The history of
Auer Innovations Group
Today's Auer Innovations is the result of a community of specialized companies that has grown over decades. What began in 1894 as a traditional carpentry workshop has evolved through targeted ventures and acquisitions into a powerful holding company for international high-end craftsmanship.
The foundation: The Auer carpentry workshop (today Auer wood manufactory )
The group's origins date back to 1894. After the Second World War, master carpenter Heinrich Auer Sr. rebuilt the business between 1947 and 1958 at Rennweg in Innsbruck. His philosophy continues to shape the actions of the entire group today: "Quality is easy to achieve; simply use the best of everything." In 1958, the company moved to Hallerstraße, where a state-of-the-art machine park laid the foundation for subsequent growth.
The path to becoming a corporate group (from 1976 onwards)
When Heinrich Auer Jr. joined the company in 1976 after completing his studies in wood technology, the transformation from a small carpentry workshop to a networked group began. For over 40 years, expertise has been systematically developed and companies integrated to serve niche markets worldwide.
Through the strategic acquisition of the long-established carpentry firm Norer, the group brought a true specialist on board. Norer contributed decades of expertise in the healthcare sector. To this day, this division of the group is responsible for the highly complex interior design of pharmacies, medical practices, laboratories, and hospitals.
Auer Exhibition Stand Construction
To professionally cover the field of temporary architecture and brand staging, the company Messebau Auer was founded. It forms the pillar for individual and technologically advanced exhibition stand construction at an international level.
This collaboration created a community that allowed the group to realize large-scale projects on almost every continent. The combined expertise of all the companies ultimately led to a successful entry into the highly specialized fields of display case construction and ship outfitting (yachts).
Merger and the era of the holding company (from 2019 onwards)
With the arrival of Thomas Auer, BSc BA, in 2019, the next phase of evolution began. His goal was to further integrate the historically developed strengths of the various businesses.
Establishment of the holding company (end of 2024)
Auer Innovations was founded as a holding company to centralize strategic leadership, joint engineering, and global project management.The partnership with Baumstark
To further expand market presence and product range, the cooperation and integration with Baumstark was completed – an important step towards the further professionalization of the group. (Note: Since I don't know the exact year, I'm describing it as a strategic step from the recent past).The final site merger (2025)
A historic milestone for the group was reached in 2025. The Auer wood manufactory, Auer trade fair construction and the Norer carpentry workshop were physically merged at the main location on Hallerstrasse.
Synergy and progress: The holding company's four areas of expertise
Today, Auer Innovations presents itself as a fully integrated holding company, uniting four specialized business units under one technological umbrella. By consolidating at the central location on Hallerstrasse in 2025, we will leverage our close proximity to optimally utilize synergies in planning, manufacturing, and research.
The structure of the holding company reflects our versatility:
Auer wood manufactory
Specialist in exclusive interior design, international yacht and display case construction, as well as high-precision series and unique production.Norer Carpentry
Competence center for the healthcare sector, specializing in the planning and implementation of complex healthcare facilities for pharmacies, clinics and laboratories.Auer Exhibition Stand Construction
Partner for technologically sophisticated brand presentations and individual exhibition stand construction at an international level.WINNLab (Wood Innovation Lab)
Our own research and development laboratory. It forms the scientific interface of the group, where new materials and techniques are tested to secure the technological lead of the entire holding company in the long term.
A common goal
The merging of these four areas marks a historic milestone in our more than 130-year history. It allows us to present ourselves as a modern leading company and training center that carries on tradition, craftsmanship, and sustainability in a contemporary way.
Under the leadership of Thomas Auer, we look to the future with a clear strategy: We focus on international project management, digital networking (BIM, 3D CAD/CAM), and the processing of a wide variety of materials at an industrial level. Driven by a passion for craftsmanship and the ambition to never stand still, Auer Innovations remains an internationally active company that develops the right solution for even the most complex challenges.
between tradition and high-end engineering
Thomas Auer
“ Every day is a small step – and many steps make a long way. We strive for progress and improvement every day and never stand still. ” — Thomas Auer
Thomas Auer, the current owner, is the fourth generation to lead the group. His vision is shaped by the conviction that genuine craftsmanship can only remain viable in the 21st century through consistent digitalization and scientific networking.
With his background in economics and engineering, he has technologically repositioned the group. Under his leadership, not only was production at the Innsbruck site radically modernized, but WINNLab was also established as a dedicated research interface.
Thomas Auer sees himself not only as an entrepreneur, but as the architect of a network that combines artisanal excellence with industrial precision.
One location. Combined expertise.
The holding company's history is inextricably linked to its ambition to always be one step ahead technologically. By bringing together specialized businesses like the Norer carpentry workshop and the Auer wood manufactory under one strategic umbrella, Thomas Auer creates synergies that go far beyond conventional carpentry standards. Thus, even after more than a century, Auer Innovations remains what it has been since day one: a reliable partner for projects that allow no compromises in quality and innovation.
