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History
Devoted to precious things since 1845
Heimerle + Meule is considered the oldest refinery in Germany. It all began in 1845 when the entrepreneur Julius Dittler decided to set up a scrap company in Pforzheim, which was then a small town of 8,500 residents.
In the second half of the 19th century the company was renamed to Heimerle + Meule – according to today's law first only as a partnership. After the end of the First World War the company operated in the legal form of a public limited company.
Since 1920, precious metals have been alloyed in-house, processed into semi-finished products and supplied to the jewellery and clockmaker's industry. Directly thereafter, the first dental alloys have been developed and produced. In 1935 the company was converted into a limited partnership, with Mr. Ernst Ackermann as general partner.
During the inferno of February 23, 1945, the company, in those days located in the Östlichen Karl-Friedrich-Strasse, was completely destroyed. First business activities commenced in the late 1940's at the old Goethestrasse (today Volksbank). Older citizens of Pforzheim may still recall how Heimerle + Meule started its business operations again in the premises of the jewellery and clock factory Knoll + Pregitzer.
Due to a substantial sleeping partnership of the Possehl-Gruppe in Lübeck it became possible to set up a modern new factory building at the Durlacher Strasse 6-10 in 1951. This was followed by an extension on the same premises, and in the early 1960's an additional new building at the Berliner Strasse, connected with the premises at the Durlacher Strasse. It speaks for the corporate philosophy of the Possehl house and, consequently, of Heimerle + Meule, that there are still people working in the company who have witnessed this period described. In 1960 Possehl becomes a partner.
With the upswing of electrical engineering and electronics, Heimerle + Meule, thanks to its experience in the field of precious metal semi-finished products, also became a competent supplier in this line of business.
In 1977 Heimerle + Meule left the inner city of Pforzheim and moved to the industrial area „Brötzinger Tal“. The modern facilities located at Dennigstrasse 16 complied with state-of-the-art environmental standards of those days and up to the present time they have been upgraded continuously to meet the latest requirements.
In the 1990's nineties, work space became scarce, so the company decided in 2000 to build another extension. As a result of the takeover of the Heraeus Edelmetall GmbH, Pforzheim, we had to change our plans again in 2001 and it took until 2004 until they were put into action. The final merger of both companies was completed „under one roof“ at Dennigstrasse 16 in 2005.
This step helped to strengthen the line of business precious metal semi-finished products and decorative job plating shop. The newly added chemical department allows Heimerle + Meule to gain access to international markets to a greater extent. |
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