History

1998

Foundation of the company and the beginning of programming work on the marketplace Maschinensucher.

 

1999

Launch of the search engine Maschinensucher.de. In a very short time, the platform has established itself as a source for machines of all kinds - despite its extravagant colouring. Who in heaven's name would choose yellow? The sources remain silent.

 

2000

The international subsidiary Machineseeker.com goes online. Dealers and prospective buyers all over the world now benefit from the online marketplace.

 


2006

The legal form of the company changes to a limited liability company (GmbH). Thorsten moves into new premises at Queen Elisabeth colliery in Essen-Frillendorf.

 

2008

After ten years as a lone fighter, Thorsten hires his first employee.

 

2010

Meanwhile the portal is frequented by 20,000 visitors daily, who generate a total volume of 25,000 sales-inquiries and advertisements monthly.

 


 

2012

Additional, valuable employees are recruited to make Machineseeker even better. The online marketplace is now a leader in the field of stationary used machinery.

 

2015

Move to our beautiful modern office on Kronprinzenstraße near Essen Central Station. The premises offer enough space for creative ideas and even more competent employees.

 

2016

The app has been available for Apple and Android smartphones since September 2016. Inquiries can be sent directly to dealers as a push message. Business can thus be initiated even faster. With great success, Maschinensucher focuses on expansion into neighboring countries.

 

 


2017

For the first time, the monthly number of visitors exceeds one million. The office on Kronprinzenstraße is extended by one floor. Meanwhile more than 20 employees work for the company. Sven Schmidt is appointed as additional managing director.

 

2018

The takeover of the Polish marketplace maszynyuzywane.pl strengthens our position as the international market leader. The first edition of the Machineseeker classifieds, the print magazine for woodworking machines, is released. Machineseeker.com becomes prime sponsor of the Darts World Championships on TV channel Sport1.

 

2019

Machineseeker becomes shirt sponsor of the wolds No. 1 in darts, Michael van Gerwen. With Truckscout24, the Machineseeker Group now also operates the leading marketplace for commercial vehicles.

 


2020

The company’s team has grown to over 45 employees - and there is still no end in sight. With the expansion to the additional fourth floor, the company has more office space and is ready to grow even further. In July, the Machineseeker Group takes over Werktuigen.nl - the No. 1 marketplace for used machines in Benelux - and thus becomes the market leader in all European countries.

 

2021

By now, the marketplaces reach over 10 million users per month. The Machineseeker Group sponsors the Handball World Cup 2021 in Egypt and becomes official partner of Morlock Motors, whose CEO Michael Manousakis is known worldwide from the successful documentary series “Steel Buddies”.

 

Every year, the Machineseeker Group will support three students from non-academic households with their start in STEM studies with the help of a scholarship.


2022
After the summer games in Tokyo 2020, the Machineseeker Group is also the official partner of Team Germany at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

 

2023
The Machineseeker Group continues to grow and takes over Gebrauchtmaschinen.de and Used-Machines.com from the Vogel Group. The group of companies now reaches more than 15 million visitors every month.