On January 1, 1950, Karl Beul started the production of special brass valves in a small workshop in Attendorn and installed the first foundry furnace for manufacturing the valves. With this, he fulfilled a long-cherished dream of translating his ideas into practice through independent work. With creativity and the typical persistence of the Sauerland region, he laid the foundation for a highly successful company history.
And so it continued...
1951
Only one year after the establishment of the company, due to rapid expansion within the Attendorn location, the business had to relocate. Further expansion at the old location was not feasible. A mechanical workshop was added to the foundry.
1956
In 1956, just five years after its founding, the young company patented the BEULCO fitting – the first fitting for plastic pipes that doesn't require heating the pipe during assembly.
1960
Initial advertising measures boost the visibility of high-quality BEULCO products in the market.
1970
For the Olympic Summer Games in 1972 in Munich, the Olympic Stadium became the world's first stadium to have under-soil heating based on warm water-carrying plastic pipes. A fitting had to be found that could withstand the constant alternation between hot and cold water and the resulting frequent changes in pipe properties. This fitting had to meet exceptionally high standards - and endure for a long duration. After extensive stress tests, the decision was made to use the BEULCO fitting. The experience was so positive that it was also installed in the new under-soil heating systems of other stadiums (Frankfurt, Bochum, Kaiserslautern, etc.).
1972
With Göte and Margareta Selerup, the success story of Beulco Armatur AB in Sweden began in 1972.
1973
On January 1, 1973, the collaboration with the Gerritsen family began, leading to the establishment of BEULCO Holland.
1975
BEULCO introduces the first exhibition trailer. This allows customers to get on-site information about all products and innovations.
1977
After the death of founder Karl Beul, his sons Karl-Heinz and Rudolf Beul take over responsibility for the company. With them and a strong team, the dynamic development of Gebr. Beul GmbH & Co. KG is consistently continued. In the same year, a 2000m² administration building is erected. BEULCO products are exhibited at international trade fairs.
1991
The production area is expanded to include an automatic turning shop and a modern high-bay warehouse.
2009
Axel Beul, the grandson of founder Karl Beul, takes over the company as the sole shareholder and appoints an external management and an expert advisory board.
2010
The distribution companies in Holland and Sweden become independent.
2011
BEULCO starts to establish new sales representatives in Europe.
2014
To meet the increasing demands of the constantly changing market environment and to remain competitive, companies must stay in motion. For this reason, BEULCO has developed a comprehensive new corporate strategy called "BEULCO in Motion" to drive the company's development in the coming years. By entering new markets and developing innovative, market-oriented products and systems, the company will ensure sustainable growth. Motivated and well-trained employees form the basis for stabilizing and expanding the core business. Therefore, in the coming years, there will be a strong focus on the qualification and development of employees.
2017
Development of the new comprehensive corporate strategy "BEULCO 2025" with a focus on digitization and Industry 4.0 throughout the entire company - products, processes, production, and employees.
Launch of the first BEULCO disinfection system, as well as the disinfectant BEULCO Clean for cleaning and disinfecting drinking water and water supply systems.
March 2019
We have decided to relocate the product development and marketing of new systems and software to the DigitalHub at the Fraunhofer Institute in Dortmund, and we signed the contracts in March 2019. Due to the excellent infrastructure, access to future personnel, and the convenient accessibility from Attendorn, we have found an optimal solution here. A team is working on the developments under the brand iQ water solutions.
June 2019
What happened on June 28 and 29, 2019, on the premises of BEULCO has never occurred in the company's history before. The production operation was suspended for two days, allowing all 180 employees to come together under the motto "Shaping the Future Together" to work on various questions and topics related to BEULCO.
This was the kick-off event for building our agile organization.
October 2019
BEULCO wins the Digital Champions Award in the category "Transformation Mittelstand" (medium-sized enterprises). On October 29, 2019, the award, an initiative of Telekom Deutschland and Wirtschaftswoche, was presented at the Digital X 2019 trade fair in Cologne.
The jury chose the Attendorn-based company because it has aligned its entire corporate strategy with the theme of digitization – throughout the entire organization. It was also impressive that Beulco dared to take steps in such an "old economy," meaning such an old, analog industry like water supply.
2020
In 2020, we were listed among the Top 100 most innovative medium-sized enterprises in Germany for the first time. The TOP 100 innovation competition is a scientific selection process that participants must go through. Innovation researcher Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke and his team examined BEULCO based on more than 100 innovation indicators from five categories: Innovation-promoting top management, innovation climate, innovative processes and organization, external orientation/open innovation, and innovation success.
Here, we were able to demonstrate that the development of recent years is bearing fruit - through a consistent orientation towards agile organization, a new leadership culture, and digitization, we have set the course for the future.
2020
When the Corona pandemic broke out in spring 2020, disinfectants were sold out. To keep operations running, hospitals, schools, kindergartens, social facilities, and more needed supplies. Therefore, we decided to allow the use of our disinfectant for water supply systems as a surface disinfectant to assist in this situation. Within just 10 weeks, an entirely new business area was established, offering environmentally friendly alternatives to chemicals - even reaching the shelves of dm stores.
2020/2021
At the core of our corporate strategy in these years is digitization. We are guiding the company's evolution from a component manufacturer to a complete system provider. Digitization is a focal point for us in all areas: production, products, processes, and business models. We have also developed a target image in this regard.
The common thread is the agile organization at the center of our actions. It connects all digitization areas and serves as the foundation for successful implementation.
2021
On September 30, 2021, we hosted the first Innovation Day in Attendorn. Among others, Andreas Pinkwart, Minister for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitization, and Energy (NRW), Prof. Dr. Michael Henke, Institute Director of Fraunhofer IML in Dortmund, and Herbert Schulte, Managing Director of BVMW, were present.
On this day, we provided insights into digitization strategies, innovations, and leadership in medium-sized enterprises. In the concluding panel discussion, Prof. Dr. Henke, Herbert Schulte, Prof. Dr. Karin Schnitker, and Managing Director Jürgen Chr. Schütz once again addressed the global situation of water supply – approximately 2.2 billion people lack access to clean drinking water. BEULCO has set itself the goal of addressing this issue.
2022/2023
In addition to the topics of agile organisation and digitalisation, the focus in these years has also shifted to the topic of sustainability. A strategic agenda was drawn up in 2022 to implement the mission statement. In developing and implementing the sustainability strategy, Beulco is guided by the UN's SDGs as well as regional and global climate protection targets and social standards.
We have also developed a target vision for the coming years
We have recognized the importance of digital transformation and started driving this process several years ago. We have developed a clear vision for the digital future, promoting flexibility and agility, investing in digital technologies and data integration, encouraging employees for innovation and continuous learning, and viewing digital transformation as an integral part of our corporate culture.
Through innovation and commitment, we create products, solutions, and systems to ensure a secure supply of clean drinking water, with a focus on quality and materials. Learn more about our vision.