Hugo Sack founded his engineering factory Maschinenfabrik Sack on May 10, 1899. A rolling mill for parallel-flanged beams that he designed and built in 1905 unleashed a revolution in steel construction technology. In the decades that followed, the company grew into a globally-renowned mechanical engineering specialist with customers all over the world.

The product mix was expanded following the takeover of Walzmaschinenfabrik August Schmitz in 1968, Maschinenbau Pieper in 1970, and Moeller & Neumann in 1971. Its portfolio included the manufacture of plant and machinery for hot and cold rolling mills, for glass production, for continuous casting as well as for the mechanical, chemical, and thermal further processing of steel and nonferrous metal strip. In addition, Sack concluded a license agreement in 1967 with U.S. firm MESTA Machine Company, with the aim of utilizing its know-how.

In 1982, the growing globalization of markets led to the concentration of rolling mill activities of the Sack group and of Mannesmann Demag. As a result, MDS Mannesmann Demag Sack came into being. MDS was part of the Mannesmann Demag Metallurgy division within Mannesmann Demag AG. SMS took over the Continuous Slab Casters division from the Sack group.

MDS Mannesmann Demag Sack has been part of the present SMS group since Mannesmann Demag Metallurgy and SMS were merged in 1999.