History
The story of ESAB is the story of welding. When our founder Oscar Kjellberg developed the world's first coated welding electrode in 1904, he launched a company whose innovation and uncompromising standards have helped create the history of welding itself.
For more than 100 years, ESAB has been powered by the will to continuously seek new and improved ways of serving our customers. This has made ESAB a world leader in welding products and advanced cutting systems.
In 2012, ESAB was acquired by Colfax Corporation, one of the world's leading diversified industrial manufacturing companies. Colfax, like ESAB, is a solidly customer-focused company that places strong emphasis on constant innovation and improvement.

Founder Bio
The foundation of ESAB was built early in the last century by an inventive engineer who sought a practical solution to a common problem.
Timeline
ESAB boasts more than a century of technological innovation. View our timeline.
Tomorrow's History Today
From the firsts by our founder to our global growth, we take pride in what we’ve accomplished in more than a century. But we do so with a keen eye on the future.