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Miele and Metall Zug venture

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Miele and Metall Zug are planning a joint venture to strengthen their medical technology and pharmaceutical divisionsSteelco (Miele) and Belimed (Metall Zug) are joining forces

Portfolio comprises hygiene solutions for hospitals, biomedical research, and pharmaceutical applications as well as biotechnological requirements

Highest standards of quality, innovation, and customer proximity

In order to expand its medical technology and pharmaceutical division in the Professional business unit, Miele will be contributing its subsidiary Steelco Group to a joint venture with the Swiss industrial holding company Metall Zug AG. Metall Zug will in turn be bringing its two Belimed companies – Infection Control and Life Science – to the joint venture. Steelco and Belimed both produce cleaning, disinfection and sterilization solutions for hospitals, biomedical research and pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications. By combining their product and service portfolios, the two companies are aiming to become one of the most reliable, innovative, and customer-focused providers in the industry. The agreement regarding the joint venture, in which Miele is to hold a 67 % share and Metall Zug 33 %, was signed on 27 November. Closing is to take place once the necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained.

Operators of clinics and hospitals and those in charge of pharmaceutical production are facing new challenges, from increasing hygiene requirements in infection and contamination control to ensuring cost-effectiveness and dealing with the increasing shortage of staff. As a result, demand is growing around the world for technologically advanced and economically attractive equipment that meets the highest standards of hygiene. Belimed and Steelco have enjoyed an excellent reputation as providers in this field for decades – with products and services for cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of medical equipment, laboratory supplies and solutions for the pharmaceutical industry and biotechnological applications. Furthermore, both companies share a commitment to the highest quality standards and maximum customer focus.

“The Professional business unit is already very important to Miele,” says Dr Axel Kniehl, who is Executive Director Marketing & Sales for the Miele Group and is responsible for this business unit. “With this joint venture, we will be strengthening our strategic position as a global premium provider in the field of medical and pharmaceutical technology and will be creating additional opportunities for growth, particularly in North America and Asia.”

Belimed and Steelco – premium partners on an equal footing

Steelco has been part of Miele since 2017. The subsidiary looks after the global clinic project business, among other things, and is therefore responsible for all aspects of planning and equipment for sterilization departments in hospitals. The company, which was founded in 2001, has two production locations in Italy – at the headquarters in Riese Pio X and in Cusano. Furthermore, the company has branches in 14 countries and a strong network of distributors in its core markets. In 2022, Miele generated turnover of approx. EUR 194 million through Steelco business, with the company employing around 800 people. In addition to many years of expertise in infection control and pharmaceuticals, Steelco brings a broad product portfolio and a high level of innovative strength to the project. “We are looking forward to working with Belimed – together we want to provide our customers with the most innovative and reliable solutions in the industry,” says Fabio Zardini, CEO of Steelco.

Belimed, which is headquartered in Zug in Switzerland and has production locations in Sulgen (Switzerland) and Grosuplje (Slovenia), employs around 1300 people in the areas of infection control and pharmaceuticals. With its two companies Belimed Infection Control and Belimed Life Science, the Group is represented in more than 80 countries – with its own sales and service hubs in some cases – and particularly in growth markets such as the USA and China. Its most recent turnover figures amounted to approx. CHF 229 million. At the same time, customers appreciate Steelco’s high level of quality and expertise in relation to digital solutions. “Steelco and Miele are strong and reliable partners. With their growth momentum and years of expertise, they are the perfect fit for us and our joint plans for the future,” says Martin Wipfli, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Metall Zug AG.

“With the joint venture, we want to combine the best of both worlds. A broad, innovative, and interconnected product portfolio combined with a dense global sales and service network will allow us to achieve maximum customer proximity,” explains Dr Christian Kluge, Senior Vice President Business Unit Professional, whose recent turnover figures of more than EUR 750 million included a significant contribution from Steelco business

Just in time for its 60th anniversary: Miele plant in Bürmoos has successfully repositioned itself

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After four years of reconstruction, the future of the site is sustainably secured

Eight million euros invested in state-of-the-art production and logistics

Position as supplier of high-quality stainless steel components further strengthened

The Miele plant in Bürmoos near Salzburg has completely repositioned itself over the past four years – as a supplier of high-quality stainless steel components for almost all appliance plants in the Miele Group as well as for the Italian subsidiary Steelco Group. In addition, the new Miele subsidiary Otto Wilde Grillers has recently had its most established product range produced in Bürmoos. “Hardly a stone has been left unturned in our production halls,” says plant manager Dr. Hendrik Wermers. The necessary investments were made, for example, in a new cutting centre with laser processing and a fully automated high-bay warehouse, as well as in state-of-the-art production technology for surface processing When Miele set up its plant in Bürmoos in 1962, it was the first production site outside Germany. This step was originally intended to give Miele access to the EFTA free trade zone, which at the time existed parallel to the EU’s predecessor organisation, the EEC, and to which Austria also belonged. Initially, small-room washing machines, spin dryers, and waste compactors were produced, before the factory specialised more and more in the processing of stainless steel sheets and wires. From 2012 onwards, the production of sterilisers and so-called container washing systems was added, in which, for example, instrument trolleys or entire hospital beds are disinfected.

The next turning point followed in 2017, when Miele acquired a majority stake in the Italian medical technology specialist Steelco Group and bundled its entire hospital project business there. This was done to strengthen competitiveness in what was then, as now, a fiercely competitive market worldwide – and it also affected the manufacturing of the appliances produced in Bürmoos. Now the challenge was to compensate for this and at the same time further improve the cost structures. “A time frame of four years was defined for this, which our team used with great commitment and, above all, successfully,” says Hendrik Wermers. In the process, production on the 40,000 square metre site was largely dismantled and rebuilt, and the processes were completely restructured. What has remained is the focus on high-quality stainless steel components, which are now distributed among these three product segments:

Fascias and panels for washing machines, dryers and dishwashers, for example, as well for other built-in kitchen appliances from Miele (domestic and commercial),

baskets and inserts used in washer-disinfectors, disinfectors and sterilisers for medical facilities and laboratories

as well as complex assemblies for medical and laboratory technology, which are supplied in particular as large-scale appliance accessories to Miele’s subsidiary Steelco.
In the past four years alone, Miele has invested eight million euros in Bürmoos, for example in a high-bay warehouse for the fully automated supply of production with sheet metal blanks as well as for the storage of finished parts which were previously cut or punched by laser. Another major investment concerns the production of front panels for Miele appliances, which the Bürmoos plant now produces more than twice as fast as before. This is ensured by a highly efficient automatic front panel machine, which brings together the stainless steel and plastic components and finally also applies the model- and country-specific printing.completely new manufacturing process for Miele in Bürmoos is surface treatment by means of so-called electropolishing. This refers to a multi-stage electrochemical process for the best possible smoothing of the surface to prevent the adhesion of viruses and bacteria. This is particularly important for baskets and inserts and other components for use in medical and laboratory technology.

“Unfortunately, about 80 jobs had to be eliminated in the course of the realignment,” reports plant manager Wermers, “but all colleagues who were affected at the time have for the most part found new jobs seamlessly, not least thanks to our good contacts with other companies.” In the meantime, Miele is expanding again in Bürmoos and currently employs around 220 people. “They have all done a great job over the past few years, for which I would like to sincerely thank each and every one of them,” says Hendrik Wermers, “and I would also like to thank the experts at the Miele Professional plants in Bielefeld and Lehrte, which are connected to us, for their support.”

The latest addition to Miele’s product portfolio in Bürmoos is the O.F.B. range from Miele’s new subsidiary Otto Wilde Grillers in Düsseldorf. This is a top-heat grill which, depending on the model, is heated with gas or electricity, operates at very high temperatures, and is largely made of high-quality stainless steel. This is why Hendrik Wermers had initially wanted to bring his factory into the game as a supplier of components, but then also won the final assembly for Bürmoos. “We have the expertise, the capacities and the flexibility for that.” A deal was quickly reached with the new customer: “We are counting on a long-term partnership, because the Bürmoos plant helps us to take the next steps in quality, scalability and further product optimisation, even for our most established product,” says Otto Wilde production manager Dr. Achim Schade. Furthermore, despite enormous cost pressures, the company is pleased to have found a partner in Bürmoos in the heart of Europe.