Draft:Ifm group of companies

The ifm group (​) is a German automation technology company, specialized in components für industrial companies. Its headquarters are located Essen, Germany.

=History= ifm was founded in 1969 by electrical engineer Robert Buck and salesman Gerd Marhofer under the name ifm electronic geräte gmbh+co kg. Buck and Marhofer had worked together in the development and marketing of non-contact sensors. In the same year, Buck and Marhofer introduced inductive proximity sensors under the name efector to the market. In the early years, Bernd Rüsing also served as managing director but left the company in 1971. In the following years, the company grew and expanded into different countries. While having 16 employees in 1970 and sales of 409,000 euros, the company had 260 employees in 1983 and subsidiaries in six different locations, generating 14,8 million in sales. ifm attracted national attention when an attempt was made to bug the company's stand at Interkama trade fair in 1972 in a case of industrial espionage. The following year, ifm introduced the first electronic speed monitor. In 1990, ifm published its company philosophy as hardcover book available for all employees. By now, the book has been translated into 16 languages.

2000 to 2020
In 2001, ifm underwent its first generational change with Martin Buck and Michael Marhofer, the sons of the founders, taking over the management after spending five years in a probationary period. By that moment, Robert Buck and Gerd Marhofer immediately stepped away. With him still being connected to the company, Robert Buck died in 2016 after having been responsible for over 650 patents during his lifespan. In 2010, ifm won the Axia Award for future-oriented customer cooperation. In 2015, ifm efector opened its North American headquarters in Atwater, Malvern, Pennsylvania. The following year, Barack Obama and Angela Merkel visited the ifm booth at Hannover Messe fair trying on virtual reality goggles. In 2018, the Lighthouse smart home camera was introduced to the market making it possible to distinguish between adults, children and pets. In 2018, ifm started construction of The Summit in Siegen, which is now home to four ifm subsidiaries. The following year, ifm celebrated its 50th anniversary by reaching a group turnover of 1 billion euros for the first time.

Since 2020
In 2022, ifm built a green factory in Sibiu, Romania. The same year, the company generated 1.3 billion euros in sales. During COVID-19 pandemic, ifm efector became one of the key suppliers of medical consumables and components in the US. As of 2024, ifm produces over 18.3 million products, including 9 million sensors annually. The company has more than 8.750 employees in more than 80 countries and 70 subsidiaries worldwide.