History
Vecoplan was founded in 1969 in Bad Marienberg, Germany as a manufacturer of high quality wood chippers used in the forest products industry for production of chips used in the paper and board industries. Ms. Irene Scheidweiler was one of the founding members and today serves as the Managing Director.
In the early 1980s, Vecoplan turned its focus to the recycling of various materials and in 1982-83, the single-shaft rotary grinder was invented by Wolfgang Lipowski, now Vecoplan’s Technical Director.
The first single-shaft rotary grinder the world ever saw was produced in 1983 in Vecoplan’s factory in Bad Marienberg, Germany. It was the model VAZ 145/135N. It was sold at the Ligna Fair in May of 1983. The original Confirmation of Order is on file as proof that Vecoplan is, in fact, the original inventor, innovator and pioneer of this overwhelming breakthrough in size reduction. As this fact seems to be a point of contention in some sales situations, this document is available to those who are interested.
In 1989, a European patent was awarded to Vecoplan for its unique “U-rotor®” EP 0 419 919 B1. Still today, this rotor design continues to be the most advanced cutting geometry for the universal size reduction and shredding of the whole spectrum of waste materials. This patent is on file for those who are interested.
In 1994, Vecoplan received its DIN/ISO 9001 certification. This is the highest standard set for quality systems and confirms its dedication to innovative product development, design engineering, high quality manufacturing and quality control standards. Ensuring first rate customer service has been, and remains, a top priority.
In 1995, Vecoplan was integrated into the well-established M.A.X. Holding AG in Munich. Now based in Düsseldorf and operating under the name M.A.X. Automation AG, it is comprised of several strategic companies, most of who are involved in automation and environmental products, and each recognized as successful and innovative leaders in their respective fields. The focus is on bringing the world’s industrial markets the most innovative, high quality products available.
ReTech Industries, Inc. was formed in 1996 as a US manufacturer and distributor of specialized, high quality size reduction equipment. It became the market leader in single-shaft rotary shredders and grinders and quickly established a sterling reputation as an applications expert and solutions company. Vecoplan had been operating in the North American markets through distributors since 1989. On October 1st, 2000, Vecoplan and ReTech merged their respective North American operations into a powerful partially owned subsidiary of Vecoplan, GmbH, now called Vecoplan, LLC. The ReTech name lived on as the trade name for the single-shaft line of shredders and grinders, and the founders of ReTech, Len Beusse (Vecoplan, LLC Chief Operating Officer) and Marty Kennedy (Vecoplan, LLC Executive Vice President) became partners with Joerg Mueller (Vecoplan, LLC President) and Vecoplan GmbH in the American venture. Beusse and Kennedy went on to run the American operations.
