PMB was formally
founded in 1946 even though the abbreviation has been
in existence since 1935. It came about when the
tobacco concern Mignot & de Block started to sell their
internally developed cigar banding machine through the
company Progrès Mécanique Bruxelles (PMB).
Since the abbreviation PMB was so well known in the tobacco
industry it was purposely retained and the name Patent Machine
Bouw attached to it.
In
1947 PMB bought the company P. van der Heiden, which had
a special program consisting of primary tobacco machinery.
In the years following the Second World War the tobacco industry
required equipment for the production of cigarettes and cigars
and PMB became well known in the tobacco industry worldwide.
In 1961, PMB's largest competitor,
Arenco of Sweden, purchased 50% of the shares of PMB and later
in 1968 became the 100% owner. The name was subsequently
changed into Arenco-PMB, which remained that way until 1980.
At this time Arenco decided to cease all tobacco related
activities and the company returned to trading as PMB once more.
This is how PMB came to not only represent PMB equipment but
also the full range from Arenco. In 1992 PMB purchased
the last remains of the Arenco factory in Sweden.
The North American presence was
established in 1980 with the opening of the PMB, Inc.
facility in Richmond, Virginia. Supporting
the group's activities in sales, service and parts for the
North, Central and South American markets.
PMB also became a representative of
former competitors AMF and
York.
In 1985 the PMB-Group, now called
PMB-UVA International, diversified into packaging machinery
manufacturing through the acquisition of UVA.
The assortment of UVA, abbreviation for "Universele
Verpakking Apparatuur" (Universal Packaging Equipment) was
focused on vertical form fill and seal machinery.
With the acquisition of
Servotech S.A., in 1992 PMB-UVA
provided access to high tech packaging markets with
servo driven machinery for the food and nonfood markets.
In 1992 PMB purchased the last remains of the Arenco
factory in Sweden.
In 2003 the VDL groep purchased PMB-UVA
and extended once again their position in the supply chain
for machinery and equipment.
In 2005 the
PMB Tobacco
devision extended their assortment
in finishing and handling machinery originally produced by
Maveco Tobacco support.