World News

Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World

UK News

Latest news and developments in the United Kingdom

Products

Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology

Features

General articles, applications and industry analysis

Bitzer owner honoured

Peter Schaufler
Honoured: Peter Schaufler and his wife Christiane Schaufler-Münch with Peter Schneider (left) and Dr Nils Schmid (right)

GERMANY: Peter Schaufler, chairman and ceo of German compressor manufacturer Bitzer, has been recognised for his achievements by a major German bank. 

The 73-year-old received the 2014 Baden-Württemberg Gründerpreis by the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe in the category “life’s work” in Stuttgart, Germany. The award was presented by Dr Nils Schmid, Baden-Württemberg’s deputy minister-president and minister of finance and economics.

“Peter Schaufler is the perfect role model for the founders of today,” commented Baden-Württemberg president Peter Schneider.

Peter Schaufler took over Bitzer in 1979. At that time the company had a turnover of DM30m (around €15m) and a workforce of 270. Today the company has a turnover of £621m, a workforce of over 3,000, 30 subsidiary companies on all five continents, including production facilities in China, Australia, Brazil and the USA.

Latest News

16th February 2026

Italian authorities seize 24 tonnes of illegal F-gas

ITALY: Police and customs officers have seized illegal F-gas refrigerant, with an estimated market value of €463,200, at the Port of Venice.
16th February 2026

US AC and heat pump shipments down 20% in 2025

USA: US shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps fell again in December, decreasing 21.4% to 408,244 units, compared to December 2024.
16th February 2026

IOR names two new fellows

UK: Andrew Channon of Plymouth-based ChanniCool Training Services, and Richard Lawton of Cambridge Refrigeration Technology have been recognised as fellows of the Institute of Refrigeration.
16th February 2026

Mitsubishi Thai subsidiary to change name

JAPAN: Mitsubishi Electric is to change the name of its air conditioner and refrigeration compressor manufacturing company in Thailand.
15th February 2026

Panasonic proves nanoe effect on hay fever

JAPAN: Human clinical trials of Panasonic’s nanoe air purification technology is said to have shown overall improvements in hay fever symptoms.
15th February 2026

Polish plant reclaims 100% of used refrigerants

POLAND: A new refrigerant reclamation plant near Warsaw is using two processes to separate mixtures and reclaim nearly 100% of used refrigerants.