1864–2014
Quality by tradition –
150 years of Aerzener Maschinenfabrik
150 years of experience in all branches
Inouranniversaryyear2014weproudly
presentournewpromise:“ExpectPerform-
ance”.Thisunderlinesourcontinuing
objectivetoourcustomersworldwideof
first-rateperformancewithanewdefini-
tionofquality.Ourhighqualityaspirations
extendrightbackto1864whenWilhelm
MeyerfoundedamachinefactoryinAerzen.
Withagoodfourdozenworkersthecom-
panymadeagriculturalimplementssuch
asharrowsandtedderswhilethefoundry
madedrinkingfountainsandcrossesfor
tombstones.Thefirstpositivedisplace-
mentblowerwasproducedalreadyin1868.
150yearslater,ourfamilycompanywhich
isnowbeingrunbythefourthgeneration
hasbecomeoneoftheworld’sleading
manufacturersofmachinesforconveying
andcompressinggas.Ourproductsstandfor
energyefficiencyandproceduresthathelp
protectresources.Around2,000employees
workforthecompanyatitsheadquartersin
Aerzenandinmorethan40subsidiaries
worldwide.
150 years of quality, innovative ideas,
service and efficiency
Inouranniversaryyearwelookbackonan
eventfulhistory.WhetherWilhelmMeyer
whowasthefirstmanufactureronthe
Europeancontinenttoproducepositive
displacementblowersusingtheRoots
method,HermannAllstaedt,theManaging
Directorduringthe1930swhofocusedpro-
ductionconsistentlyonblowers,pumpsand
gasmetersorHassoHellerwhoinitiated
aninternationalapproachbyfoundingthe
firstsubsidiaryAerzenFrancein1968– over
thelast150yearsthe“Aerzeners”often
tookbravedecisionswhichputthemastep
aheadofthecompetition.Evenso,time
andagainwehadtodealwithmajorchal-
lengessuchashyperinflationandtheglobal
financialcrisisduringthe1920s,thethreat
ofdismantlinginthepost-waryearsorthe
recenteconomiccrisessincethestartofthe
newmillennium.Butevenindifficulttimes
wehavealwayswonthroughwithquality
products,innovativeideas,greatflexibility
andadistinctivefeelforcustomerand
marketrequirementstogetherwiththe
commitmentandsupportofourskilled,
loyalworkers.
Founding period in Aerzen 1864–1907
3D animation showing the
new administration building
inaugurated in 2013/14 on the
premises of the company
headquarters in Aerzen.
150 years global brand Aerzen
Sowheredowestandtoday?Evenasa
globalGroupwehavestillpreservedthe
characterofanindependent,medium-sized
familycompany.Oursuccesshasalways
dependedcruciallyonhighqualitystan-
dardsaswellasadeeplyanchoredculture
ofinnovationandconsistentcustomer
orientationinallpartsofthecompany.
ProductsmadeinAerzenstandforsustain-
abilityandenergyefficiency.Theyhelpto
protecttheenvironmentandresources.
Integrityandreliabilityareamongourmost
valuableattributes.Allovertheworldcom-
munication,teamspiritandtrust,commit-
ment,initiativeanddiversityofopinions
aretheelementarypillarsthatupholdour
corporateculture– valuesfoundedinthe
150yearsofourhistory.
Founding period in Aerzen 1864–1907
In 1864 Wilhelm Meyer, son of a
Jewish bank and merchant family
from Hanover, starts a machine
foundry in Aerzen. The company is
geared for success right from the
start: in 1868 Aerzener Maschinen-
fabrik is the first company on the
European continent to make posi-
tive displacement blowers using
the Roots method. In the 1880s
the product range is extended to in-
clude positive displacement blowers,
steam traction engines, drills and
circular saws. An economic boom is
triggered in 1897 when the railway
line is opened from Hamelin via
Aerzen to Lage. The Weserbergland
is now connected to Germany’s
industrial centres.
150 years of Aerzener Maschinenfabrik
Aerzener Maschinenfabrik
is founded in 1864 by the
manufacturer and merchant
Wilhelm Meyer.
Already as a young man, merchantWilhelm tradeshowforindustry,skilledcraftsand
MeyerfromHanover(1836–1884)runsan factoriesinHanover.Thecompanyreceives
agriculturalmachinefactoryinRehernear thefirstprizeforitsproductsintheagri-
Hamelin.Upto50workersproduceagricul- cultureandforestryclass.Numerousnew
turalmachinery.Whenthepremisesget customersareacquiredduringthe1880s
toosmall,in1864WilhelmMeyerfounds includingchemicalcompanies,shipyards,
amachineryfactoryinAerzen.Heusesthe railwayworkshopsandotherup-and-coming
nearbyGrießestreamtoprovidenatural branchesofindustry.TheRootsblowers
powerforhismachines.Thecompanyswiftly becomeabest-sellerwiththeirincreasing
establishescontactswithEnglandasthe popularityasblowersforsmithyhearths,
motherlandofindustrialisationandsetsup oustingthehithertostandardbellows.
anironfoundryinAerzen.From1868on- Thecompany’ssuccessisnotlimitedto
wardsthecompanyproducesthefirstposi- Germanyalone:tractionenginesinparticu-
tivedisplacementblowersproducedonthe larhelpAerzenerMaschinenfabriktoin-
Europeancontinentusingthemethodde- creasinglycultivatenewsalesmarketsin
velopedbyFrancisMarionRoots– blowers Russia,AustriaandHungary.Atthesame
thatarefarmoreefficientthanconvention- timetheproductrangeisconstantlyex-
almachines.Buttostartwith,thepositive pandedtoincludedrills,fieldforges,circular
displacementblowersarejustoneofawhole sawsandwellpumps.Thefoundryproduces
rangeofproducts.Initiallytheyareusedin notonlygardenfurnitureandcrossesfor
thefieldforgesalsomadeinAerzenwhere tombstonesbutalsodrinkingfountains
theyareresponsibleforgeneratingwind. thatareputupinsquaresandmarket
AerzenerMaschinenfabrikalsobenefits placesthroughoutGermany.
fromtheeconomicboomfollowingthe
foundingoftheGermanEmpire.Meanwhile
about80employeesmaketheirlivelihood
here.Amongothers,aforgeandametal-
FOUNDING PERIOD IN AERZEN
workingshopareaddedtothefactory.
WilhelmMeyerretiresfromthecompany
in1872andhandsitovertohisyounger
brothersSigmund(1840 – 1911)and
Emil(1841 – 1899).Theeconomic
upswingenjoyedby
AerzenerMaschi-
nenfabrikduring
thisperiodisdue
abovealltothe
factorydirector
HeinrichMeierwhoworkstirelessly
atdesigningandpatentingnewma-
chines suchassteamtractionengines Traction engines for
threshing machines
forthreshinggrainandteddermachines.
become best-sellers.
Hedevotesparticularattentiontothe
safetyofhisworkers.Forexample,machines
madeinAerzenaredesignedwithdanger-
ouscogwheelssecurelyaccommodated
inmetalboxes.In1878AerzenerMaschi-
nenfabrikcausesquiteasensationatthe
Since 1868, all the castings for
machines made in Aerzen were
produced in the factory’s own
iron foundry (at the top).
Founding period in Aerzen 1864–1907
The workforce at the turn
of the century in front of one
of the production buildings.
Towards the end of the 19th
century, pneumatic hammers
and blowers are among the
most important production lines
at Aerzener Maschinenfabrik.
Giventhecrisisinlarge-scaleagriculture,
from1894thenewfactorydirectorWilhelm
Muhlertstopsproducingagriculturalma-
chinery.Insteadhefocusesconsistentlyon
makingblowersandproductsforthe
growingheavyindustrysuchassmithy
hearths,heatingfurnacesandpneuma-
tichammers.AerzenerMaschinen-
fabrikisquicktoadaptto
customerrequestsandcon-
stantlyincludesnewmachines
initsrangeincludingpitch
machinesforbreweriesthat
applyacoatingofpitchto
theinsideofwoodenbarrels.
In1897Aerzenisconnected
uptotherailwaynetwork
andarealboomensues.
Specialist for positive displacement blowers 1907–1938
Justafewweekslateranewproduction
recordissetup:the5,000thpositive
displacementblowerisfinishedandsent
toBerlinbyrail.
Thenewcenturybringsfundamental
changesinthecompanymanagement.In
1902SigmundMeyerretiresfrombusiness
andthelong-standingfactorydirector
WilhelmMuhlertbecomestheManaging
Director.Whenprofitsfailtodevelopas
expected,in1907theengineerHermann
Allstaedt(1873 – 1942)fromawealthy
familyisbroughtintothecompany
aspersonallyliablepartnerand
ManagingDirector.Heturnsthe
companyintoaGmbH(limited
liabilitycompany).■
Precision blowers from
Aerzen using the Roots
method with steam drive
and iron blades.
Specialist for positive displacement blowers 1907 – 1938
Engineer Hermann Allstaedt,
Managing Director of Aerzener
Maschinenfabrik since 1907, steers
the company through stormy times:
the First World War and hyperinfla-
tion. From the mid 1920s, products
made in Aerzen are being purchased
by an increasing number of pur-
chasers in Germany and abroad. But
after the stock market crash in 1929
the situation becomes increasingly
dramatic. The company has to
dismiss dozens of workers and
closes the foundry. With his brave
decision to specialise from now on
in making positive displacement
blowers, Hermann Allstaedt sets
the points for the company to find
its way out of the crisis and into
a successful future.
Hermann Allstaedt is Managing
Director of Aerzener Maschinen-
fabrik from 1907 to 1941.
Hermann Allstaedt putsAerzenerMaschi-
nenfabrikbackontheroadtosuccess.He
investsinexpandingtheAerzensiteand,
likehispredecessors,focusesonexpanding
therangeandonproductinnovations.One
ofthebest-sellersconsistsofthe“modern
dedustingsystem”forhouseswhichthe
companystartsofferingin1909.Apositive
displacementblowerfromAerzeninstalled
inthebasementworkswithasystemof
pipestoremovedustfromcurtains,carpets
andfurniture.Inthesameyearthecompany
obtainsapatentforsilencersforblowersto
clearlyreducetheoperatingnoiselevelof
themachines.HermannAllstaedt’swilling-
nesstorespondatanytimetocustomers’
requestsisdemonstratedbytheinvention
oftherunningorguidewheelsforturbo
machinesin1910andthestartofproduction
forturboblowersforironfoundries,collieries
andchemicalindustrialcompaniesin1911.
WiththeoutbreakoftheFirstWorld
Warinsummer1914,manyofthe200work-
ersatAerzenerMaschinenfabrikvolunteer
formilitaryserviceorareconscriptedinto
thearmedforces.Togetherwiththelackof
workers,HermannAllstaedtalsostruggles
tocopewiththerestrictionsprevailingin
internationaltraderelations.From1914/1915
armsareproducedinAerzenerMaschinen-
fabrik,includingaboveallguncarriages
consistingofmobilesteelframesfortrans-
portingguns.Allinall,thecompanyman-
agestosurvivewellduringthewaryears.
Andthefirstordersfromabroadstart
arrivinginAerzenagainalreadyin1919.
150 years of Aerzener Maschinenfabrik
Followingasmoothstartinthepost-war
years,AerzenerMaschinenfabrikthengoes
throughadifficultperiodundertheimpact
ofthecrisesoftheWeimarRepublic.Gallop-
inginflationhasamajoreffectonwork
processes.Assoonastheworkersreceive
theirdailywages,theygoshoppingto SPECIALIST FOR POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT BLOWERS
spendasmuchaspossibleoftheirmoney
whichlosesvaluebythehour.InAugust
1923AerzenerMaschinenfabrikdistributes
itsownemergencymoneytotheworkforce.
Itcaneitherberedeemedwiththecompany
stabilitytoGermanybutthisstilldoesnot
solidarityfundorisacceptedinpaymentby
heraldagoldeneraforAerzenerMaschinen-
theKreditbankAktiengesellschaftHamelin.
fabrik.InthecrisisHermannAllstaedtde-
Thecurrencyreformattheendof1923
cidestostartmakingrotarypistonpumps
restoresacertaindegreeofeconomic
again,whichhispredecessorMuhlerthad
stoppedproducinginthe1890s.Therotors
ofthenewgenerationofpumpsarebased
Quality products “made
in Aerzen”: the dedusting onrotarypistons,similartotheblower.
Theystandoutwithsymmetrical,two-cog
system patented in 1909
(at the top); rotation pumps profilessothattheycanpumpboththick
(at the bottom). andthinfluids.Thenewpumpsarelaunch-
edin1926andaresooningreatdemand
particularlyfromcustomersinthechemical
industry.Oneparticularsuccessconsists
inanexportordertoIndiafor18pumps
attheendofthe1920s.
During the crisis of the 1920s,
Aerzener Maschinenfabrik
focuses on producing positive
displacement blowers and
rotary piston pumps.
Specialist for positive displacement blowers 1907 – 1938
Innovation and investment 1939–1960

In Aerzen they also use the

proven Roots principle for rotary
piston gas meters: blower MG 50
(on the left); a rotary piston gas
meter station (at the bottom).

Thehesitanteconomicrecoveryin
Aerzenisbroughttoanendin1929bythe
NewYorkstockmarketcrashandthesub-
sequentworldeconomiccrisis.Redun-
danciescannotbeavoided.In1930only
about100workersareemployedinAerzen.
Furthermore,thefoundryisclosedafter
62years.Thiseliminatesmanyproducts
fromtherange.ButatthesametimeHer-
mannAllstaedtstartstoproducerotary
pistongasmeters– acrucialsteponthe
waytobecomingspecialistsforpositive
displacementmachines.Purchaserssoon
alsoincludeRuhrgasAGandFriedrich
KruppAG.Bolsteredbythissuccess,from
1931HermannAllstaedtfocusesconsistent-
lyonspecialisation.FromnowonAerzener
Maschinenfabrikonlyproducesthreediffer-
enttypesofpositivedisplacementmachines:
blowers,pumpsandgasmeters,thussetting
thepointsformovingthecompanyoutof
theeconomiccrisis.
Followingtheseizureofpowerbythe
nationalsocialists,AerzenerMaschinen-
fabrikbenefitsfromthegeneraleconomic
recovery.Thefirstforeigncommercial
agencyinMilanisopenedin1934.Inthe
Reorganisation: in 1929,
followingyear,AerzenerMaschinenfabrik all blower series are reorganised
receivesalargeorderfromtheSovietUnion in their overall structure.
andsuppliespositivedisplacementblowers
forexpandingtheoilfieldsintheCaucasus.
Anewproductionrecordiscelebratedin
1936withthedeliveryofthe20,000th
positivedisplacementblower.■

This gas extraction unit is

supplied by Aerzener Maschinen-
fabrik in the 1930s to Friedrich
Thyssen’s central coking plant
in Duisburg-Hamborn.
Innovation and investment 1939 – 1960
Karlheinrich Heller runs
Aerzener Maschinenfabrik
from 1941 to 1960.
Since the start of the Second World
War in 1939, contracts for arms
keep Aerzener Maschinenfabrik
working at capacity levels. In the
middle of the war Karlheinrich Heller
takes over the management from
his father-in-law Hermann Allstaedt
in 1941 and starts to develop the
first screw compressors. Aerzener
Maschinenfabrik was essentially
spared from air raids during the
war, so that on obtaining permission
from the British occupying force,
work can begin again already shortly
after the end of the war. During the
1950s, Aerzener Maschinenfabrik
also experiences its own economic
miracle. The site in Aerzen is modern-
ised and a branch factory is opened
in Hamelin. When Karlheinrich
Heller dies suddenly in 1960, he
leaves behind a prosperous
company.
In the middle of the SecondWorldWar,
in1941HermannAllstaedthandsoverthe
managementofthecompanytohisson-
in-lawKarlheinrichHeller(1903 – 1960)who
joinedAerzenerMaschinenfabrikasade-
signengineeraftergraduatingfromthe
TechnicalUniversityofBrunswickin1929
withadegreeofengineering.In1930he
marriesHermannAllstaedt’sonlydaughter
AnnelieseAllstaedt(1909 – 1969).Thepos-
itionofDeputyManagingDirectorisgiven
toanexperiencedemployee,engineerPaul
Grote(1898 –1965).In1941theMinistryfor
ArmamentsandMunitionsplacesanorder
withAerzenerMaschinenfabriktomakea
screwcompressorasexhaustcompressor
innewtypesofsubmarine.Followingtwo
yearsofnegotiations,asub-licencetomake
screwcompressorsisobtainedfromthe
SwedishcompanyLjungströmsÅngturbin,
todaySvenskaRotorMaskinerAB(SRM).
Astwin-shaftpositivedisplacementblow-
ers,theseareanidealadditiontothe
Aerzenproductrange.Theyachievehigher
pressureconditionsthanpositivedisplace-
mentblowersthankstooil-freeconveyance
withinnercompression.Rightfromthe
startKarlheinrichHellerplanstomakea
universalscrewcompressor,aproject
Superchargers and scavenging
blowers made in Aerzen are in
great demand particularly with
truck and shipbuilding companies.
150 years of Aerzener Maschinenfabrik
The development and production
of screw compressors begins
in the middle of the Second
World War.
whichheputsintopracticeaftertheSecond
WorldWar.Todaythescrewcompressoris
oneofthekeyproductsmadebyAerzener
Maschinenfabrik.
Despitethethreatofdismantlingafter
theendofthewarin1945,productionin
Aerzenisswiftlyrestored.Butinstead
ofhighlyspecialisedtechnicalmachines,
initiallythecompanymakesbeetjuice
presses,oilmillsandtobaccocutters.The
consolidationoftheeconomicsituationin
WestGermanyfollowingtheMarshallPlan
andtheintroductionoftheD-Marktrigger
theperiodknownastheeconomicmiracle.
TheWestGermanengineeringsectorin
particularisbooming.KarlheinrichHellerre-
organisesthe166differenttypeseriesinto
amodularsystem– alandmarkdecision
whichby1954boostsproductivitybynearly
50 %.AtthesametimeKarlheinrichHeller
alsofocusesonnewproductssuchasrotary
pistonpumpswiththethree-lobeRoots
profileanddoublehelicalgeartypeoil
pumps.Othernewstepstakenintheearly
1950salsoincludemodernisingandexpand-
ingthetestandcalibrationdepartment
aswellassettingupacustomerservice
departmenttoperformregularcheckson INNOVATION AND INVESTMENT
machinesdeliveredtocustomerstomake
surethattheyfunctionperfectly.Giventhe
limitedexpansionpossibilitiesinAerzen
andthelackofanyothersuitablecon-
structionlandavailableonthespot,in1953 TheAerzensiteisextendedattheend Aerzener Maschinenfabrik
In1954AerzenerMaschinenfabrikhas
KarlheinrichHelleropensabranchfactory ofthe1950s.ThisentailsmovingtheGrieße also benefits from the sustained
464workersandofficeemployees.Although
inHamelin.Everymonth,upto1,000rotary streamwhichuptonowhasrunacross
growth in West Germany’s
theworkforcegrowscontinuouslyasaresult
pistonsuperchargersaremadeinthefactory economy: here a worker inspects
oftheboomthecompanystillpreservesa thecompanypremiseswithaconstantrisk screw compressor rotors in
unitmeasuring2,100squaremetresfor offlooding.Thentoday’sUnitIIIiscon-
friendlyworkingatmospherelikeinabig the test fixture.
deliverytotruckandshipmanufacturers structedfortheturningshopandthetool
family.Aswithhispredecessors,thewell-
suchasHanomag,KruppandKlöckner- shopasthefirstlargenew-buildafterthe
beingofhisemployeesisalwayscloseto
Humboldt-Deutz. SecondWorldWar.Justafterthenewunit
KarlheinrichHeller’sheart.Heletsthework-
forceparticipateinthecompanyprofitsand isinaugurated,the100,000thpositive
paysaspecialbonusformarriages,births,
anniversariesandalsoforbuildingtheir
ownhomes.
Innovation and investment 1939 – 1960
More internationalisation 1960–2000

In 1959, workers proudly present

the 100,000th positive displace-
ment blower made in Aerzen
(on the left). Aerzener Maschinen-
fabrik shows its gas meters at an
exhibition in Berlin (on the right).

displacementblowerleavesAerzener
Maschinenfabrik.Inthemostsuccessful
yearhithertointhecompanyhistory,the
meanwhile600employeesgenerateoverall
productionamountingto1,718tonnes.
Toquotethelocalnewspaper;“Aerzener
Maschinenfabrikplaysthesamerolefor
AerzenthatKruppplaysforEssen.”
ThesuddendeathofKarlheinrichHelleron
20July1960isagreatshock,notjustfor
theworkforce.Around2,000peopleattend
thefuneral.Theprocessiontothecemetery
issolongthatattimesitdisruptstraffic
onthemainB1road.Thisistheendofan
erainAerzen.■

Although the workforce grows

during the busy years of the
“economic miracle”, the com-
pany still preserves a friendly
working atmosphere like in a big
family; group picture showing
the production department.
More internationalisation 1960 – 2000
Following the death of Karlheinrich
Heller, the company is run for five
years by Paul Grote. When he
dies, Hasso Heller, the only son of
Anneliese and Karlheinrich Heller,
becomes Managing Director. The
new boss advocates an internation-
al approach and in 1968 founds
Aerzen France as the first foreign
subsidiary. This is followed by
branches in England, the USA and
South Africa among others. At the
same time, Hasso Heller maintains
the modernisation course started
by his predecessors. He continues to
expand the Aerzen site and launches
innovative products such as the
world’s largest positive displace-
ment blower. The new Delta Screw
and Delta Blower series are still
being used in the 1990s to cultivate
new customer relations.
Hasso Heller is Managing
Director of Aerzener Maschinen-
fabrik from 1965 to 2000.
Following the death ofherhusband,
AnnelieseHellerentruststheleadershipof
thecompanytoPaulGrote,adeserving
“Aerzener”.Hecontinueshispredecessor’s
modernisationstrategy:anewproduction
unitcovering4,500squaremetres,today’s
UnitIV,isconstructedin1962.Following
thisexpansion,insummer1963theHamelin
branchisintegratedintheAerzenersite.
Andthecompanycontinuestogrow.In
theanniversaryyear1964,theworkforce
increasesto700;thankstothehighprofits
inprecedingyears,thesharecapitalis
doubledfromthreetosixmillionD-Mark.
WhenPaulGrotediesin1965,Hasso
Heller(born1935)takesoverthecompany
management,justtwelvemonthsafter
joiningthemanagementteamasanassist-
ant.Bytheendofthe1960sHassoHeller
hasaddedenhancedscrewcompressorsto
thedeliveryprogrammethatcompress
airandneutralgasesforhigherpressures.
In1968attheHanoverFairthecompany
presentsthefirstscrewcompressorswith
oilinjectionfortherefrigerationindustry.
AtthesametimeHassoHellerventures
astepabroad:in1968hefoundsAerzen
FranceS.A.R.L.asthefirstforeignsub-
sidiaryforAerzenerMaschinenfabrik.
Aglobalcustomerserviceisgradually
establishedoverthenextfewyears.
AerzenerMaschinenfabrikcontinuesits
internationalisationeffortsinthe1970s.
AerzenMachinesLtd.isfoundedinLondon
in1973,followedin1978byAerzenNeder-
landB.V.inArnheim.Anothermilestoneis
setin1974withtypeapprovalpursuantto
theregulationsoftheEuropeanEconomic
Community.GasmetersfromAerzenare
thusthefirstrotarypistongasmetersto
beapprovedinallcountriesoftheEuropean
CommonMarket.AerzenerMaschinenfabrik
isalsoonanexpansioncoursewithinGer-
many.Thisincludesin1978thetakeoverof
thecompanyThomasinnearbyEmmerthal,
MORE INTERNATIONALISATION
afirmspecialisinginapplianceandpipeline
construction,todayEmmerthalerApparate-
bau.AsaresultAerzenerMaschinenfabrik
cannowsupplycompleteappliancesand
plantsections,thusofferinganincreasing ThenewemployeesinEmmerthal thecompanypresentstheworld’slargest Modern times: assembly of
rangeofengineeringservices. benefitfromtheflexitimeworkingarrange- positivedisplacementblowerwithahuge a 15 tonne process gas screw
pistonmeasuring1.5metresindiameter compressor for compressing
mentsalreadyestablishedin1973forthe
36,500 cubic metres of
Modern machinery results in coreworkforceinAerzenandcanorganise foruseinthesteelindustry.Newstandards coking gas per hour.
a clear increase in productivity theirworkinghoursonamoreflexiblebasis arealsosetin1984bytheworld’slargest
(at the top). Among others, thanmostotherWestGermanemployees. screwcompressorswitharotordiameter
Hasso Heller adds screw com- ThecompanypremisesinAerzenarealso of845millimetres.Anotherimportantnew
pressors supported on roller constructionmadeinAerzenispresentedin
modernised.Anewtestfacilitybuilding
bearings to the company’s
range (on the left). isconstructedin1975followedin1979by 1987withthepatentedthree-lobeblowers.
theinaugurationofthenewadministration ThisworldinnovationfromAerzensetsa
buildingonHermann-Allstaedt-Weg. newmarketstandardwhichisstillin
AerzenerMaschinenfabrikstillcontinues forcetoday.
tomakeanameforitselfwithspectacular
productinnovations.In1978forinstance
More internationalisation 1960 – 2000
Systematic approach to growth: »Expect Performance«
2000–2014

Aerzen USA Corporation

set up in 1983 is the company’s
first branch outside Europe.

Atthesametimethecompanyremains
oninternationalisationcourse.Following
subsidiariesinSpainandBelgium,in1983
HassoHellerfoundsthefirstcompanyout-
sideEuropewithAerzenUSACorporation.
Thisisfollowedin1985and1987byAirgas
CompressorinSouthAfricaandAerzen
Canada;from1987AerzenerMaschinen-
fabrikjoinsforceswithitssubsidiaryAerzen
SpecialProductstoexpanditsinternational
suppliernetworkforaccessorycomponents.
Bytheendofthe1980sthecompanyhas
nineforeignsubsidiaries.Around950em-
ployeesworkforAerzenerMaschinenfabrik
allovertheworld.Thefinancialfiguresalso
speakforthemselves.In1989thecompany
generatesrecordturnoveramountingto
180millionD-Mark.
In1990AerzenerMaschinenfabrikis
oneoftheveryfirstGermancompanies
tobeawardedtheDINENISO9001certifi-
cate,thusshowingitscustomersthathigh
qualitystandardsareheededinAerzen.
HassoHelleralsofocusesonnewpioneer-
ingproducts.TheDeltaBlowermachine
hasbeeninproductionsince1994,followed
Important developments that
in1996withtheDeltaScrewseriesofpar- keep pace with constantly
ticularlyenergy-efficientscrewcompressor increasing market requirements
units.After35yearsatthehelmof include customer-oriented
AerzenerMaschinenfabrik,in2000Hasso solutions for screw compressors
Hellerretiresfromoperativebusiness (at the top), the world’s largest
positive displacement blower
andentrustshissonKlaus-Hasso(born (on the left), the Delta Screw
1967)toleadthefamilycompanyinto compressor series (on the right)
the21stcentury.■ and the Delta Blower machine
series (at the bottom).
Systematic approach to growth: »Expect Performance« 2000 – 2014
Economic crisis in the engineering
sector with fewer orders and short-
time working: on becoming Managing
Director of Aerzener Maschinen-
fabrik in 2000, Klaus-Hasso Heller
faces major challenges. He restruc-
tures the production programme,
streamlines internal processes,
invests in the Aerzen site and forges
ahead with internationalisation.
At the same time he focuses on
new energy-efficient products such
as the Delta Hybrid, the world’s first
series of rotary piston compressors.
His efforts pay off. In the anniver-
sary year 2014, the order books of
Aerzener Maschinenfabrik are well
filled and around 2,000 workers
are employed at the company head-
quarters and in the more than
40 subsidiaries worldwide.
Klaus-Hasso Heller has been
running Aerzen in the fourth
generation since 2000.
When Klaus-Hasso Heller 2000becomes
hisfather’ssuccessorasManagingDirector
ofAerzenerMaschinenfabrikin2000,he
facesdifficultcircumstances.Thepooreco-
nomicsituationinGermany’sengineering
sectormeansthatincomingordersfor
Aerzenin1999remainbelowtarget.
Klaus-HassoHellerusesawholebundle
ofmeasurestoputAerzenerMaschinen-
fabrikbackontheroadtosuccess.Here-
structurestheproductrangeandfocuses
manufacturingevenmorethanbeforeon
standardisedmodules.Healsochangesthe
salesstrategy.AerzenerMaschinenfabrik
appearsnotjustattrade-fairsheldmainly
inEuropebutalsotakespartinexhibitions
overseas.Likehispredecessors,Klaus-Hasso
HellerinvestsheavilyintheAerzensite.
Theeffortssoonstarttotakeeffect.Orders
wortharecord-breaking128millionEuro
arereceivedin2004.
Thecompanypremisescontinuetoex-
pandinthenextfewyears:in2008anew
ProductionCentreisinauguratedforscrew
compressorstagesandblowerunits.Inthe
anniversaryyear2014,anewofficebuilding
willbecompletedtogetherwithalogistics
centre.Atthemoment,thecompanyhead-
quartersinAerzenandthesubsidiariesin
RintelnandEmmerthalhaveaworkforce
Investment in the Aerzen site:
numerous new buildings have
been erected in recent years.
ofaround1,300employees.Thismakes
AerzenerMaschinenfabrikoneofthelargest
employersintheregion.Theemployees
appreciatetheircompanyasareliablepart-
nerwithafriendlyworkingatmospherelike
inabigfamily.AerzenerMaschinenfabrik
activelycultivatesthenextgenerationof
employeesparticularlyinthetechnical
sector.Thisiswhythecompanyappears
attrainingfairs,givestechnicalseminars
atHanoverUniversityandoffersan
attractivegraduateentryprogramme
foryoungengineers.
SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO GROWTH
Atthesametimeasexpandingthe
Aerzensite,Klaus-HassoHelleralsoper-
sistswithhisfather’sinternationalisation
course.In14yearsmorethan20newcom-
paniesjointheAerzenGroup.Together
withEastEurope,AerzenerMaschinenfa-
brikalsofocusesonAsia.Forthefirsttime
inthecompany’shistory,inJanuary2011
aproductionsiteformaincomponentsis
foundedabroadincooperationwiththe
subsidiaryAerzenTurboinSouthKorea.
Furthermoreinspring2013thecompany
managementmakesaroundsixmillion
Euroavailable fortheconstructionofa
newcompanybuildinginShanghai.
Internationalgrowthalsomakesin-
creasingdemandsoftheaftersalesservice.
Aproactiveservicehasbeeninplacesince
2005.Aerzenstaffregularlyvisitcustomers
andtheirmachineryonsiteandoffertheir Outside view of the production
support,andtherangeofservicesisexpand- centre opened in Aerzen in
ed.Moreover,in2006theservicecompany 2008: large quantities of stan-
dard machines are produced
AbarisBlowerRepairN.V.isfoundedin
in the energy-efficient building,
Belgium.Thisfirmalsotakesonthemain- leading to a clear increase in
tenanceofpositivedisplacementblowers production capacities.
andscrewcompressorsfrommanufacturers
nolongerrepresentedonthemarket.
In2009AerzenerMaschinenfabrikbuilds
itsownrepairandsparepartscentre.
Systematic approach to growth: »Expect Performance« 2000 – 2014 150 years of Aerzener Maschinenfabrik

Efficient production of a
great variety of types is one
of Aerzen’s specialities.

ThesuccessofAerzenerMaschinenfabrik fabrikasoneoftheworld’sthreeleading
isstilldrivenbyqualityproductsandprod- applicationspecialistsfortheconveying
uctinnovations.Forexample,blowersand andcompressingofgaseswithenergyeffi-
A global presence with customer
screwcompressorsmadeinAerzenarenow cientproductsandprocessesthathelpto
proximity is one of Aerzen’s
beingusedincreasinglyforthetreatment protectresources.Groupturnoveristhere- key corporate achievements.
ofbiogas.Atthe2010IFATenvironment foretobedoubledwithintenyearstoreach Local support points offer swift
tradefairinMunichthecompanypresents 580millionEurowhileforgingaheadwith service and rapid supplies of
theDeltaHybridastheworld’sfirstseries globalisation.Theseambitioustargets spare parts.
ofrotarypistoncompressorswhichcon- arealsoreflectedinAerzenerMaschinen-
sumeupto15 %lessenergythanconven- fabrik’snewimage.Intimeforits150th
tionalcompressors.Energyisalsosaved anniversary,inMarch2014thecompany
bythe5thgenerationofturboblowersfor presentsitsnewphilosophyandlogo.
particularlyefficientgenerationofprocess The“ExpectPerformance”promiseunder-
air.In2010AerzenerMaschinenfabrikis linesAerzenerMaschinenfabrik’sdetermi-
mentionedforthefirsttimeinthe“Lexikon nationtoredefinequalityandtoconvince
derdeutschenWeltmarktführer”(Encyclo- customersallovertheworldwithits
paediaofGermanWorldMarketLeaders). excellentperformance.■
AerzenerMaschinenfabrikmarcheson
intotheseconddecadeofthenewmillen-
niumledbyatroikaofmanagers.In2011
Klaus-HassoHellerisjoinedinthecompany
managementteambyindustrialengineer
BerndWöhlkenandengineerBjörnIrtelwho
havebothbeenatAerzenformanyyears. Positive displacement blowers,
Thecompany’sVision2020ispresented rotary piston compressors, turbo
bythenewmanagementteamin2011with blowers, screw compressors and
anambitiousprogrammeforrealigningand gas meters from Aerzen make
expandingtheGroup.Thenewobjective industrial processes energy-
efficient and sustainable.
aimsatestablishingAerzenerMaschinen- For 150 years, the company has
stayed at the helm of the
market and led technology and
innovation with a constant flow
of new patents and innovative
product improvements.
Publisher Editors and project management Translation
AerzenerMaschinenfabrikGmbH Geschichtsbüro BENAVIDESFachübersetzungen,Cologne
Reherweg28 Reder,Roeseling&Prüfer,Cologne JacquelineRohmann
31855Aerzen Dr.TheklaKeuck www.benavides.de
Germany www.geschichtsbuero.de Printer
www.aerzen.com Design SachsendruckPlauenGmbH
Copy HansSchlimbachAGD,Gartow
Geschichtsbüro ©
Reder,Roeseling&Prüfer,Cologne AerzenerMaschinenfabrikGmbH,
Dr.ChristianeFritsche Aerzen2014