125 years between tradition and innovation

Mankiewicz Hamburg celebrates its 125 year anniversary in 2020. Since 1895, the long-established company has been producing and distributing high-quality industrial coatings and is one of the most successful globally-active coatings companies. Today, a team of over 1,500 employees is working at 16 locations worldwide - always driven by the desire to combine innovative technologies, customized products and efficient coating processes.

Coach paints and pioneering spirit

The company made a name for itself around the turn of the century with the production and sale of high-quality varnishes for carriages. At that time, these varnishes were a high-tech product for the primeval hour of mobility. The carriage wheel is still a defining element of the company logo.

The Grau family took over the lacquer factory from Hugo and Felix Mankiewicz, the original founders, and started an unprecedented success story which is still being continued today. The company has remained under the management of the Grau family for three generations and is currently managed by Michael Grau. Based on the Mankiewicz slogan, "Coating Concepts of the Future," new potential products are being discovered, new markets are being developed and new innovations are being pushed forward. A lot of heart, vision and untiring entrepreneurial spirit characterize the daily cooperation in the family business.

Great cinema and other magic moments

From small manufacturers to large global corporations, Mankiewicz is at ease in the automotive, aviation and general industry markets. Countless projects and challenges have shaped the company and its product portfolio into what it is today. Mankiewicz paint flew to the moon on a camera lens in 1969. A Hollywood mission brought Mankiewicz to the big screen in the 1990s. In "GoldenEye," the interior of James Bond’s BMW Z3 was painted with Mankiewicz paint - not shaken, but well stirred by the Mankiewicz experts.

However, quite different historical challenges have also shaped the character of our family company. The great Hamburg flood of 1962 flooded the entire company premises on the Wilhelmsburg Elbe island and brought production to a standstill overnight. With unbridled flexibility, the entire crew made the factory buildings functional again within days, thus ensuring the supply of our customers. Today, only a flood mark reminds us of these stormy times. Principles shown during the 1962 flood such as speed, flexibility and determination are universal throughout the company even today.

Today, Mankiewicz has been firmly anchored in the world of coatings for over 125 years. In its ultra-modern laboratories, technical centers and production lines, high-tech coating systems are created all over the world. We can be found on the blades of wind turbines and in the compartments of high-speed trains. We make aircraft components last longer and set trends for the car interiors of tomorrow. Day in and day out, our research is aimed at using paint to make surfaces more functional, valuable and durable.

We would like to thank our customers, partners and the entire Mankiewicz family for not only sharing in our history, but also shaping our future together. We are spread across the globe, but we are closely connected in our common thinking and acting.

Michael O. Grau
"Through our constant drive to research and our will to move forward, we are now an internationally positioned company."