ACE Stoßdämpfer GmbH, part of the Stabilus Group, is expanding its production of small and industrial shock absorbers in Germany. The company is thus setting an example for proximity, quality and flexibility, while many domestic companies are relocating their production abroad.

The medium-sized industrial shock absorbers of the ACE Magnum series, considered by many designers to be the gold standard, as well as the related safety shock absorbers from ACE are manufactured for the European market at Stabilus' main plant in Koblenz. The small shock absorbers of the popular MC150 to MC 600 types from ACE are produced in Aichwald near Stuttgart at the plant of sister company HAHN Gasfedern GmbH. There, decades of experience in CNC manufacturing, assembly and engineering are combined with state-of-the-art production and testing facilities. This decision follows the Stabilus Group's strategy "IN THE REGION. FOR THE REGION." Dr. Peter Kremer, Managing Director of ACE: "With these measures, we are further strengthening our production in Europe and increasing value creation, while making our customers, employees and the company less dependent on global supply chains." He adds that more than 50 percent of the over 8,000 purchasing customers in 2025 came from Germany, while ACE's export share has been at a high level for years, particularly in other European countries.

ACE in Europe for Europe

started in 1963 in Detroit, Michigan, USA, as ACE Controls Inc., ACE Stoßdämpfer GmbH was initially founded in 1978 in Langenfeld as a pure sales subsidiary. From the Rhenish location, the foundations were first laid for the success story of adjustable and self-adjusting industrial shock absorbers in Europe, which has continued since the 1980s. The Langenfeld engineering team then provided significant impetus in the development of compact, extremely powerful small shock absorbers. Dr. Peter Kremer explains: "Although these were designed in Germany, until a few years ago they were also produced for Europe in Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis following the outbreak of the Ukraine war caused bottlenecks in material procurement, longer delivery times and poorer availability. On the one hand, this has taught us that long-term partnerships pay off. And secondly, regional production prevents the problems that arose in the global supply chain. The consequences we have drawn and the progress we are now seeing in production in Koblenz and Aichwald will help our customers and us in the coming years to be able to provide the right components for every conceivable application in any desired quantity in a timely manner."

In addition to the associated greater flexibility in the production of customer-specific special solutions, ACE Stoßdämpfer GmbH cites furtheradvantages such as improved customer proximity through development, production and testing directly on site as well as greater legal certainty and compliance with German and EU standards.