Schubert Technical Services Limited has a rich history dating back to 1928 when 18-year-old Helmut Schubert moved from Germany to London to represent the Burkle Company. Starting with Burkle presses, Schuberts quickly evolved into designing and building their own pressing equipment. Over the decades, the business expanded, weathered challenges, and became a leader in surface coating and drying systems, including the revolutionary Schubox.
From its humble beginnings to its current status as a trusted family-owned business, Schuberts has consistently provided high-quality solutions across industries.
Browse the timeline on this page to explore key milestones in our remarkable journey.
Schuberts begins its journey in engineering.
Introduced advanced veneering equipment for precision work.
Expanded offerings to include veneering and pressing tools.
Revolutionary dome presses set new industry standards.
Launched innovative band and shuttle press technology.
Introduced Stefani, Alberti, and Gabianna machinery to the UK.
Celebrating 50 years.
Moved headquarters to Yorkshire for growth and expansion.
Introduced full end-to-end panel production systems.
Shifted focus to developing advanced finishing solutions.
First advertisements for Schubox CIR system, concept from 1999.
Introduced new drying systems to the product line.
Launched a complete range of finishing systems.
Established a cutting-edge test center for product development.
Joint venture with Yorke Towne in Canada begins.
Opened a state-of-the-art factory in Leeds for Orange Box finishing.
USA site and JV with Advanced Machinery Established in Utah
Elevated Finishing Inc started in North Carolina, USA
In 1928, 18-year-old Helmut Schubert departed Germany and moved to London to act as the agent for the Burkle Company of Freudenstadt, based in the Black Forest. He sold Burkle (Buerkle) presses up to the beginning of World War II.
The outbreak of war meant that Schuberts had to start designing and building their own pressing equipment in England, with the most renowned being the ‘Dome’ press, used for veneering shaped furniture pieces. This became a world-leader with hundreds in use in the UK and all over the world. It’s testament to the quality of design and manufacture that some of these presses are still in operation today, more than 70 years later!
The business expanded further after the war, adding a range of complimentary imported machines, including drum and wide belt sanders, veneer guillotines and jointers, and roller and curtain coaters.
When Helmut sadly passed away in 1960, Schuberts was almost forced to close. However, his son Peter, coincidentally also 18-years-old, persuaded the family to support him in his successful efforts to keep the business operating. Shortly afterwards, a strong Italian connection was born, working with great success with Stefani, Alberti, and Gabbiani.
Over the following 25 years, Schuberts and the Italian machinery manufacturers enjoyed a golden era, installing massive lines for high production flat pack furniture on a ‘turn-key’ basis. During this period, press manufacturing had also developed into plastics and rubber, as well as the woodworking industry.
Schuberts sold the press side of the business in the late 1970s.
Moving into the 1980s, many of the major machinery manufacturers in Italy and Germany began to form into groups, causing concern that Schuberts was in danger of losing its independence. The company made the decision to exit the main panel processing market and to concentrate on surface coating equipment, both wet and dry, in order to stay totally autonomous.
Over the last 40 years, Schuberts has developed a complete range of spray booths, enclosures, and drying/curing systems for lacquers, with the jewel in the crown being the renowned Schubox. Universally accepted as the most advanced and efficient drying and curing systems of its type in the world, the Schubox utilises gas catalytic infrared technologies to dry painted products in under an hour.
From stand-alone, high quality spray shops, flash-off systems and curing zones, all the way through to turn-key autonomous fully automatic, high-speed coating lines, Schuberts caters for the needs of any customer.
2016 saw the opening of a purpose-built test centre and training academy. Situated in Sheffield (just off Junction 35 of the M1), it enables existing and potential customers to carry out R&D test work on the entire Schuberts range of manual and automatic spraying, drying, sanding, and application method machinery, including equipment from the Giardina Group. The academy has been set up to take operators and managers through pre-delivery training, commissioning, and top-up training of the Schuberts range of finishing systems, in a structured environment.
The company relocated its manufacturing operations, in 2020 to a purpose-designed facility in Leeds, known as Orange Box Finishing.
In 2021, Schuberts took a major step into the USA market, establishing a partnership with Advanced Machinery Systems, based in Utah. In 2023, Elevated Finishing was formed in North Carolina, ensuring total US coverage.
Today, Schuberts is a small, highly specialised, flexible, family-owned business, headed by Sue, Lydia and Mark in key positions, with a hard-won reputation across various industries for quality and reliability.
