History

The history of Burkhardt GmbH
Maschinen- und Metallbau.

2021

  • Harald Burkhardt retired from the company and transferred it to Heiko Ruck.
  • Burkhardt GmbH Maschinen- und Metallbau invested in a new plasma cutting machine.

2018

  • Planning, designing and producing a first salting unit with electromagnetic moving supports for cattle hides with a capacity of 1,500 hides/day for one customer in France.

2005 – present

  • Planning, designing and producing salting and desalting equipment for cattle hides for customers in Europe.

2001 – 2010

  • Increased cooperation with the textile industry in the field of constructing special machines.

2003

  • The rights for designs, drawings and patents at ZEGA Ingenieur Consult in Karlsruhe were taken over (ZEGA Ingenieur Consult was a spin-off managed by the senior engineers after the insolvency of the former “Turner GmbH & Co. Ledertechnik KG” company in Oberursel).

2000

  • Our customers, leather factories, suffered from the effects of mad cow disease; as a result, turnover at Burkhardt GmbH Maschinen- und Metallbau declined, too.
  • Development work on a raw hide handling system started in conjunction with ZEGA Ingenieur Consult in Karlsruhe.

1997

  • The company moved to its newly constructed headquarters with an assembly building measuring 1,000 m2 and an office building on the business park at Kiessling 3, Hirschberg/Saale.
  • The number of employees increased because of the large number of orders received.

1995

  • The first major project involving an order for special machines for leather tanning equipment for leather factories in St. Petersburg, Russia, and in Kursk, Russia, was received.
  • The company started working with the timber industry (the Rettenmeier company in Ullersreuth (Hirschberg/Saale) and the Klausner company in Friesau (Saalburg-Ebersdorf)) and with the Gealan company in Oberkotzau in the field of polymer technology.

1991 – 1994

  • A development aid project with the Lhasa Leather Factory in Lhasa / China; members of Burkhardt GmbH Maschinen- und Metallbau permanently supervised the leather factory in Lhasa.

June 1990

  • Harald Burkhardt and four other employees from the maintenance department at VEB Lederfabrik Hirschberg/Saale founded Burkhardt GmbH Maschinen- und Metallbau.
  • The company premises were rented on the site of the leather factory at Saalgasse 2 in Hirschberg/Saale.
    The machinery was also leased.
  • Südleder GmbH in Rehau placed the first orders for special machines for leather tanning equipment and repair work.