Dr. Haubitz: from the Beetle to the Maybach

Specialist manufacturer in Solingen for injection moulded plastic components celebrates its 50th anniversary today. The first automotive part made by the company in 1959 was a flower vase for the dashboard of a VW. (flm) They run day and night and are only stopped for scheduled maintenance and cleaning on Saturday afternoons. But today, the injection moulding machines remain in operation: automotive supplier Dr. Haubitz is showing business partners - and neighbours - how the company works at its location in Solingen. The neighbours in the surrounding housing estate notice far less of the goings-on here than one would expect from a manufacturing company with 140 employees: as new blocks were built over the years a closed castle-like construction has been achieved. The latest new block was ordered in December 2005 and this now closes off the side facing Wiefeldicker Strasse. All that's missing is the decorative brick facing, which is also planned as a concession to the local community. Werner Schirmer (62), one of the managing shareholders: "That will allow the factory to blend in with the residential area." In reality, it is the production location that has a tradition here – it the residential dwellings that have come ever closer to the factory in recent years. Originally, the factory was owned by Karl Wieden and made cigarette lighters. While that old-established firm failed to adapt to the new demand for disposable lighters and eventually had to file for bankruptcy, the company founded by Dr. Joachim Haubitz in 1956 went from strength to strength. In 1959 the company moved from Wiescheid to Solingen-Wald, and in 1965 from there to Alemannenstrasse, close to its present location. Towards the end of the 70s, steps were taken to use some of the vacated premises of Karl Wieden. In 1979, after a destructive fire in the Alemannenstrasse facility, Dr. Haubitz transferred all the production to the current site. The purchase of the buildings still took until 1997 due to a lack of agreement with the local council, which was three years after the death of Dr. Joachim Haubitz. His wife, Anneliese, left the company at the end of 2000. The tradition is continued by the second managing shareholder, Hans Schultes. Operational business is now in the hands of Werner Schirmer, who became Managing Director in 1985 and, in 1986, co-owner, and his daughter Ilona Schirmer-Zinsser (37). In the last four years, the company has invested around six million euros in buildings and machinery and its annual turnover is around 20 m euros. The site has a total size of about 13,000 m² and, of this, 7500 m² have been developed. "By means of increased automation it is possible to maintain our location in Germany and secure workplaces", explains Schirmer. "2005 was a satisfactory year. We expect comparable results in 2006." Dr. Haubitz has been supplying large automotive manufacturers since 1959: the first plastic flower vase for the VW Beetle was made here in Solingen. The current range of parts includes very simple parts for delivery to China through to 120 components for the luxury Maybach. The largest customer is Daimler Chrysler. The most expensive tooling for the injection moulding machines costs 250,000 euros; 90,000 euros is the average cost. "Four years before a new model is launched, we are involved", Schirmer describes the comprehensive offer of development, tooling prototypes and serial construction through to final production. "At the moment, we are not so busy with developments but production is high." Around 2500 tonnes of thermoplastics are processed here every year. About 45 per cent of turnover is for seat squabs and arm rests, but, Werner Schirmer continues, the company makes all the plastic parts from the front bumper to the rear: "and everything in between that is made of plastic, on the inside or outside, untreated, chrome-plated or lacquered." And visitors are welcome to see this in action. "Anyone that wants to come, is welcome", says Schirmer as he extends the invitation to the open day with a band, clown, miniature railway and roundabout. It is well known that Dr. Haubitz is good at celebrations, as they demonstrated two years ago at an open day. On that occasion, for the inauguration of a new factory building, there were around 700 visitors. Today, the proceeds from food and drinks are destined for a children's cancer unit.