The history of the group of companies began 27 years earlier - in 1896, when Ludwig Leibinger, a trained watchmaker, discovered his passion for surgical instruments and founded Karl Leibinger Medizintechnik in Mühlheim an der Donau, a company that still exists today.

The market situation became increasingly difficult for the Leibinger family over time. Inflation and the tense competitive situation, especially against the much larger manufacturers, made life difficult for smaller medical technology companies. 

Exporting their own goods and cooperating with companies in a similar situation seemed to be a good way to continue running the business successfully. Rudolf Buck, the then managing director of Gebrüder Martin, also recognized this. The company had previously been founded on September 1, 1923, by the brothers Fritz, Gotthilf, and Wilhelm Martin for the manufacture and distribution of surgical instruments and metal goods as well as for the trade of their own and third-party products. 

Rudolf Buck encouraged seven independent medical technology producers to pursue a common vision. Each company was to take over a part of the production program and leave the distribution of its products to Gebrüder Martin. The proposal was well received, and the following legally independent production companies joined forces:

Rudolf Buck, Karl Leibinger Medizintechnik, Gebrüder Berchtold, Ueth & Haug, Karl Vögele Medizintechnik, H. + H. Handte and Josef Heiß.

Fritz, Gotthilf, and Wilhelm Martin left the company in quick succession. Nevertheless, the company name Gebrüder Martin, which was already well known in international markets, was continued.

Since 2004, all companies belonging to the group have been operating under the umbrella brand "KLS Martin Group".
The shareholder structure of the companies within the group has changed considerably over the years. One constant, however, is the Leibinger family, which today leads the group of companies in the 4th and 5th generation.