Built to last

Ensinger celebrates 50th company anniversary

Nufringen (Germany), June 22, 2016 - In 1966, Wilfried Ensinger started up his own business in a garage. It was barely long enough to enable extrusion of fibre-reinforced plastics on the two homemade facilities. Before a strand reached the other side of the road, it was sawn off with a hand saw. Wilfried Ensinger's wife Martha then brought the finished products to the station in a child's pram – up until the point when it collapsed under the load. When this happened, the company founder viewed it as a good sign: "Things are on the up!"

“Major lifetime achievement”

What started small is now a global player with more than 2,300 employees worldwide and a turnover of 391 million euros. On 17 June, together with employees from the whole world, long-standing business partners and guests of honour from the fields of politics and industry, the family business began the anniversary celebrations with an atmospheric opening ceremony. Guest speaker Prof. Dr. Berthold Leibinger, former CEO of the Trumpf Group, paid tribute to Wilfried Ensinger as a “Leading figure for small- and medium-sized companies”. Together with his wife Martha, he said, he had achieved something major during his lifetime.

Family business as a model for success

Prof. Dr. Horst Köhler, former (German) Federal President and a close friend of the family, used his speech as an opportunity to congratulate “everyone who has contributed to the success story”. Ensinger, he said, was unique and yet also typical of the success story of small- and medium-sized family businesses which Germany owes a lot to. Their ideas and willingness to take risks were “crucial factors in economic success and social cohesion. After all, these companies safeguard prosperity and offer millions of people training, work and an income.”

Summer party with international football cup

The following day, the focus was on the employees of the family business. Around 1,300 guests from all over the world had travelled to attend what was the biggest event since the company was founded. Alongside the German workforce and their families, employees from the subsidiaries were also invited. Things kicked off with the tradition-steeped Ensinger football cup. The final saw Ensinger Italia beat the team from the parent plant in Nufringen after penalties.

In the evening, the staff continued celebrating in the festival marquee. When the cover rock band got going, there was no stopping them. By only the second song, whole departments were dancing on the tables. The party did not end until the early hours. Even a company only turns 50 once!

Visibly moved: Company founders Wilfried and Martha Ensinger. Source: Ensinger

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Close friend of the family: Prof. Dr. Horst Köhler offered his congratulations on the success story. Source: Ensinger

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What winners look like: Ensinger Italia won the Ensinger Cup. Source: Ensinger

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By just the second song, there was no stopping them: the lively celebrations continued until late into the night. Source: Ensinger

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About Ensinger

The Ensinger group is engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of compounds, semi-finished materials, profiles and technical parts made of engineering and high-performance plastic. Ensinger makes use of a number of different manufacturing methods, in particular extrusion, machining and injection moulding. Employing a total workforce of 2,300 in 28 locations, the family firm is represented in many important industrial regions of the world with its own production plants or sales branches. For more information, go to www.ensinger-online.com

About insulbar

Ensinger GmbH is among the world’s leading developers and producers of insulating profiles for window, door and facade construction. The profiles marketed under the brand name insulbar® create a thermal separation between the inside and outside shells of metal frames. Insulation systems using insulbar profiles achieve optimum values in terms of energy savings and cutting the cost of heating and cooling. At the same time, insulbar profiles comply with the most stringent quality standards in every respect. They have been in successful operation around the world for over 30 years. For more information, go to www.insulbar.de/en

About Thermix

Thermix spacers improve the thermal separation of insulated glass windows, doors and facades. This helps save energy and consequently heating and cooling costs as well as cutting carbon emissions. As an insulated glazing edge bond system, Thermix spacers provide a “warm edge”. In addition, Thermix muntin bars produce the appearance of a genuine lattice window but with an excellent level of insulation. Both products can be simply and efficiently processed. Specially developed corner keys and straight connectors ensure well-fitting and secure connections every time. Thermix is a brand of Ensinger, one of the leading specialists in high-performance plastics. For more information, go to www.thermix.de/en