Company anniversary and handover at Schilling Engineering

Günther Schilling officially bids farewell to the management at the employee celebration for the 25th company anniversary and hands over the helm to the next generation.

"At 67 years old, I am now stepping back from management and operational business," announced Günther Schilling, Managing Director and owner of Schilling Engineering GmbH, as he handed over to his two daughters Ute and Gaby Schilling. As a festive setting for the official farewell, the entrepreneur chose the employee celebration on the occasion of the 25th anniversary.

Pioneer of Cleanroom Technology

25 years ago, Schilling Engineering was founded as a start-up in Günther Schilling's private house. At the time of the company's founding, cleanrooms were far less established than they are today. Nevertheless, the demand for particle-free environments was high, which sparked the ambition of the active Baden native and led to initial experiments in his home garage. Günther Schilling had worked for many years in Switzerland in the CD business and developed cleanroom automation for data carrier manufacturing. He was able to bring this experience into the Schilling Engineering GmbH, founded in 1998. Soon, a fully automated GMP-A sterile production cell was successfully delivered to a German pharmaceutical group. A year later, Europe's first room-in-room cleanroom system was awarded the Rotary Innovation Prize, paving the way for further success stories.

"I was able to realize many of my visions during the 25 years at Schilling Engineering, which were very positively received in the cleanroom technology sector," summarizes Günther Schilling and further explains, "With our innovations, we have established ourselves in the market and have been continuously growing."

He cites the control and monitoring system CR-Control from 2007 as a pioneering innovation, which enabled central and intuitive user guidance of cleanroom and climate technology via touchscreen. The company also pioneered with the development of the energy-efficient cleanroom system CleanCell4.0, featuring intelligent networking and comprehensive, usage-oriented regulation in 2017. In 2022, the market introduction of a cleanroom modular system for easy self-assembly responded innovatively to market needs once again.

Prepared for the Future

From a "garage company," it has become a medium-sized family business today, ranking among the leading specialists for cleanroom technology in Europe. About 80 employees work at the modern company headquarters in Wutöschingen. From initial consultation, detailed design, component manufacturing, installation at the customer’s site, to turnkey commissioning, all steps of a cleanroom project are handled by the medium-sized company.

To ensure the future of his company, which was awarded the Great Prize of Medium-Sized Businesses by the Oskar-Patzelt Foundation in 2020 for innovative achievements and social commitment, the retiring managing director need not worry even after his retirement. In July 2023, his twin daughters Ute and Gaby will take over as sole managing directors.

The two industrial engineers have been involved in management since 2019. They completed a combined master's program in industrial engineering and mechanical engineering and gained several years of professional experience in international companies. They have divided their responsibilities in the management of Schilling Engineering. Ute Schilling is responsible for technical project management, and Gaby Schilling for controlling.

Günther Schilling is pleased to continue to rely on "family continuity" through the engagement of his two daughters and summarizes, "This is not always self-evident in family businesses. I am glad and proud that our company is being confidently led into the future with Ute and Gaby and that jobs will be preserved in the long term."

The management takeover, coinciding with the company's 25th anniversary, fills the twins with anticipation: "We thank our father for his great support, for the long-standing handover with his deep knowledge, and for his trust. Now we see ourselves well prepared and look forward to the challenges ahead."