With effect of 30/11/2007, the two shareholders Frank Schlegel and Matthias Fickenscher took over the share of Wolfgang Schneider, who retired from the company at the end of the year.

Wolfgang Schneider had been with Mannesmann Demag Wittig since 1990 and had been instrumental to the development of the vacuum distillation system VACUDEST®. In 1999 he had taken over the department together with Frank Schlegel and Matthias Fickenscher under a management-buy-out arrangement and formed H2O GmbH. Due to the consequences of a serious disease Wolfgang Schneider decided to retire from active business.

For 21 years, H2O GmbH with business seat in Steinen in southern Germany has developed and made energy-efficient vacuum distillation systems for treatment of industrial effluent in the automotive, general mechanical industries and plant construction industries, aviation and space travel. Meanwhile the firm has customers in 27 countries, over 60% of the products go to export markets.


The shareholders of H2O: Frank Schlege and Matthias Fickenscher

According to managing director Frank Schlegel, „the firm H2O has developed extremely positively, achieving 2-digit annual growth figures since its foundation“. Within a period of eight years, sales quadrupled and are now near 8 million Euros, the number of employees rose from 8 to 52.

With reference to present developments, Matthias Fickenscher says: „In more than two decades, many technical details and patented parts have been developed in this young niche market industry. New market trends have been followed and customer requirements translated directly into environmentally acceptable equipment. The latest development from H2O is ClearCat®, a special method for effluent-free processes in metal-working.“

With the available and the envisaged product range the firm is prepared well for international competition and rising market requirement. The firm also caters for junior staff: H2O GmbH has commercial and technical trainees and also trains engineers in mechanical engineering and industrial engineering; the ratio of trainees of 14 % is more than double the German national average.

contact person: Brigitte Schwarz
Fon: +49 7627 9239-302
Email: brigitte.schwarz@h2o-gmbh.com