In summer 2009 BST International proudly celebrates its 30th anniversary. From its beginnings in 1979 as “BST Servo-Technik GmbH” with 18 employees in Bielefeld, Germany, BST International is now the global market leader in quality assuring systems for the web processing industry.

Over the last three decades, BST International has developed a reputation for providing the highest possible level of customer service together with innovative products which clearly lead the market in advanced design, reliability and easy operation. BST has around 350 employees in production sites on four continents. The Bielefeld headquarters alone had sales of about 40 million € in 2008.

No other manufacturer of quality assuring technology for the web processing industry has a portfolio like BST International. With state-of-the-art products in web guiding, video web inspection, print management, 100% defect detection, register control, tire control, and its new product area of color management, BST offers effective solutions for manufacturers in a variety of industrial fields. From printing and packaging to the rubber and tire industries, the over 100,000 BST web guiding, inspection and automation systems operating in nearly 100 countries worldwide demonstrate that BST is truly the world market leader.

A history of growth

Shortly after its foundation in 1979, BST began its activities in Asia and quickly expanded its business to include distributors in Europe as well. Today the BST group currently consists of the headquarters in Bielefeld, worldwide distribution companies and manufacturing facilities in Germany, the USA, Japan, Brazil, India and China. Together with over 50 distributors BST reaches its customers in nearly 100 countries around the world.

In 1980, EMG Automation (Wenden / Germany) became a general partner with a 65% interest in BST. Ten years later BST became a wholly owned subsidiary of EMG. EMG Automation develops and manufactures strip guidance systems and other quality assurance products for the metal industry. Together this “mother-daughter” team operates as part of the elexis group.

Recognizing the potential that lay in the proliferation of highly sensitive video cameras at the end of the 1980s, BST capitalized on the trend and developed the first video web monitoring devices. These not only set the industry standard in this segment, but continue to do so today.

“We know how”

“We are delighted to be celebrating 30 years in business", says Wolfgang Küster, Managing Director of BST International. "It proves that our commitment to quality and customer service has not gone unnoticed. We will definitely expand even further in the next 30 years and beyond by committing to continued technological development and the needs of our customers.”

Mr. Küster added: “We have the potential, the technical know-how and the qualified personnel to implement this goal, even in the difficult economic environment in which we currently find ourselves."