GEALAN

Always true to the motto: Be successful, stay compassionate! With a good sense for developments and the markets of the future, the Fickenscher family-owned business looks back on its hundredth anniversary. In 1921 Adam Fickenscher founded Bayrische Fellverwertung in Schlegel near Hof, later known throughout the region as “Fickenscher Pelze”. In 1956 his sons Theo and Walter created a new branch of the company – plastics processing – whose products have been sold under the GEALAN brand name ever since. In 1985 a third area of business was added. GEALAN Formteile, a worldwide specialist for technical plastic parts and components, which has been led by third-generation business administration graduate Thomas Fickenscher since 1989. The company has remained true to its roots for the past 100 years. [ … ]

Sustainability has become a watchword in today’s world. We are currently faced with the global challenge of leaving behind an intact ecological and economic structure for generations to come. These issues have also been very important to the GEALAN Formteile Group for years.
Now we are striving to ensure that all of our foreign and domestic plants manufacture products in a manner that is both sustainable and conserves valuable resources. We are making a positive impact on our CO₂ balance with purposeful measures such as investing in more energy-efficient systems and plants, using alternative energy sources and leveraging our energy management system designed according to the ISO 50001 standard.

GEALAN Czech s.r.o. expands its production and warehouse footprint

Our Czech subsidiary GEALAN Czech s.r.o. is continuing its expansion efforts and investing in new production and warehouse space.
We are now assembling and finishing our plastics for the automotive and non-automotive sectors in an area that exceeds 1,700 square metres. We have also expanded our warehouse and logistics space to over 5,000 square metres.
We are securing our sustained growth with outstanding quality and highly effective just-in-sequence assembly.

GEALAN Logistics Centre

GEALAN Formteile is intensifying its involvement in the community of Oberkotzau and opened its own logistics centre on Ziegeleistraße in early August.
“Creating space for major projects at the main plant was just as important as our economic development and the good logistical location just a few metres away from the headquarters,” explains the head of the Logistics department.
Focus is also being placed on requirement-based distribution of goods to production and assembly departments in the individual GEALAN plants, multiple times a day. Naturally, the ‘everything from one centre’ plan will increase the profitability of GEALAN’s logistics and boost synergistic potential.

Rapid growth in Hungary - GEALAN HungaryPlast Kft. is expanding its production and warehouse footprint.

The new production space in our plant GEALAN HungaryPlast Kft. is the size of a football field – a whopping 5,000 square metres. The rapid growth and positive development of our Hungarian subsidiary made it necessary to expand the plant there ahead of schedule.

Why we are expanding...

We invested heavily: In our injection moulding machines up to 1,000 t, in a successful shop-in-shop model with a key tier 1 automotive supplier in our front-end and in vehicle entertainments. We are excited about the favourable order situation and the newly acquired projects. Together with our customers, we look forward to accepting this new challenge and continuing our highly successful collaboration.

Grand Opening of the HBPO Plant, Shop-in-Shop in Szekesfehervar

The HBPO Shop-in-Shop in Szekesfehervar, Hungary celebrated its grand opening on 27 September 2017. HBPO has been a part of GEALAN Hungary Plast since September 2016. The Hungarian plant has a footprint of 2,000 sqm and assembles air flap control systems for Porsche, Mercedes and Audi there. GEALAN manufactures all of the plastic components. “We wish HBPO continued success with the wind in their sails. And we wish everyone the best of success as a team.” Martin Schüler, Managing Director HBPO GmbH und Gerd Laubmann, Managing Director GEALAN Formteile GmbH

One of Bavaria’s Best, for the third time!

GEALAN Formteile received its third award as one of Bavaria’s Best on 27 July. Bavarian Minister of Economics Ilse Aigner personally honoured the 50 fastest growing medium-sized enterprises again this year. The ceremony was held at Schleißheim Palace near Munich. GEALAN, a strong part of Bavaria’s economic backbone! Following wins in 2002 and 2013, Managing Directors Thomas Fickenscher and Gerhard Laubmann once again accepted the certificate and the signature porcelain lion. These accolades confirm that seeking and maximizing new opportunities for growing the business and creating jobs is the right path. GEALAN generated revenues of 74.6 million euros in 2016 and employs 633 people today, 45 of whom are apprentices.

GEALAN Formteile Group celebrates grand opening of new project space

Expansion at headquarters The GEALAN Formteile Group celebrated the official opening of the new project space in Oberkotzau with 90 modern workstations. Around 1.8 million euros was invested in the building, which was made necessary by strong growth in the company’s project business in recent years.

Our Munich office

Beginning 1 August 2016 we will also have representatives at our new Office in the Agendis Business Center on Leopoldstrasse. Engineers in application development and assistants from development will be the first to work there.

GEALAN³ – Top Training for Talents

The GEALAN Formteile training concept.

GEALAN ³ - Top Training for Talents. GEALAN trains talent for the future and views its training programme as a key development process for young people! – New options for entry-level candidates. We developed and set up a new training concept in recent months. The concept focuses on integrating new recruits into the GEALAN family and optimally preparing them for their career fields. “For us, being a part of a great team is what counts! Our philosophy is to practise these values and stick together as a team.”
The new GEALAN³ training concept is based on three fundamental principles: Top Training for Talents.

GEALAN ³ – Training at GEALAN – A comprehensive training concept.

We’re celebrating our 30th anniversary and want to say thank you!

Dear Business Partners; Dear Readers, Anniversaries are always a good occasion to reflect and review past developments and decisions. Above all, we want to take this opportunity to say thank you!

From €0 to €70 million in sales, from 0 to close to 600 employees – and all this in just 30 years! This would not have been possible without the long-standing loyalty of our customers and business partners. We sincerely appreciate your confidence in us and your collaborative partnership!

At the same time, we can’t wait to take on the challenges of the future as we look forward to the next 30 years of GEALAN!
We marked our 30th anniversary with a lively celebration. Our staff celebrated GEALAN’s 30th anniversary at this year’s Wiesenfest in Oberkotzau with the Upper Franconian band TollHaus. The festive atmosphere and tropical temperatures made the evening a resounding success that we will remember fondly for years to come.
On this, our 30th anniversary, we join our customers to look to the future with anticipation, make an impact in the present and learn from the past

Grand opening of Hungarian subsidiary GEALAN HungaryPlast Kft.

It’s finally official! GEALAN Formteile celebrated the opening of its new company location in Székesfehérvár, Hungary. After the first GEALAN products left the assembly line in the Hungarian plant in June 2014, the new site officially opened on 17 April 2015.

Around 100 invited guests attended the opening ceremony in Székesfehérvár, including Ilona Balogh, Assistant Managing Director and Head of the Market Consulting Division of the German-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce, Péter Róth, Vice-Mayor of Székesfehérvár, and Thomas Fickenscher, owner of the GEALAN Group. Gerhard Laubmann, Managing Director of the GEALAN Group, underscored the background and motives for the company’s involvement in Hungary during his address: supplying strategically important customers in Hungary and neighbouring countries and the associated competitive advantages for the entire group. There are currently 65 employees working at the plant, which is over 9,000 sqm in size.

The company invested a total of €1.3 million in the new GEALAN HungaryPlast plant.

Foundation of GEALAN HungaryPlast Kft.

Owner and Managing Director Thomas Fickenscher celebrates 25 years of service

– This is more than just another anniversary or milestone; it is a monumental occasion for him and his crew at GEALAN. He has always understood how to lead GEALAN Formteile with responsibility and foresight while remaining true to himself. The GEALAN Formteile GmbH staff looks forward to 25 more years with owner and Managing Director Thomas Fickenscher.

Ten-year anniversary of GEALAN CAXsolutions!

GEALAN is celebrating at the Automobiltechnikum, Bavaria’s center for innovation in the automotive industry. Employees will enjoy a well-organized festival and an exciting, stimulating summer evening. The foundation for a new future was laid ten years ago when GEALAN CAXsolutions was established, a company dedicated to research and development.

Full speed ahead!

The GEALAN Formteile subsidiary is an indispensable part of the GEALAN strategy and is becoming increasingly important for the company according to forecasts regarding research and development activities in Central Europe and Germany in particular. It focuses on four key fields of activity:
Concept and design, simulation and testing, measurement and scanning of plastic molds and 3D printing, advanced development and technical innovation management.

For the second time GEALAN belongs to Bavaria's Best 50

Economy Minister Martin Zeil awarded the most dynamic Bavarian companies, Bavaria's Best 50, in the Kaisersaal of the residence Munich. Already in 2002 GEALAN could be awarded as an innovative and future-orientated company. This year's award refers to special growth and an outstanding increase of the number of employees.
Foto: SX Heuse

2.400 to clamping force

GEALAN is investing in the large-scale machine range

GEALAN started 90 years ago

in Schlegel (near Hof). Its founder was Adam Fickenscher in 1921.

GEALAN is growing and investing

The production in Oberkotzau could be enlarged with the purchase of the former warehouse of the logistics company Ritter. Since January 2011 the assembly and finishing of our assembly groups is located in the new Werk III in the industrial park north in Oberkotzau.

With the transfer GEALAN was able to make some room for logistics and production in the Werk I in Oberkotzau.

Entrepreneur and Managing Director Thomas Fickenscher celebrated his 50th birthday in March.

For over 20 years he is in responsibility for GEALAN as planner and leader currently for over 340 people.

The years passed by with joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain but still with a lot of passion.

Within the circle of staff, partners, friends and his family he experiences not only fun but also esteem, admiration, approval and respect.

GEALAN "25-years young!"

This anniversary is not only used to come together and celebrate as group but also to show solidarity and gratitude to all employees of GEALAN. Thomas Fickenscher, the Managing Director, praises the fact that "GEALAN can leave the crisis at full steam behind by announcing proudly an increase in turnover of 37%" (Foto: Giegold)

GEALAN implements the MuCell® -technology

A conventional mould injection machine, KM 1000 MC - KraussMaffei 1000, equipped with the MuCell®-technology is completing the GEALAN machinery since 2010.

The MuCell® -micro cellular foaming process

is a complete manufacturing- and facility technology. It enables the production of extremely high-quality plastic parts and comes along with a plethora of benefits. Amongst others there is a reduced weight, a minimised material consumption and ultimately lower production costs.

Opening ceremony of the new production site in As.

At the beginning of 2008 the city of As assigned an old heating house for the symbolic price of one Czech koruna and under the condition to create new jobs to the Managing Directors Mr. Alexej Zinner and Mr. Thomas Fickenscher.

The complete building has been refurbished from the scratch. It includes more than 1,000 sqm and is equipped with social rooms and offices as well as an installation room, the production and a warehouse. The restoration works have been completed now and the production has started.

Architektouren 2009

The bavarian Chember of architects awarded the new GEALAN production hall as one of the most spectacular buildings.

Investment of 9 millions euros at plant in Oberkotzau/Oberfranken (Upper Franconia)

Purchase of the neighbouring property, construction of a separate company's parking site, construction of a new production hall with more than 3.000 sqm effective area, equipped with cutting-edge injection molding machines with clamping forces up to 2.000 tons and a high-tech foam molding machine. The front in the trendy colours black and white supports demonstratively a moving architecture by having windows which are dynamically rounded and partly tinted in the green company's colour.

In contrast to typical production plants you can find here foliage plants here for a more friendly climate, light sources through big roof lights, many windows and glass walls and a cosy bistro with terrace which was created by request of the employees. The use of the precious hardwood "oak" which is a symbol for eternity provides a warm atmosphere.

The company uses its own energy sources and aims to do without oil and gas. The front could bear two more halls and parts of the front are even reusable. So from a constructional point of view there's nothing to stop a further expansion in the future.

GEALAN Formteile achieved a great performance at "Mittelstandslöwe 2008" awards

in the field of life work for Upper Franconia.

GEALAN receives the E.ON-Environmental Award 2008

for the effective commitment of the environmental project of the new production hall. Subject: "ground water as energy source for "heating and cooling"

Expansion of production in Oberkotzau

The effective area will be enlarged up to 3.000 sqm. The decision for expansion is a clear sign to fix and save the position in Oberkotzau/Upper Franconia.

Foundation of the GEALAN Czech s.r.o.

in AS, Czech Republic. The fields of activity of the new location are the manual and semi-automatic assembly as well as welding and finishing processes.

Removal of the development and engineering division

GEALAN CAXsolutions into the ATB, Automobiltechnikum Bayern (Automotive Pilot Plant of Bavaria), which is located in the Industrial Park for Automotive Sub-Suppliers 'Pole Position', to Hof/Gattendorf.

Europe's 500 award

GEALAN Formteile, GEALAN CAXsolutions, GEALAN Czech belong to "Europe's 500" - the 500 fastest growing European companies of the year 2006, the award took place in Vienna end of Nov.

Anniversary Celebration 20 + 1

GEALAN Formteile celebrates its 20th and CAXsolutions its 1st birthday New corporate image with slogan "innovative from tradition"

Award by the Mittelstandsunion Oberfranken (Association of Upper Franconian Medium-Sized Businesses)

Together with 6 other business companies, GEALAN Formteile was awarded for its innovative entrepreneurial concepts by the Mittelstandsunion Oberfranken (Association of Upper Franconian Medium-Sized Businesses). Specific criteria for the assessment were technological efficiency, courage for new ideas, and constant entrepreneurial reliability

Europe's 500 Award

GEALAN Formteile and CAXsolutions are among the Europe's 500, the European "Champions of Growth", i.e. the 500 fastest-growing business companies of the year 2005. Noteworthy business results and the increase of the number of employees were especially emphasised on that occasion. The award took place in Barcelona, Spain.

Vaillant Award "Excellenz Supplier"

On the occasion of the trade fair "Mostra Convegno" in Milan, 5 business companies were awarded as excellent suppliers of the Vaillant Hepworth Group. GEALAN Formteile GmbH were one of the finalists.

• Foundation of the GEALAN CAXsolutions
• Certification according to ISO/TS 16949
• Investment of 2 million € in new machinery

2000

Customer Award by Vaillant as "Excellent Supplier" in Milan

2001

Introduction and auditing according to VDA 6.1

2002

Bavaria's Best 50 Award. The Bavarian Ministry for Economic Affairs awarded the 50 most innovative, future-oriented business companies in Bavaria.

2003

Best Supplier 2002 - Valeo Climate Control German Division

Capital expenditure programme of 5.5 million €.

• Construction of a new administration building
• Second location Hof
• Purchase of additional land, areas and premises at the location in Oberkotzau

Start of CAD activities. As a result of continuous developments, partner of renowned bulk purchasers of the automotive and non-automotive sector in respect of development affairs.

• CATIA und ProE

1993 - 1995

Innovative process technologies provide competitive advantage

• Two-component injection moulding technology
• PUR foam sealing technology
• Vibration welding technology

1995

Investment of 3.5 million € for expansion projects

Joining GEALAN Formteile GmbH, Mr Thomas Fickenscher, Dipl.-Kaufmann, graduate in business management, takes over the management in the third generation

Foundation of the new business division GEALAN Formteile GmbH - Technical Moulded Parts and construction of the production facility in the "Hofer Straße".

GEALAN starts developing the first window system, and as a result of continuous expansions, turns out to be one of the leading European window system suppliers.

Theo Fickenscher, son of the company founder, establishes first contacts to the chemical industry thus bringing into being the new business division "Processing of plastic materials". From the beginning, the products are distributed under the brand name "GEALAN".

Water hoses, hand rails, plaited cords and clotheslines are produced on the first extruders. The range of products is expanded to include rigid PVC profiles, e.g. furniture and window roller shutter rods.

1921

Foundation of the company in Schlegel near Hof by Adam Fickenscher. 1924/25 relocation of the fur wholesale business to Hof.

1921 - 1956

In addition to the already existing hide and fur wholesale business, a company finishing and tailoring furs and employing a staff of 200 people is generated.

1948

Foundation of the new registered office in the Hofer Straße in Oberkotzau.