10 Years of priomold GmbH – A Success Story

From a visionary startup to a global partner for prototypes and low-volume production

A decade of innovation, challenges, and successes: priomold GmbH will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2025. What began in 2015 has grown into an impressive success story, written with courage, team spirit, and a great deal of passion. With over 90 employees and a production area of 5,000 square meters, priomold has grown into a key partner for prototypes and low-volume production.

How it all began
“The idea to start the company actually came to us while we were studying aerospace engineering at the University of Stuttgart,” recalls Thomas Schönbucher, CEO and co-founder of priomold. “On the side, we ran a small aerial photography business and realized we worked well together. But the legal framework was becoming increasingly complicated, so we started looking for new challenges. Through my master’s thesis on automated milling of 5-axis components, we identified a problem we wanted to solve: the production of prototypes.”

Together with his classmate Moritz Zumdick, who is also a co-founder and managing director of the company, they developed a concept that significantly improved the quality and speed of prototype production. “We rely on the rapid tooling process and manufacture injection molds from high-strength aluminum. This allows us to produce prototypes and low-volume from production-grade material at production quality—faster and more cost-effectively than with conventional methods.”

Growth in stages

The company began operations in May 2015. By February 2017, it had moved into a 1,000-square-meter production facility in Birkenfeld near Pforzheim, but this space proved insufficient just two years later. In February 2019, the company relocated to Schömberg, where it now occupies a 5,000-square-meter production facility and remains headquartered to this day. Since mid-2022, priomold has also been offering its customers services in the field of additive manufacturing. In addition, the expansion into France planned for 2022 was successfully implemented in mid-2023—and priomold has since become increasingly successful and visible in the market there.

From a startup to a global company

With plenty of initiative and a clear goal of filling a gap in the prototype manufacturing market, Thomas and Moritz laid the foundation for priomold. Without much startup capital, but with all the more dedication and commitment, they built their company step by step. “For the first year and a half, we did everything on our own. 80-hour weeks were the norm. Today, I’d say we should have hired employees sooner,” says Thomas. The biggest challenge for the Schönbucher: “In the beginning, we did everything ourselves. Even when we had 10 employees, I was still standing at the machine and writing quotes. You have to let go of a lot of things little by little, and over the years, your role in the company changes several times.”

While rapid growth requires a steady influx of new employees, Schönbucher also sees this as an advantage. “With new employees, we constantly receive fresh input, which helps us continue to evolve.” This has enabled the company to improve technologically as well, for example by reducing tool milling time by about 50 percent, as the CEO explains. In addition, the company’s growth has qualified it to take on larger categories of orders. “We want to drive this forward even further.”

Today, priomold employs over 90 people and utilizes state-of-the-art technology. Since 2020, the company has also been offering apprenticeships, thereby investing in the skilled workers of tomorrow. Currently, six apprentices in business and technical fields are training at priomold. The production facility in Schömberg is the heart of the company. It now houses 17 milling machines, 20 injection molding machines, and 5 laser sintering systems. The company serves customers in the electrical engineering, medical technology, automotive, and numerous other industries. Today, priomold supplies customers all over the world.

People First
What makes priomold special isn’t just its technology and speed—it’s the people behind it. From the very beginning, it was clear: a strong corporate culture is the foundation for lasting success. “There’s no strict division between management and employees here. We’re colleagues and work together as equals,” says Thomas.

This is evident not only in our daily interactions but also in shared activities, spontaneous conversations in the break room, or the many small gestures that make up a supportive work environment. Regular team events, outings, and celebrations are an integral part of our corporate culture—not because they’re mandatory, but because we enjoy getting together.

“Our customers appreciate that we can respond flexibly to their needs. That wouldn’t be possible without our well-coordinated team,” says Moritz. “The success of our company is based on the performance of each individual—and on the mindset that we can achieve more together than alone. Our customers sense that, too.”

A Look into the Future

Despite its growth, priomold remains grounded. “We only want to grow if it benefits our customers,” explains Thomas. The focus is on developing innovative solutions in-house (two employees work full-time exclusively on programming for internal purposes) while preserving the company’s values. This also includes continuously refining internal structures—whether through digital tools, automated processes, or the ongoing improvement of our internal communication. In doing so, we rely on future-oriented technologies, such as seamless data flows between design, manufacturing, and quality assurance.

In-house software programs help us make internal processes more transparent, faster, and more efficient—whether in project tracking, quote preparation, or quality management. Our goal: an innovative work environment that provides guidance, creates freedom, and focuses on what matters most. This fosters a space where people are eager to take on responsibility, contribute ideas, and grow together—for the benefit of our customers and our teams. The 10th anniversary was celebrated on January 10, 2025, together with families and partners. On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, priomold would like to thank all employees, customers, and partners who have made this success possible. “We are excited to see what challenges and opportunities the coming years will bring. One thing is certain: we will tackle them with the same passion and team spirit that have brought us this far.”