Bitzer owner honoured

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.