BECO Bermüller - On Safe Ground
BECO Bermüller & Co. GmbH, which was founded 50 years ago and has been based in the port of Nuremberg since 1983, is one of the leading manufacturers of geosynthetics, elastic products and niche products for the construction industry. The products made by this family enterprise provide for safety in leisure and sports facilities and for economic efficiency in the construction sector.
The range and applications of the products are extremely diverse: BECO Bermüller produces elastic surfaces for play areas, kindergartens, school playgrounds and golf courses, preventing children and sports enthusiasts from injuring themselves in falls. These products, along with cavity filling elements for track construction, are manufactured by Regum GmbH, a subsidiary of BECO based in Röthenbach an der Pegnitz.
Managing Director Rudolf Bermüller, who started work in his father's company back in 1967, uses the word "frenetic" to describe the development of the market for so-called geotextiles and geosynthetics, which the company has actively helped to shape from the 80s onwards. These products are indispensable in the construction of roads, tracks and landfill sites and in water management. Drainage products and sealing membranes made of plastic serve to separate, filter, protect, reinforce, and drain water, and thus increase the cost-effectiveness of construction. In Germany, BECO Bermüller claims a market share of about ten percent in this segment, which makes the company one of the country’s leading suppliers. Approximately ten million square metres of non-woven fabric alone are delivered each year to trading partners and construction sites throughout Germany.
The company is a family enterprise that was founded on 1 January 1960 by Leo Bermüller, who had already been active in Nuremberg's construction materials market since 1936. The new enterprise initially traded in bulk materials (such as sand, gravel, cement and crushed stone) and concrete goods. Very soon, however, BECO Bermüller began to specialise in landscaping and sports ground construction. This market grew quickly in the 70s and 80s, due to the construction of numerous sports facilities for schools and to the tennis boom, which started with the rise to fame of Boris Becker and Steffi Graf. In 1979, under the brand-name LOB Tennis (known today as LOB SPORT), a separate catalogue was produced for the first time containing a comprehensive range of products for the construction of tennis courts. Today, the tennis sector is still one of the cornerstones of the company.
BECO Bermüller now has 48 employees and an annual turnover of approximately 16 million euros, with 20 percent of its business coming from abroad. Stefan Bermüller, who joined the company five years ago and represents the third generation of the family, is responsible for exports. Geosynthetics and elastic products are exported to the United Kingdom, Ireland, The Netherlands and Eastern Europe, and the company also has business partners in North Africa and the Middle East. BECO Bermüller supports a total of 5,000 customers at home and abroad.
Rudolf Bermüller places great importance on training: Since 1992, the company has trained 25 apprentices to become salesmen in the wholesale and export sector, and most of these were given permanent posts after qualifying. BECO Bermüller currently has seven trainees on its books.
