vegetable technology market. Since the acquisition of STC Trailers in 2020, SPUDNIK also manufactures transportation technology. SPUDNIK operates its own sales and service companies in the USA and Canada and employs over 550 people.

Within a few years, locations are established in the USA, Canada, France, Belgium, Ireland, Great Britain, Turkey, Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, South Africa, Brazil as well as in Uelzen (Lower Saxony) and Langquaid (Bavaria).

GRIMME was one of the first companies to secure space in Niedersachsenpark for further expansion. in 2010, the 10,000 m² assembly plant for self-propelled vehicles and a hall of the same size for RICON were built. in 2018, the approx. 8,000 m² logistics area for RICON was built. the 800-metre test track was built in 2020.

in 2013, the Danish family business ASA-LIFT from Sorö, founded in 1936, is acquired. ASA-Lift is a developer and manufacturer of customized vegetable technology and employs over 120 people. The focus is on agricultural machinery for harvesting carrots, cabbage, green beans, chives, celery and onions.

Christoph Grimme (2016) and Philipp Grimme (2019) join the company in the fifth generation. Both have been managing partners of the group of companies since 2025. Franz and Christine Grimme are members of the Supervisory Board of GRIMME Holding SE. Picture from left: Philipp Grimme and Christoph Grimme

Christoph Grimme founds the innovation laboratory for the GRIMME Group, schmiede.one in Düsseldorf. over 30 employees work on digital business models and robotics.

GRIMME opens the 13,000 square meter plant in Tianjin/China. over 100 employees produce potato technology for the local market.

Foundation of the joint venture with the Indian family business and agricultural machinery manufacturer Shaktiman. Shaktman-GRIMME manufactures machines for potato growers, especially in emerging markets. in 2023, the joint venture received a DLG silver medal for remarkable further development.

GRIMME launches the largest investment program in the company's history. A new office building for 190 employees is built in Damme, production halls are extensively renovated and the Academy is expanded. A used machine center, logistics hall, dispatch center and a large assembly plant for trailed harvesting technology are built in Niedersachspark. The existing test track is extended by 250 meters to over 1,000 meters.