DEWE Brünofix GmbH from Rednitzhembach in Franconia celebrated its 120th anniversary with numerous guests. Many employees and their families as well as representatives from politics and business accepted the invitation.
Managing Director Ralf Schmidt welcomed the guests to a special ceremony. In addition to the anniversary of DEWE Brünofix, a member of the Weiss Group, the 30th anniversary of ELZI Entsorgungslogistik and the 65th anniversary of Weiss Forming Tools, both also based in Rednitzhembach and part of the Group, were also honored. DEWE Brünofix is a system provider for surface finishing, plant engineering and process chemistry and thus an expert in the chemical treatment of metal surfaces. Today, the product range includes hundreds of products for degreasing, pickling, burnishing, phosphating, corrosion protection and colorants for stainless steel, brass, copper, nickel silver and die-cast zinc.
Bringing the invisible into focus
This was the motto of Ralf Schmidt's speech. On the one hand, the invisible refers to the celebrated companies, all of which have been around for a long time and yet are barely noticed by the public. On the other hand, it also refers to the employees and the members of the entrepreneurial family, whom Schmidt immediately introduced to those present with their three generations.
In his speech, the Managing Director followed a timeline, starting in 1905 with the founding of Reinhold Schüler KG in Liebertwolkwitz, near Leipzig, from which DEWE Brünofix GmbH later emerged. A year in which Kaiser Wilhelm II was German head of state and the marshalling yard and opera house were built in Nuremberg. He reminded the audience that 120 years means having survived two world wars, two global economic crises, the division and reunification of Germany and the coronavirus crisis.
The most important decision was that of Reinhold Schüler's widow to found a sister company in Nuremberg in 1949 in order to supply the western zone and protect the brand name. In 1952, DEWE Brünofix found its new home in Rednitzhembach.
Managing Director Ralf Schmidt traced the history of the company from 1905 to the present day in his speech
Considerable annual production volume
What once began in the Amler building in Rother Straße now covers a total operating area of around 5,000 square meters in Pruppacher Weg. Today, the company has a considerable annual production volume. It produces 1.3 million kilograms of chemical products per year, 24 million burnished and phosphated customer parts and issues around 12,000 outgoing invoices for 1,000 active customers in 27 countries.
DEWE Brünofix GmbH is now part of the Weiss Group, a holding company founded by the owner families in 2013. Another member of the group is Weiss Forming Tools, which was founded in 1960 and is now celebrating its 65th anniversary. In 2020, the companies ELZI Entsorgungslogistik, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and Preiss Anlagenbau from Grafenwöhr, which is already in its 71st year of foundation, were added. The youngest company in the group is Weiss Medizintechnik, which was founded in 2008.
Jürgen Spahl, 1st Mayor of Rednitzhembach; Dr. Gerhard Walther, Chairman of VR Bank Mittelfranken; Ralph Edelhäußer, MP; Felix Lehnhoff, Unternehmerfabrik Roth; Ralf Schmidt, Managing Director DEWE Brünofix; Norbert Weiß, Managing Director Weiss Forming Tools; Edeltraud Stadler, Deputy District Administrator; Volker Bauer, MP; Andreas Blosche, Sparkasse Mittelfranken Süd; Joschi Leisinger, 2nd Mayor of Rednitzhembach (from left to right)
Critical outlook for the future
In his speech, Ralf Schmidt looked beyond today by looking to the future. He combined this with clear words for politics and society and was not sparing in his criticism of over-bureaucratization and the associated challenges for companies to become fit for the next generation.
In their welcoming speeches, Ralph Edelhäußer, member of the Bundestag, Volker Bauer, member of the state parliament, Edeltraud Stadler, deputy district administrator, and Jürgen Spahl, mayor of Rednitzhembach, took up the criticism and promised to do their utmost to improve the situation.
As a family business, Brünofix GmbH regards its company as a family. Accordingly, the company values not only its active employees, but also its retired employees. And so the company management was able to thank Gunda Hammer with a bouquet of flowers. Hammer started her first day of work at DEWE Brünofix 59 years ago and still takes part in the company's celebrations today as a retiree.
