The history of a company with tradition
Scroll through the impressive development of SCHOLLGLAS and find out how our group of companies has been able to develop its comprehensive expertise in various industries over more than five decades.
Discover how we have continuously evolved to meet the needs of our customers: from our beginnings as a one-man, rented business to our current size as one of the leading glass trading and production companies in Europe. Our history is characterized by innovation, quality and reliability, by which we are happy to be measured yesterday as well as today.
1969
Foundation
SCHOLLGLAS GmbH is founded by Günter Weidemann through the takeover of the glass wholesaler Scholl from Bielefeld, originally as C.H. Scholl KG – this makes it possible to purchase glass directly from the basic glass producing industry. The young glass merchant previously worked at the Fischer brothers’ glass trade in Hanover, but his ambitious ideas
not on the approval of the company owner, who is also his father-in-law. The step into self-employment is the consequence of the rift. The next step of the new company is the relocation of the former company headquarters from Bielefeld to Hanover. Günter Weidemann first worked in the Alte Celle Heerstraße, later in the Bödekerstraße. At the time, the premises were only rented.
Move to Barsinghausen
The company headquarters are moved from Hanover to Barsinghausen, a small town at the foot of the Deister, about 30 km from Hanover. They first moved into a rented property in Landstraße, later into the completed new building in Hermann Bahlsen Straße – now Schollstraße. With this new home, SCHOLLGLAS now not only has a modern office building as its headquarters, but what is even more important, a large trading warehouse as a basis for future activities in all areas.
New location with a modern showroom for GLAS FISCHER.
GLAS FISCHER becomes part of SCHOLLGLAS.
Glass construction company GLAS FISCHER and the glass wholesaler with insulating glass production BRÃœDER FISCHER are moving from Sodenstraße in Hanover to a new building in Isernhagen. In the adjoining exhibition house “Glass Trends”, contemporary solutions for all areas of life are presented. Shortly afterwards, the Fischer companies are integrated into the group of companies as part of the age succession for the owner Waldemar Lieker, Günter Weidemann’s father-in-law.
The glass wholesaler BRÃœDER FISCHER is renamed SCHOLLGLAS Technik GmbH Isernhagen. The glass construction company with the adjoining exhibition now bears the name GLASFISCHER GLASTECHNIK GmbH in keeping with tradition.
Expansion after the fall of the Berlin Wall
Production and trading companies in the new federal states
After German reunification, further companies were founded in the new federal states within a few years to meet the increased demand for glass products.
Leipzig
On 10.04.1990 a trading company was founded in Leipzig,
which was relocated to a new building in Gerichshain near Leipzig in 1992.
Today, the main focus of the company is the production of insulating glass.
Zwickau
On 21.12.1990 another trading company was opened in Zwickau (Saxony),
which was later moved to a new building in Glauchau.
Berlin
Parallel to the location in Glauchau, a trading company was also founded in Berlin on 21.12.1990, which moved in 1991 to a new administration building with an adjoining production hall in Dahlwitz-Hoppegarten, on the outskirts of Berlin.
Since SCHOLLGLAS has the corresponding know-how in this area through the GLASFISCHER company in Hanover, a second glazing company with the same name – GLASFISCHER GmbH – is also founded here.
Insulating and safety glass from the new federal states
Since 1992 , SCHOLLGLAS has also been based in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Initially in Waren, later, after completion of the new building in 1995, in Röbel. Insulating glass is also produced there.
On 01.06.1992, Günter Weidemann began in-house production in the field of refined glass with the takeover of a former mirror factory in Lommatzsch – located in the greater Dresden area. Whereas the company used to produce automotive and cosmetic mirrors, production has now been converted to ESG – today the company manufactures toughened safety glass and sandblasted glass with screen printing in Lommatzsch.
New production site in Lübben
In Lübben (Brandenburg), another insulating glass production facility is going into regular operation in a new hall with an adjoining office building. Since Lübben is only 90 km away from Berlin, the insulating glass line originally integrated at the Hoppegarten site will be relocated to Lübben at a later date, as better production facilities are available there. The trading shop and the glazier, on the other hand, will remain in Hoppegarten.
SCHOLLGLAS celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Over the course of 25 years, a pure trading company has developed into one of the highest-turnover medium-sized companies in the German glass industry.
Internationalization
Founding of SCHOLLGLAS Polska
In order to meet the constantly growing demand for high-quality glass products in Poland and to further expand the regional presence, SCHOLLGLAS Polska is founded in the Warsaw area. With this new subsidiary, the company is pursuing the goal of serving its customers in Central and Eastern Europe even more efficiently while providing state-of-the-art production and processing technologies locally.
The establishment of SCHOLLGLAS Polska is an important step in the international growth strategy of the SCHOLLGLAS Group: it underlines the commitment to offer high-quality glass solutions in close proximity to the customer and to strengthen partnership relationships in the Polish market in the long term.
Innovation “warm edge”
In Berlin Hoppegarten, SCHOLLGLAS produces the first insulating glass with thermoplastic edge seal, also known as “warm edge”. The newly developed technology offers maximum flexibility and a previously unattained low thermal conductivity, far below the values of the aluminium spacers.
A different order of magnitude
Since 2001 , SCHOLLGLAS has also been producing toughened safety glass for large-scale production requirements in Poland. Through the acquisition of a company from the basic glass manufacturer Pilkington in Sandomierz (Warsaw area), small-format ESG is now produced for the household appliance and furniture industry and for the sanitary sector .
Also in 2001/2002 , a large-scale new building is built in Nossen Рrelatively close to the existing plant in Lommatzsch. Toughened safety glass, laminated safety glass and insulating glass for the commercial and fa̤ade sector are produced there, as well as special solutions for customers in the interior and transport sectors.
With the comprehensive finishing options now available, SCHOLLGLAS Sachsen is able to produce the glass for many large projects.
Innovation Award of the German Economy
In the aftermath of the major train accident in Eschede, SCHOLLGLAS develops its own concept for an “emergency exit for mass transport made of cold-bent lightweight glass”, for which the company receives the Innovation Award of the German Economy in 2003, prevailing against 320 competitors.
Westbound: Acquisition of Hansaglas
SCHOLLGLAS acquires Hansaglas GmbH in Herford, which today operates under the name SCHOLLGLAS Technik GmbH. Toughened safety glass and glass are manufactured locally, mainly for the furniture and kitchen industry.
Foundation of SCHOLLGLAS Nederland B.V.
In Hoensbroek (Netherlands), the company takes over the business operations of a long-standing business partner in order to further drive the expansion of the greenhouse segment .
Gala for a lifetime achievement
SCHOLLGLAS celebrates its 45th anniversary, and at the same time the 80th birthday of the managing director Günter Weidemann. The events will be celebrated as part of the big SCHOLLGLAS Gala 2014 – an evening that will also honour the life’s work of the jubilarian. Instead of prominent guests from politics and business, it is mainly friends, suppliers, companions, customers and employees who accept the invitation and celebrate this special occasion together.
A new plant in Poland
In order to take into account the increased space requirements and optimized processes, a new plant will be built on a greenfield site in Tarnobrzeg – near Sandomierz – in 2017/2018. Operations will commence in the course of Q2 2018.
ENERGY GLAS becomes part of the SCHOLLGLAS Group
At the beginning of the year, Energy Glas GmbH in Wolfhagen – near Kassel – is incorporated into the SCHOLLGLAS Group. Insulating glass is manufactured there, and the company also has an ESG line and the option of tempering toughened safety glass from 2 millimeters.
Takeover and relocation of HoffmannGlas Berlin
In October 2023, the SCHOLLGLAS Group will take over the Berlin operations of HoffmannGlas GmbH. Personnel and machines will move into the factory hall in Hoppegarten within the following six months. Since January 2024, it has mainly produced insulating glass for the Berlin market and traded in basic glass.
Majority takeover of GLASCOM A/S
In January 2024, SCHOLLGLAS will acquire the majority stake of its previous customer GLASCOM A/S in Denmark in order to benefit from its strong sales presence and logistical advantages in the region.
55 years of SCHOLLGLAS
Around 400 invited guests accepted the invitation to the Glass Hall of the Hannover Congress Centrum (HCC) to review five and a half decades with a full-length gala reception.
Expansion of the group of companies
On 01.01.2025, SCHOLLGLAS will take over the traditional company BarteltGlasBerlin GmbH. This decision not only strengthens the innovative strength of BarteltGLASBerlin, but also opens up new opportunities for the SCHOLLGLAS Group – especially in the Berlin-Brandenburg region.
Since its foundation in 1969, the SCHOLLGLAS Group has grown considerably as a one-man company . Today, around 1,400 employees work at 18 locations in Germany, Poland, Denmark and the Netherlands.
SCHOLLGLAS, as a free and independent group of companies, trades with all leading glass manufacturers and, together with its own production facilities for its customers, has an unusually wide range of products.
Without the willingness of the employees to fully commit themselves to the interests of the company, such a performance would certainly not have been possible.
