Helmut Bacher (1943-2024), Helmuth Schulz (1945-2017), and Georg Wendelin (1937-2022) are the pioneering minds behind EREMA, a company that has become synonymous with innovation in plastics recycling. Together, they transformed the way post-consumer plastics are processed and set new benchmarks for the global recycling industry.
Their story began in the late 1970s, when the recycling of plastics was still in its infancy and marked by inefficiencies. Identifying this critical gap, the trio united their unique talents to develop groundbreaking technology: a single mechanical unit that combined an agglomerator and an extruder. The result was a revolutionary cylindrical cutter-compactor with a tangentially mounted extruder—an innovation that fundamentally changed how plastics are reprocessed.
Helmut Bacher, the inventive free spirit, led the conceptual development of this new recycling system, never shying away from technical challenges. Helmuth Schulz brought practical engineering acumen and a grounded sense of feasibility to the process. Georg Wendelin, with his entrepreneurial drive and charisma, ensured the innovation reached the market and gained international recognition.
Their defining moment came at the K fair in 1983, where they introduced this cutting-edge technology to the global plastics industry. The response was immediate and enthusiastic, catapulting EREMA into a leadership position in the field of recycling systems.
Throughout four decades, Bacher, Schulz, and Wendelin maintained an unwavering commitment to customer-focused innovation. Their shared vision and close collaboration gave rise to a culture of technical excellence that continues to define EREMA’s success today.
Their contributions have not only advanced recycling technologies but have also played a crucial role in promoting sustainability across the plastics industry. Their legacy lives on in every recycled pellet produced using EREMA systems worldwide.