A Brief History
It all started with a blade. In 1930 Wilhelm Dahle developed and sold steel sharpening blades to well-known pencil manufacturers like Faber, Lyra, and Staedtler. Seeing an opportunity, he branded the first Dahle Pencil Sharpener in 1947, and the innovative company we know today was born.
Over the years, Dahle blades sparked the innovation of unique paper trimmers and paper shredders that to this day lead the industry in quality and safety.
Milestones
1930 – April 1st, 1930 Dahle is founded by Wilhelm Dahle in Coburg, Germany, and begins production of pencil sharpener blades.
1947 – Dahle introduces its first branded Pencil Sharpener, the Dahle 99 Pencil Sharpener.
1960 – Dahle introduces its first Guillotine Paper Trimmer, adding a revolutionary rotating safety guard that is still used today in Dahle Premium Guillotines.
1974 – The first line of Rotary Paper Trimmers is introduced.
1976 – Dahle North America, Inc. is established in Connecticut becoming Dahle’s first joint venture outside of Germany.
1980 -- Dahle introduces the Cut Cat, a personal rotary trimmer that would evolve into the popular 507/508 Personal Rotary Trimmers of today.
1985 – Dahle introduces its first line of Commercial Paper Shredders.
1988 – Due to the growing consumer demand for document security, Dahle introduces its first line of Personal Paper Shredders.
2002 – Dahle is purchased by the Erwin Müller Group of Lingen, Germany, becoming Dahle Bürotechnik GmbH
2010 – Dahle introduces the SafeTEC® line of shredders with voice-activated emergency shut off.
2010 – The Dahle CleanTEC® is introduced as the industry’s only shredder to feature an integrated Fine Dust Filter that eliminates 98% of fine paper dust.
2012 – Under the Erwin Müller Group, Dahle is merged with the Novus brand to form Novus Dahle GmbH & Co.
2015 – Dahle introduces a complete line of Oil-Free Paper Shredders.
6/2019 –Dahle introduces the ShredMATIC® line of auto-feed shredders, a concept first developed by Dahle in 2001.
9/2019 –Dahle North America, Inc. introduces PowerTEC, a line of industrial media shredders that are capable of digital media, cell phones, hard drives, and more.
4/2020 –Dahle introduces new Professional Series Rotary Trimmers.