HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

SMS & WTS

1958 – Founding of SMS by the Schoormans brothers

1965 - Opening of first new building at 1, Jules de Beerstraat, Tilburg

1983 – 25th anniversary

1984 – First lead frame die for Philips Nederland

1987 – New building at 2, Swaardvenstraat, Tilburg

1990 – Award from Texas Instruments, Netherlands

1993 - Supplier Recognition Award - Texas Instruments, Netherlands

1994 - Supplier Excellence Award - Texas Instruments, USA

1997 – Founding of sister company Worldwide Tooling Service B.V.
- Opening and taking into use of new building at 8, Hermesstraat, Tilburg, by SMS & WTS.
- Certificate of recognition from Philips, Netherlands
- Tilburg Moderne Industriestad Award 1997

1998 – 40th anniversary
- Official opening of SMS & WTS’s new building
- VAT Award 1998
- European Engineering Award 1998 for a 144 LD TQFP III lead frame tool in a one pass 16 cuts fine pitch design
- Tilburg Moderne Industriestad Award 1998

1999 - Management buy-out by staff members

2002 - European Engineering Award 2002 for a 14/16 LD HDSOIC lead frame tool with cutting parts made of ceramic
- Micron d'Or 2002 for the development of ceramic applications in die-cutting tools

2004 – Founding of SMS Research & Development
- ESEF Engineering Award 2004 for a new production technique for leadless plastic packaging by means of the use of die-cutting

2006 - ESEF Engineering Award 2006 for an automatic profile grinding cell

2008 – 50th anniversary of SMS

2009 – Merger with GVW and founding of ART Group

GVW

1989 – Started as one-man business at 1, Peperstraat, Gameren (evenings only).

1990 – Whole days with just a milling machine (size of premises: 40 m²).

1991 – Land purchased at De Hoef in Gameren.

1995 – Start of construction at De Hoef in Gameren (size of premises: 500 m²).

1996 – Moved to De Hoef 4, now with complete machinery park in order to manufacture dies and moulds.

2006 – ART (EUR) founded.

2008 – New building constructed (size of premises: 625 m²), including a 5-ton and a 20-ton crane.

2009 – As of 1 January 2009: merger with SMS Stamp Tool & Mould Technologies and WTS Worldwide Mechanical Components, in Tilburg.