View source for Metabo

{{Refimprove|date=October 2007}}
{{Infobox_Company
| company_name = Metabowerke GmbH
| company_type = [[GmbH]]
| company_logo = [[Image:metabo_logo.svg|180px]]
| foundation =  1924
| location = {{flagicon|GER}} [[Nürtingen]], [[Germany]]
| slogan = Work. Don't play.
| key_people = Horst W. Garbrecht (CEO); Andreas Georgiadis (CFO)
| num_employees = 2.000 (2010)
| Turnover = 312 mio. € (2009)
| industry =
| products =  Professional power tools
}}

'''Metabowerke GmbH''' is a manufacturer of a sizeable range of professional [[Power tool|power tools]].
[[Image:Metabo Catalogue 1930s.jpg|thumb|right|225px|Product catalogue from the 1930s]]
The company was  founded in 1924 by Albrecht Schnizler, Julius Closs and Walter Rauch (originally under the name Schnizler GmbH but renamed in 1932) and is based in [[Nürtingen]], [[Germany]]. In 2005  Metabo had 2,400 employees, of which 1460 were employed in Nürtingen. The turnover of the company in 2006 was 392 million euros.<ref>[http://www.metabo.com/Data-and-Facts.2089.0.html Dates and facts]</ref> More than 500 [[patent]]s and [[utility model]]s ([[Gebrauchsmuster]]) have been registered{{Fact|date=October 2007}}.

In 1928 Metabo started with the production of their first bench drilling machines, hand [[sander]]s, [[Brace (tool)|brace]]s, and the first universal [[drill]], sanding and polishing machines equipped with circular saws. In 1934 followed their first electric hand drill and in 1936 their first geared [[Chuck (engineering)|chuck]]s. They produced their first hammer drill in 1957 and the first hammer drill with electronic speed regulation in 1969. The first 1000 watt hammer drill with electronic speed stabilisation followed in 1981. In 1982 Metabo built a plant for the production of grinding disks in [[West Chester, Pennsylvania]] (USA). Several new developments came about in the following years : the winding protection grid (1987), the Metabo Quick System for angle grinders (1988), impulse technology (for precise drilling) (1996) and a fast paint stripper (1997).

Through takeovers, the Metabo Group has become in 1999 the number 1 in the market for woodworking machines in Europe and number 2 worldwide.<ref>[http://www.metabo.com/History.2804.0.html History of Metabo]</ref>

Metabo now sells their electric power tools in more than 100 countries and some of their machines are being used in the most extreme conditions. 

==Other uses==

"Metabo" is also slang in Japanese for metabolic syndrome. Someone is called "Metabo" if they are obese.<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5254825&page=1</ref><ref>http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/observerhealth/story/0,,2290835,00.html</ref>

== Notes ==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.metabousa.com/ Official website]
*[http://www.metabo.com/International-Homepage-english-The-craftsman-s-brands-world.2786.0.html?&L=2786 Metabo homepage]
*[http://www.metabousa.com/ US website]

{{Power tool manufacturers}}

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{{Germany-company-stub}}

[[Category:German brands]]
[[Category:Power tool manufacturers]]
[[Category:Woodworking hand-held power tools]]

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