History
Tradition and innovation
Approval certificate from 1907
1904
Josef Schonlau founds a machine factory and iron foundry in Geseke. Agricultural equipment and machines as well as the necessary castings are produced.
Josef Schonlau
Company’s founder
1930 – 1960
In the 1930s, production is successively expanded to include plant construction – especially for the cement industry. After the death of the childless founder, Franz Bartscher (nephew of the founder) joins the company as managing owner. There is a shift of emphasis from mechanical and plant engineering to pure foundry.
Franz Bartscher
Josef Schonlau
Company’s founder
Franz Bartscher
approx. 1942
The maintenance and its staff during World War II.
from above left: Josef Bals, Johannes Schütte, Willi Siefers, Hubert Kneer, Hermann Brock, Bernhard Thiele, Fritz Schulte, Willi Lorenz, Albert Knies, (?), Joh. Richter, (?), Fritz Hellweg, Joh. Bohle
1963
Schonlau was one of the first companies in Germany to start production of the then new casting material nodular cast iron (cast iron with nodular graphite).
> Get to know our today’s product diversity
Machine mould casting 1965
1968
Franz Bartscher’s son-in-law, lawyer Hanns-Peter Dürkes, takes over the management of the company.
Hanns-Peter Dürkes
1985
Introduction of the material ADI.
1986
Schonlau will be a pilot project of the program ” Improvement of Living Space in Mixed Situations“ of the state government of NRW. One of the most extensive environmental protection programmes in the region is initiated.
1990
Completion of the pilot project. The living environment has been significantly improved, the workplaces have been humanised, the moulding facilities, etc. have been renewed and brought up to the latest state of the art: Investment volume: DM 12 million. As can be seen today, the existence of the company is secured in the long term.
2000
Markus-Peter Dürkes (born 1968), graduate in business administration, becomes a partner in the company. From 2002, Mr. Dürkes will assume sole management responsibility as a managing partner in the fourth generation, after having been responsible for sales management of the Agriculture Technology Division for 6 years.
Markus-Peter Dürkes
2004
Introduction of the material GJV (vermicular graphite cast iron).
Hanns-Peter Dürkes
Markus-Peter Dürkes
2005
The Great Fire
Just in times of economic upswing, a major fire destroys more than two thirds of the buildings, and adjacent production halls are also affected. The heart of the foundry, the melting shop, the sand preparation plant and parts of the automatic moulding plant were completely destroyed. The total damage amounts to more than 10 million euros.
The chance in the crisis:
The owner family decides to rebuild and thus to save 120 jobs. Production processes and environmental protection measures are significantly optimized. After a record-breaking seven weeks, the first furnace is up and running again, – production is initially only temporarily in the open air. After nine weeks, the new sand processing plant (Eirich) is ready for operation. Above-average commitment and an exceptionally productive cooperation between management and team lead to this top performance. We are rightly proud of it! Even relevant trade magazines reported on our successful reconstruction, some even with a cover story.
2007
Construction of the new 1,100 sqm dispatch hall.
Commissioning of the new annealing furnace for stress-relieved and ferritic annealing.
Dispatch hall 2007
2008
Renewal and extension of the shake-out station (Webac) for the hand moulding shop and the boxless moulding line.
2010
Reconstruction of the automatic slats forming line and expansion of the hand moulding shop.
Extension / new construction of the cooling station of the automatic boxless moulding plant.
Introduction of the material Ni-Resist, – especially suitable for the food industry and the marine sector.
Block form cooling track 2010
2011
Establishment of professional consulting, support and coordination of mechanical processing for our customers. For this purpose, two new jobs were created and appropriately trained employees were hired.
2012
Purchase and subsequent expansion of an additional warehouse for hand-moulded and boxless-moulded patterns with a storage area of 3,500 square metres.
Model warehouse 2012
2013
Construction of the new 800 sqm production hall for the automatic boxless moulding line and the associated new core shop.
Expansion of the existing core shop and investment in new (Laempe) core shooters.
Block form 2013
2014
Extension / upgrading of the automatic boxless moulding line: Result: capacity increase of almost 70%.
Dispatch hall 2007
Block form cooling track 2010
Model warehouse 2012
Block form 2013
2015
Extension / building of the hand moulding shop. Result: Annual capacity increased by 2,000 tons. The number of employees increases to 150.
Introduction of the energy management system and certification to ISO 50001.
Installation of a heat recovery system to heat the core shop, the pattern store and the pattern shop.
2016
Purchase of a further warehouse for patterns of the automatic moulding line with 1,000 sqm storage space.
Model warehouse 2016
Learn more about our environmental thinking and how we are working to protect our planet.
2017
Construction of the hand moulding shop “2” with an annual capacity of 1,500 tons.
Further expansion of the core moulding shop with an additional Laempe core shooter.
Expansion of our range of materials to include solid solution hardened iron grades.
2019
The pleasing growth of the company in recent years has allowed sales to rise to over € 30 million for the first time in the company’s history. The number of employees has increased to 170.
Model warehouse 2016
Environment and sustainability
Learn more about our environmental thinking and how we are working to protect our planet.
2020
In the last 10 years, more than € 16 million have been invested in the company, mainly in the production facilities to increase capacity in various moulding areas and to further improve the quality level.
Schonlau Truck 2020
2021
Dirk Lücker-Corzillius becomes further managing director of the company in January 2021.
Mr. Lücker had been purchasing manager since 2003 and member of the management team since 2017.
Today we are an economically healthy family business, producing 200,000 castings per year from 5,000 different models, which adds up to around 12,000 tonnes per year. We supply 250 customers, mostly from the mechanical engineering industry.
