“At the age of 67, I am now retiring from the management and operational business,” Günther Schilling, Managing Director and owner of Schilling Engineering GmbH, opened the handover to his two daughters Ute and Gaby Schilling. The entrepreneur had chosen the staff party to mark the 25th anniversary as the festive setting for the official farewell.
Cleanroom technology pioneer
Schilling Engineering was founded 25 years ago as a start-up in Günther Schilling’s private home. At the time the company was founded, cleanrooms were far less established than they are today. Nevertheless, the need for particle-free environments was great, which aroused the ambition of the enterprising man from Baden and led to the first tinkering in his garage at home. Günther Schilling had previously worked in the CD business in Switzerland for many years and developed cleanroom automation systems for data carrier production. He was able to contribute this experience to Schilling Engineering GmbH, which was founded in 1998. A fully automated GMP-A sterile production cell was soon successfully delivered to a German pharmaceutical company. One year later, Europe’s first room-in-room clean room system was awarded the Rotary Innovation Prize, paving the way for the company’s continued success story.
“In the 25 years at Schilling Engineering, I have been able to implement many of my visions, which have been very well received in cleanroom technology,” Günther Schilling sums up and continues: “We have established ourselves on the market with our innovations and have grown steadily.”
He cites the CR-Control control and monitoring system from 2007 as a pioneering innovation, which enabled central and intuitive user guidance of the Cleanroom and air conditioning technology via touchscreen. The company also pioneered the development of the energy-efficient CleanCell4.0 cleanroom system with intelligent networking and comprehensive user-oriented control in 2017. In 2022, the market launch of a cleanroom construction kit for easy self-assembly was another innovative response to market needs.
Equipped for the future
Today, the “garage company” has grown into a medium-sized family business that is one of the leading specialists for cleanroom technology in Europe. Around 80 employees work at the modern company headquarters in Wutöschingen. From the initial consultation to the detailed design, production of the components, assembly at the customer’s premises and turnkey commissioning, all stages of a cleanroom project are in the hands of this medium-sized company.
The outgoing Managing Director does not have to worry about the future of his company, which was awarded the Oskar Patzelt Foundation’s Grand Prize for Medium-Sized Enterprises for innovative achievements and social commitment in 2020, even after his retirement. In July 2023, his twin daughters Ute and Gaby will take over the sole management of the company.
The two industrial engineers have been part of the management team since 2019. They have a combined master’s degree in industrial engineering and mechanical engineering and have 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 be able to continue to rely on “family continuity” thanks to the commitment of his two daughters and summarizes: “This is not always a matter of course for family businesses. I am happy and proud that with Ute and Gaby, our company will be safely guided into the future and that jobs will be preserved in the long term.”
The twins are looking forward to taking over the business to coincide with the company’s 25th anniversary: “We would like to thank our father for his great support, for the many years of handing over his in-depth knowledge and for his trust. Now we feel well equipped and are looking forward to the tasks ahead.
