Busch GmbH was set up in Dusseldorf, Germany, in 1905 by Ernst and Otto Busch. Their primary focus was to manufacture dental burs and thereby boost the dental field by providing better dental instruments. In 1908, they purchased and moved to an abandoned ironworks with water power in the village of Engelskirchen. Since that time, when the dental field was still in its infancy, the company has been successfully adjusting to the latest developments in technology and science. They introduced dental carbide burs in Germany, ceramic bonded abrasives, and diamond instruments. These new cutting materials have produced thousands of new products, not only for dentists, but also for goldsmiths and jewelers. In more recent decades, their products have been discovered and used extensively by woodcarvers and hobbyists
1 billion burs later!
When the brothers Ernst and Otto Busch set up their dental bur factory Busch & Co. in Düsseldorf in 1905, they could hardly have imagined that these words would describe its output just 100 years later!
Their intention was to give a boost to dentistry, a field which was still in its infancy at the time (there were just 500 dentists in the whole of Germany in 1905), by producing better instruments. They and the two following BUSCH generations succeeded admirably in this respect, as the entire history of the company, which moved to Engelskirchen in 1908, is characterized by constant adjustment to the latest developments in science and technology.
Such new product series as - ceramic bonded abrasives - the first dental carbide burs in Germany and - diamond instruments were milestones in its further development
Fundamental innovations
These fundamental innovations based on new types of cutting materials boosted thousands of new products which – objectively speaking – have gradually relieved a bit of the horror of dental treatment.
However, the acquired know-how was also used to the benefit of other users who soon came to appreciate the high-quality of BUSCH products. Goldsmiths, jewellers and podologists became real fans and inspired Busch & Co. to develop numerous innovations of the premium products which are up to this day manufactured with high-technology in Engelskirchen and delivered to customers in close to 100 countries around the world.
Speaking of Engelskirchen: it was probably the Genius Loci that enticed the two brothers into the valley of the Agger river – or maybe it was the water power of the abandoned ironworks which the company acquired, and perhaps also the wealthy brother-in-law in the neighbouring village of Ründeroth who initially helped to finance the project - for the local people and town of Engelskirchen profited not only from the corporate purpose of this new factory, which was at that time one of only a few.
On the contrary: the activities of Busch & Co. and the general willingness of people to follow untrodden paths and to take a risk, triggered a boom of new business in the town, a boom which today would be considered unbelievable. People had to take their fate into their own hands, for there was no state to promise them heaven on earth.
Not only dental burrs
While Busch & Co. provided jobs for up to 180 people, some former employees who had learned their trade by Busch now set up their own businesses and provided jobs for another 1000 people. They not only manufactured dental burs, but also related products, such as cutting and grinding tools, as well as twist drills. One former employee even established an injection-moulding company and took on orders from Busch.
This extraordinary boom in Engelskirchen ended with the 2nd World War. Many of the firms still exist today, however, and form a sound basis for local industry up to the present day.
Past and present show that the right business decisions will no doubt continue to be taken in this centenary company, decisions which also include promotion for such long-term external projects. BUSCH supports regulary aid organizations as for e.g. Deutsche Welthungerhilfe /German Agro Action (seaquake in Asia), Deutsche Krebshilfe /German cancer aid, the voluntary fire brigade in Engelskirchen and for the Cologne Rundschau Geriatric Care Organization in the form of considerable donations.
