Press Release – January 2025
GEKA Marks 100 Years of Leadership
Celebrating a landmark centenary, GEKA, a trailblazer in beauty application solutions and a member of medmix, proudly announces its 100-year legacy of quality and innovation. What began as a modest brush-making enterprise has grown into a vanguard in brushes, applicators, packaging, and beauty tools. Reflecting on a century of milestones, GEKA reaffirms its pledge to innovation, sustainability, and industry leadership.
A Legacy of Progress
The journey of GEKA commenced in 1925 when Georg Karl senior established the business in Waizendorf, Germany. Initially a brush factory, the company expanded steadily in size and expertise.
In the 1950s, driven by Georg Karl junior’s inspiration from a U.S. visit featuring Helena Rubinstein, GEKA began making twisted wire brushes, setting the stage for its future in precise beauty applications.
Throughout the 1960s and 70s, GEKA’s growth paralleled the evolution of the cosmetics industry, marked by the debut of a plastic molding facility in 1964 and the introduction of a new production site in Waizendorf, 1974. The era also saw the company spread its wings internationally, opening a UK subsidiary and enhancing its capabilities through strategic acquisitions.
During the 1980s and 90s, GEKA became a byword for innovation, after introducing modular systems for over-the-counter products and pioneering synthetic fiber technology for brushes. Its 1996 strategic agreement with Toly USA solidified its global presence.
A pivotal year in 2005 saw GEKA unveil revolutionary molded mascara brushes in New York, featuring advanced 1K and 2K molding technologies, elevating precision and performance standards. Expansion into Brazil and the Asia-Pacific region in the following decade cemented its international standing.
Recent years have embraced sustainability and digital advancement, working directly with Sulzer and later, medmix. In 2019, GEKA launched the world’s inaugural online configurator for cosmetics packaging, offering customers unparalleled customization and versatility.
A Forward-Looking Vision
While celebrating past achievements, GEKA’s story deviates from its final chapters.
Focusing on sustainability, the company continues pioneering efforts to minimize environmental footprints and resonate with consumer values. Strategic investments in expanded facilities across Germany, USA, and Brazil, are designed to uphold GEKA’s dominance in the beauty industry for many more decades.
“Reaching this 100-year milestone goes beyond achievements; it symbolizes the unwavering spirit of innovation and quality that has epitomized GEKA since its inception,” stated Oliver Vogel, GEKA CEO. “We celebrate not just a century of progress but also honor the generations—employees, partners, and customers—who have sculpted our legacy. Simultaneously, we’re eager to explore a future enriched with sustainability, premium technology, and persistent growth in the beauty sector.”