At the time of the k.u.k. Monarchy, domestic locomotives had their terminus at the outer borders of the monarchy. There, there were always technical breakdowns due to damaged ball bearings (for fixing axles and shafts). Delivering the spare parts was time-consuming and expensive, during which time the trains could not run.
Hermann Pompel had the idea to have only the easier to transport balls as spare parts taken along on the train journey instead of the whole bearings and to replace the defective parts (balls) directly on the spot. Thus began the more than 100-year history of the Kugel Pompel ball company.
For a long time, Kugel Pompel was therefore a supplier to the railroad industry. After the turmoil of war, the Formanek/Geider family took over the company. The focus remained on technical balls.
In addition, Kugelpompel was increasingly approached by new target groups (tradesmen, universities & schools as well as artists & theaters). Therefore, in addition to the sale of technical precision balls, the company decided to serve the other target groups as well. The company grew and customers were acquired in every industry.
As a leading company in the distribution of precision balls, rollers and bearing balls, it was therefore essential to certify the company according to ISO 9001 in the early 1990s.
Since 2013 an online store is in operation.
Due to lack of family succession, the company was taken over by HSI Solutions GmbH.
In 2021, more than 100 million balls were sold, the majority of them to industry, from car manufacturers to medical technology.