Firm roots, natural growth.
The success story of ALPEN.
In 1957, Max Reischl founded the company with the Salzburg Spiral Drill Factory. This business would later give rise not only to the ALPEN brand for professional hand tools but also to MAYKESTAG, a brand for industrial milling tools.
Initially operating as a trading company and sales representation, the company soon decided to enter production. A dedicated drill manufacturing facility was established in Salzburg and, in 1974, expanded with a new plant in St. Gallen, Styria.
With the acquisition of KESTAG Präzisionswerkzeuge AG in Ferlach in 1994, the family-owned company expanded into industrial production. The name KESTAG stands for Kärntnerische Eisen- und Stahlwerke AG, officially founded in 1906, though the history of ironworking and wire production in Ferlach dates back as far as 1640.
The “May” in MAYKESTAG originated from a collaboration with the German company May-Dörrenberg KG.
2025
Speed Cut Alpha wins the Plus X Award
2025
Launch of Eco Speed Cut – the affordable entry point to high-performance solid carbide milling
Speed Cut Alpha wins the Plus X Award
2024
Launch of the third generation of Speed Cut solid carbide cutters – Speed Cut Alpha
2023
Launch of the second generation of material-specific trochoidal cutters – Speed Twister Plus
2022
Launch of the HPC milling cutter – Turbo Cut
2022
New logistics centre at the Puch headquarters in Salzburg
2021
COBALT GRIP (Alpen)
2021
Launch of the universal trochoidal milling cutter – Turbo Twister
2018
Opening of the ‘Speedcenter’ in Ferlach, Carinthia
2016
IF Design Award for the Speed Twister
2016
Opening of the new production hall in St. Gallen.
2015
i-Novo Award for the Speed Twister by Maykestag
2015
Launch of the first generation of material-specific trochoidal cutters – Speed Twister
2014
IF Packaging Award
2007
Launch of the first generation of Speed Cut solid carbide cutters
2006
Headquarters: Relocation to the new company premises in Puch/Urstein, with a logistics centre serving the entire group
2005
Full acquisition of Chiapella and its sales branch in Italy – a complete range of HSS and solid carbide tools manufactured in-house.
1999
Establishment of the BSVZ in Ferlach – our own coating and wear protection centre, in-house expertise in super-hard material coatings.
1994
Acquisition of KESTAG-Präzisionswerkzeug AG in Ferlach, Carinthia. The sole manufacturer of HSS metal milling tools in Austria.
1994 – KESTAG Präzisionswerkzeuge AG was acquired by Alpen-May
1995: merged to form Alpen-May-Kestag GmbH
1978
Merger with St. Egydyer Eisen- und Stahl-Industrie AG, a subsidiary of VÖEST’s subsidiary Vereinigte Edelstahlwerke AG (VEW)
1973
KESTAG becomes a subsidiary of VÖEST-Alpine AG
1946
Nationalisation of KESTAG in Austria
1943
An Introduction to Toolmaking
Specialist tools for iron and steel machining, precision measuring instruments
1941–1944
Contracts for the partial manufacture of tank guns and tanks
1941
Order from Wiener Neustadt Aircraft Works
Production of turning and milling work for aircraft components
1906
Foundation of KESTAG (Carinthian Iron and Steel Works Company)
Conversion of the firm ‘P. Mühlbacher’s Successors’ into KESTAG by Alfred Voigt
1985
Acquisition of the May-Dörrenberg factory in St. Paul, Carinthia / Expansion of the product range to include countersinks, reamers, boring bars, end mills and carbide-tipped tools.
1978
Presentation of the Austrian national coat of arms by Minister Staribacher.
1976
Takeover of the drill bit manufacturing operations of Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG. This made the company the sole manufacturer of twist drills in Austria.
1974
Opening of the St. Gallen plant in Styria / Relocation of the twist drill production
(Manufacture of metal, masonry and wood drill bits. 1,000,000 drill bits were produced each month.)
1957
Foundation of the Salzburg Twist Drill Factory / Manufacture of twist drills