MAAG Gala Origins and Growth:
Originating in the late 1950s, MAAG Gala began as Gala Industries, founded in a local basement in Botetourt County. The first product was the Di-D-Klip, a small stainless-steel clip for baby diapers. By 1988, with the advent of disposable diapers, the Di-D-Klip operation was sold. In the mid-1960s, the founder designed and built Gala’s first dryer in his garage. The second and third dryers were manufactured in Eagle Rock at its current facility. The early units were shipped to Japan and Germany. By the late 1960s, Gala expanded with land acquisitions 4 miles south of Eagle Rock, significantly expanding the John Pauley Plant. |  Gala's first dryer. |
Innovative Developments:
In 1974, development began on Gala’s first Underwater Pelletizer. By 1977, the Model MUP-8, featuring a belt drive and control panel installation over the pelletizer, was on the market. Since then, Gala has sold thousands of pelletizers worldwide. Gala’s core product line includes centrifugal pellet dryers, underwater pelletizers, and tempered water systems, with tailored solutions to meet customer needs. A dedicated technical service team supports global operations. |  Gala’s Pelletizer MUP-8. |
Acquisition by MAAG Group:
In October 2015, Switzerland-based MAAG Group, an operating company of Dover Corporation, acquired Gala Industries, Inc., bolstering MAAG’s presence in underwater pelletizer and centrifugal dryer markets. The merger positioned the combined entity as a leading global supplier of polymer and compounding equipment. MAAG Gala, Inc., currently has over 180 employees in Botetourt County and frequently hires welders, fabricators, engineers, programmers, and field service professionals. MAAG continues to grow and build an even stronger future in Eagle Rock, Virginia.
“Since taking over the leadership of MAAG Americas in September 2023, I have been impressed by the dedication, hard work, and customer focus of the people at MAAG Gala. Over the past 12 months, we have achieved what nobody thought possible last year: we grew the business and our profitability at the same time,” says Paul Merich, Vice President of MAAG Americas.
To celebrate this milestone, the company recently held an anniversary picnic for employees and former colleagues.
About MAAG Group:
MAAG Group is a broadly diversified global solutions provider with integrated and customizable systems in process technology for the polymer, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Its Pump & Filtration Systems, Pelletizing & Pulverizing Systems, Recycling Systems, and Digitalization divisions consolidate the many years of experience and in-depth know-how of the AMN, AUTOMATIK, ETTLINGER, GALA, MAAG, REDUCTION, SCHEER, WITTE and XANTEC product brands. The MAAG Group currently employs over 1,500 people at production sites in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the USA, and China. Additional sales and service centers in France, Taiwan, Malaysia, India, Thailand, and Brazil ensure close attention to customers’ needs. For more information, please visit www.maag.com.