"We are part of Chemnitz's history"

Markus Trompetter

Sparks spray through the air. Machines hammer away in the large factory hall of Trompetter Guss, forklift trucks drive through the dark aisles, red-hot iron steams out of the large furnaces. Managing Director Markus Trompetter has known the work in a foundry since he was a child. He took over the Chemnitz industrial factory 17 years ago and successfully led it out of insolvency. He quickly became enthusiastic about the Schönherrfabrik site, which can look back on 185 years of foundry tradition.

What fascinates you personally about the casting process?
Markus Trompetter: My grandfather founded a foundry in Bayreuth in 1946. That's how I grew up. I was fascinated by molten iron even as a young boy. I loved spending time in the foundry and I had to be chased out (laughs).

What exactly does Trompetter Guss produce?
We have specialised in two areas in Chemnitz. Firstly, we produce cast parts for lorry brakes. These are safety-relevant components that are subject to the highest loads. Secondly, we produce components for exhaust gas turbochargers, which are very complex and difficult to cast. The aim here is to produce more power with smaller engines and thus make a contribution to the environment.

Which sectors do your customers come from?
Primarily from the automotive sector. One in three European vehicles contains a component from us. And every third lorry on the road is fitted with our brake calipers.

Markus Trompetter emphasises the high quality that he strives for with his production. Trompetter Guss is known for producing high-quality castings from grey and ductile cast iron. The company supports its customers from prototype production through to series production. This can sometimes take three to four years, says the entrepreneur: "The customer gives us a drawing and our job is to work with the customer to optimise the casting technology of the component. We influence the design and work on weight-optimised designs."

Schönherr Metallverarbeitung was taken over by Trompetter Guss Chemnitz GmbH in 2000. How did you become aware of this traditional location?
In life, you have to recognise opportunities and seize them at the right time. My life has never been planned out. I moved to Dresden in 1994 and worked for an insolvency administrator. During those years, I learnt a lot that went beyond my engineering studies, especially in the field of business administration. In 2000, the opportunity arose to take over this company here, which was also in insolvency in 1999.

What state was the company in?
In short, it was in a very poor state. The last investments were made in the 60s and 70s. It was a typical industrial wasteland, which was unfortunately very common in East Germany. Only 63 employees with an average age of 54 were still working here. I was 35 years old at the time and had an idea of how to make the company strong again. I wanted to invest and managed to gain the confidence to do so. Over the past 17 years, I have invested almost 55 million euros in this site.

The foundry site where Trompetter Guss is based today has existed for 185 years. In 1832, Carl Gottlieb Haubold, the founder of mechanical engineering in Chemnitz, established a foundry on Fischweg in order to be independent of external suppliers of iron parts. Louis Schönherr took over the industrial estate in 1854 and also set up his own foundry to produce castings for his looms. His loom factory became so successful that in 1902 it was given a siding to the Royal Saxon railway network so that pig iron could be delivered. After the Second World War, around 30 to 40 per cent of the foundry facilities were dismantled and rebuilt in the following years as VEB Webstuhlbau. After reunification, this became Chemnitzer Webmaschinen GmbH. Further privatisation attempts followed. It was only when the company was handed over to Trompetter Verwaltungs GmbH in 2000 that a long-term perspective was established. Currently, 460 employees work at Trompetter Guss.

They have made great progress. Employee numbers and turnover have increased enormously over the past 17 years. How have you managed that?
Initially, it was due to the good funding opportunities that were available in Saxony. In such an investment-intensive industry, you can't catch up without help. International competition is not waiting for us. The investment aid was therefore a key success factor. In addition, there was a very motivated team that I was able to build up over the years.

What was your strategy?
We focussed on the automotive sector right from the start. I shut down some areas of the company and invested in new plant technology, the so-called line one. In 2001, we purchased a new moulding plant. This was followed by a new sand preparation plant. Then a new melting plant was set up. In 2006/2007 we were working at full capacity.

You then expanded the company once again.
That's right. We had to expand our capacities in order to fulfil customer requirements. And, of course, the question arose as to whether to locate here or abroad. After much deliberation, I decided in favour of Chemnitz. A key reason for me was the workforce. This was followed by the investment of a further 20 million in the so-called Line 2, and while it was still under construction, we were hit by the economic crisis. Within two weeks, we lost half of our order backlog. That was a critical phase. Nevertheless, we went ahead with the construction project. Since 2010, there has been an upward trend again and we are now back to the old figures.

It wasn't just the economic crisis that caused you problems. You had a six-year dispute in court over suspected environmental pollution, which you won. Do you still hear critical voices?
We haven't heard any complaints from local residents. The court has not imposed any additional conditions on us either and has confirmed that we have demonstrably met all the requirements. This applies to emissions as well as noise and environmental impact. For now, I am happy that I can assure the workforce that we will continue to work here. Ultimately, we have shown that it is possible to operate an industrial plant in the urban area.

A new building on a greenfield site would certainly have been cheaper than this industrial monument. Why this step?
First of all, it was a clear commitment to this Chemnitz location because there is an excellent environment for metal processing here. And it is a location with a long tradition - also in terms of the automotive industry. For me, it was not an option to move to a greenfield site, seal off areas and create new infrastructure when everything is available here at a traditional industrial location. I love the old buildings and how they are being used again today. Our foundry hall was built in 1850. People were still riveting and using steel beams here. Of course, it was a great challenge to utilise the old hall structure in such a way that our state-of-the-art industrial facilities are optimally utilised. Thanks to intensive planning, we were able to optimise the flow of materials. I think we have succeeded and now we are part of Chemnitz's history. That feels good.

Your production halls are located right next to offices of start-up companies, dental practices and wellness centres. How does that get along?
We all get along wonderfully! This mix is what gives the site its unique character. In Germany, you have to search until you find something similar. Before reunification, more than a thousand people worked here in loom construction. Today, the same number of people work here again - albeit in completely new sectors. The great diversity makes the location vibrant. And I enjoy working in this unique place.

Where do you see your company Trompetter and the city of Chemnitz in 2025?
I hope that we will continue to play our part in ensuring that the city develops well economically by then. The conditions for this are good. If I had to describe a typical Chemnitz resident, they would be hard-working, clever and inquisitive. What needs to grow is an awareness of the value of cultural offerings. Cultural life in the city is just as important as a good job in order to feel comfortable here.