The company, VEB Maschinenbau Halberstadt (MBH) was founded in Halberstadt and began producing engines and piston compressors.

Delivery of the first engine type 4 NVD 38, as well as pumps and expansion steam engines.

- Production of the first horizontal- and vertical-piston compressors for the chemical industry.

- Completion of the engine program with more efficient machines types 6 NVD 36 and 8 V 44.

- The serial production of the NVD 66 engine series began following the successful completion of the sea trial.

- The first export engines left the factory for what are now the Czech and Slovak republics.

- By 1963, 670 Diesel engines had left the factory with a performance of 460,000 hp. They were mounted on vessels (the first engine was delivered for the propulsion of the Motor Vessel (M/V) Halberstadt), railroad ferries and power plants.

- By the end of 1963, more than 50 piston compressors were delivered.

- After extensive expansions of the manufacturing facilities, the building of a new engine-test hall and a welding shop, the company began production of large crosshead engines under the license of MAN Augsburg.

- The newly designed four-stroke medium speed-engine VD 48/42 was completed.

- After successful testing, the first V-12 engine was delivered as a complete main propulsion plant for the M/V Rudolf Diesel, the first of a series built on the Neptun Yard, Rostock, where production exceeded the 1 million hp limit.

The company's piston compressors were awarded for the third time a gold medal at the International Fair of Leipzig for excellent quality and innovation.

- Up to 1984 the MAN-licensed engines were manufactured parallel to the four-stroke engine.

- The last of 285 crosshead engines built left the factory.

- The total performance of the crosshead engines delivered by the company was 1.8 million hp.

- The 500^th piston compressor was delivered. More than 70 percent of the production was exported.

- The first in a series of container vessels built in Spain, the second M/V 'Halberstadt' was also equipped with a 12 VD 48/42 engine.

- A series of 38 fishery factory vessels were equipped with a two-engine propulsion plant, 6VD 48/42.

- Another 47 ships, RO-RO and ferries were equipped with VD 48/42 engine propulsion plants.

- In July of 1990, the company was privatized and renamed Maschinenbau Halberstadt GmbH (MBH).

- Development of the Diesel/Gas engine VDG 42/48 began, making it possible to enter the new business field of environmentally friendly energy-generation plants based on cogeneration of power and heat (MHKW).

- The first cogeneration plant for heat and power (CHP), as a reference plant, was put into operation at MBH. The plant has an electrical power output of 2.3 MW, a thermal output of 2.1 MW, and operates to supply electricity for the regional grid and the self-provision of heat.

- Orders for additional large plants in Ludwigsfelde, Tangermünde and Hammelburg followed.

Three additional CHP plants were manufactured and delivered.

- The first plant with a vertical compressor was delivered to the Deutsche Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Cologne.

- The first hydrogen compressor was delivered and commissioned to the petrochemical industry in Taiwan.

- After a short construction period of just 10 months, the cogeneration plants in Calbe and Magdeburg started operating at the end of the year.

- MBH achieved its highest order intake in the last five years.

- The compressors sector began cooperating on an international level.

- MBH focused on the development and construction of power plants.

- MBH delivered 2 gas generating sets with co-generation system to Gasenergia, Italy.

- The Finnish Wärtsilä Group took over the manufacturing of piston compressors under the name of 'Wärtsilä Compression system GmbH with an office in Berlin.

- Additional power plants in Zittau, Halberstadt, ferry port Mukran, Deersheim, Harzgerode and Magdeburg were realized in subsequent years.

Delivered engine output totaled more than 2000 MW installed worldwide.

Production facilities were re-engineered and upgraded, research & development programs were strengthened, and a global sales & marketing network with international operations offices and representatives was set up.

This year witnessed extensive research and the ensuing development of the Conversion Module, a technology allowing traditional Diesel engines to operate on Crude Vegetable Oils.

- Our main areas of activity were:

        - The after-sales service for delivered ship propulsion engines and power plants.

        - The production and machine processing of special components.

        - The conversion of power plants.

- MBH was joined by a strong international shareholder to become a global player in power generation by adding to its line of business Engines & Alternators production