Viessmann
Encyclopedia
The Viessmann Group is an international heating system
s manufacturer headquartered in Allendorf (Eder)
, Germany
. The group controlls 23 production and project management divisions in 11 countries, its products are available in 74 countries, owns 32 subsidiaries and 120 sales offices around the world. Viessmann is also a major winter sport
and motorsport
sponsor.
1.7 billion. Today Viessmann provides an extensive range of HVAC
products, including:
for commercial
, industrial
, and residential
purposes ranging from 1.5 to 116,000 kW.
In the 1950s and 1960s, oil replaced the previously used solid fuels, whilst steel boilers became increasingly important. Viessmann seized these growth opportunities and developed into a medium-sized industrial enterprise with 1,400 employees.
The 1970s were a time of expansion. In 1972, Viessmann opened its first foreign factory in Faulquemont
(France), followed by Waterloo, Ontario
(Canada), the first site outside Europe, in 1978. With the development of new technologies, the company responded to the challenges of the energy crisis: In 1976, the first solar collectors were produced, followed by the first heat pumps in 1978.
The fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 opened up new markets – initially in the former East Germany and later in Eastern Europe. At the end of 1991/start of 1992, Dr. Hans Viessmann handed the company over to his son Dr. Martin Viessmann.
In the 1990s, major structural changes were taking place: from floorstanding boilers to wall mounted boilers, from oil to gas, from gas fired boilers to condensing technology. Viessmann set up a new production facility for wall mounted gas boilers in Allendorf, whilst developing an international sales office and branch network. As of 2005, the company launched the "Efficiency Plus" campaign focusing on demonstrating energy saving and sustainable processes and reducing the company's environmental footprint, whilst also expanding the product range with the acquisition of other technologies. Viessmann first acquired wood combustion specialists Mawera and Köb, followed by KWT, a manufacturer of large heat pumps and ESS for combined heating and power systems. BIOFerm, Schmack and Carbotech acquisitions covered the area of biogas technology, and with an evacuated tube solar collectors plant in Dachang (China), the company has expanded its market presence into solar thermal systems.
Following the introduction of the company's "Efficiency Plus" campaign, Viessmann received both in 2009 and 2011 the German Sustainability Award for most sustainable production and most sustainable brand in Germany, respectively. In 2010 the company also received the Energy Efficiency Award for optimising energy production and use in its manufacturing facilities.
, cross country skiing, luge
, Nordic combined
, and ski jumping
. Among the athletes sponsored are Andrea Henkel
, Alexander Wolf
, Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle
, Axel Teichmann
, Eric Frenzel
, Tatjana Hüfner
, Felix Loch
, and Michael Uhrmann
.
Viessmann is also sponsoring the Grand Prix motorcycle racing
team Kiefer Racing, with which rider Stefan Bradl
won the Moto2 2011 world championship.
Heating system
A heating system is a mechanism for maintaining temperatures at an acceptable level; by using thermal energy within a home, office, or other dwelling. Often part of an HVAC system. A heating system may be centralized or distributed.-See also:...
s manufacturer headquartered in Allendorf (Eder)
Allendorf (Eder)
Allendorf is a municipality in Waldeck-Frankenberg in Hesse, Germany.- Location :Allendorf lies in the upper Eder Valley between Frankenberg and Battenberg west of the Burgwald range and east of the Breite Struth ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The group controlls 23 production and project management divisions in 11 countries, its products are available in 74 countries, owns 32 subsidiaries and 120 sales offices around the world. Viessmann is also a major winter sport
Winter sport
A winter sport is a sport which is played on snow or ice. Most such sports are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally such sports were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and ice allow more flexibility...
and motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
sponsor.
Profile
The company was founded in Hof and der Saale in 1917 by Johann Viessmann and has been family owned for three generations. The President and CEO today is Dr. Martin Viessmann. As of 2010 the company employs 9400 people and reports annual sales of €Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
1.7 billion. Today Viessmann provides an extensive range of HVAC
HVAC
HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
products, including:
- CondensingCondensing boilerA condensing boiler utilizes the latent heat of water produced from the burning of fuel, in addition to the standard sensible heat, to increase its efficiency.-Principles of work:...
technology oil and gas systems - Solar thermal systemsSolar thermal collectorA solar thermal collector is a solar collector designed to collect heat by absorbing sunlight. The term is applied to solar hot water panels, but may also be used to denote more complex installations such as solar parabolic, solar trough and solar towers or simpler installations such as solar air...
- Photovoltaic systemPhotovoltaic systemA photovoltaic system is a system which uses one or more solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity. It consists of multiple components, including the photovoltaic modules, mechanical and electrical connections and mountings and means of regulating and/or modifying the electrical...
s - Heat pumpHeat pumpA heat pump is a machine or device that effectively "moves" thermal energy from one location called the "source," which is at a lower temperature, to another location called the "sink" or "heat sink", which is at a higher temperature. An air conditioner is a particular type of heat pump, but the...
s - Biomass heating systems (wood)
- Combined heat and power generationCogenerationCogeneration is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat....
(CHP) - Biogas systemsBiogasBiogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung, and kitchen waste can be converted into a gaseous fuel called biogas...
- VentilationVentilationVentilation is movement of air in and out of an enclosed space, including a body. It is used in the following contexts:* Ventilation * Ventilation * Ventilation * Ventilation * Ventilation...
and Air-conditioning equipment
for commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
, industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
, and residential
Residential area
A residential area is a land use in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas.Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single family housing, multi-family residential, or mobile homes. Zoning for residential use may permit...
purposes ranging from 1.5 to 116,000 kW.
History
The Viessmann Group originated in Hof on the banks of the Saale, where Johann Viessmann set up a small workshop in 1917 specialising in the construction of steel boilers. In 1937 he moved operations to Allendorf (Eder) in northern Hesse. After WWII, Hans Viessmann took over his father's company and modernized it by introducing series production and industrial processes.In the 1950s and 1960s, oil replaced the previously used solid fuels, whilst steel boilers became increasingly important. Viessmann seized these growth opportunities and developed into a medium-sized industrial enterprise with 1,400 employees.
The 1970s were a time of expansion. In 1972, Viessmann opened its first foreign factory in Faulquemont
Faulquemont
Faulquemont is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
(France), followed by Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
(Canada), the first site outside Europe, in 1978. With the development of new technologies, the company responded to the challenges of the energy crisis: In 1976, the first solar collectors were produced, followed by the first heat pumps in 1978.
The fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 opened up new markets – initially in the former East Germany and later in Eastern Europe. At the end of 1991/start of 1992, Dr. Hans Viessmann handed the company over to his son Dr. Martin Viessmann.
In the 1990s, major structural changes were taking place: from floorstanding boilers to wall mounted boilers, from oil to gas, from gas fired boilers to condensing technology. Viessmann set up a new production facility for wall mounted gas boilers in Allendorf, whilst developing an international sales office and branch network. As of 2005, the company launched the "Efficiency Plus" campaign focusing on demonstrating energy saving and sustainable processes and reducing the company's environmental footprint, whilst also expanding the product range with the acquisition of other technologies. Viessmann first acquired wood combustion specialists Mawera and Köb, followed by KWT, a manufacturer of large heat pumps and ESS for combined heating and power systems. BIOFerm, Schmack and Carbotech acquisitions covered the area of biogas technology, and with an evacuated tube solar collectors plant in Dachang (China), the company has expanded its market presence into solar thermal systems.
Following the introduction of the company's "Efficiency Plus" campaign, Viessmann received both in 2009 and 2011 the German Sustainability Award for most sustainable production and most sustainable brand in Germany, respectively. In 2010 the company also received the Energy Efficiency Award for optimising energy production and use in its manufacturing facilities.
Viessmann Academy
The Viessmann Academy was unofficially established by the company in the 60s, in order to meet the ever growing demand for training and expertise of employees and trade partners, which was reflecting the constant expansion of the technological spectrum of modern HVAC systems. Today, the Viessmann Academy, with its new facilities located in Allendorf (Eder) provides a comprehensive programme of basic as well as advanced training courses for HVAC contractors, planners, architects, property developers, flue-gas inspectors, education institutions and Viessmann's own employees, in total of more than 92,000 industry specialists each year.Sports
Viessmann is a major sponsor of such winter sports as biathlonBiathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
, cross country skiing, luge
Luge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
, Nordic combined
Nordic combined
The Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in both cross-country skiing and ski jumping.- History :While Norwegian soldiers are known to have been competing in Nordic skiing since the 19th century, the first major competition in Nordic combined was held in 1892 in Oslo at the...
, and ski jumping
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
. Among the athletes sponsored are Andrea Henkel
Andrea Henkel
Andrea Henkel is a German biathlete and the younger sister of Manuela Henkel, a successful cross-country skier. She trains at SV Großbreitenbach...
, Alexander Wolf
Alexander Wolf
Alexander Wolf is a German biathlete. At the 2008 World Championships in Östersund, Sweden, he won bronze medals in the 12.5 km pursuit and the 4×7.5 km relay.-External links:*...
, Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle
Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle
Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle is a German cross country skier from Reit im Winkl who has competed since 1998...
, Axel Teichmann
Axel Teichmann
Axel Teichmann is a German cross-country skier.- Background :...
, Eric Frenzel
Eric Frenzel
Eric Frenzel is a German Nordic combined skier who has been competing since 2000...
, Tatjana Hüfner
Tatjana Hüfner
Tatjana Hüfner is a German luger who is the current Olympic Champion and has competed since 2003. She won the bronze medal in the women's singles at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin...
, Felix Loch
Felix Loch
Felix Loch is a German luger and Olympic champion. He has been competing since 1995 and has been on the German national team since 2006. He won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four golds and one silver...
, and Michael Uhrmann
Michael Uhrmann
Michael Uhrmann is a German ski jumper who has competed since 1995. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a gold medal in the team large hill event at Salt Lake City in 2002....
.
Viessmann is also sponsoring the Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
team Kiefer Racing, with which rider Stefan Bradl
Stefan Bradl
Stefan Bradl is a Grand Prix motorcycle racer who currently is a rider in the Moto2 Class. He is the Moto2 World Champion, and the son of former racer Helmut Bradl....
won the Moto2 2011 world championship.