COMPANY

Hessen, a federal state in Germany and Europe. Here, in Hosenfeld, in the Fulda region, is the site and home of Rudolf Schad GmbH & Co. KG.

Today

Specialist area of production - machines for the meat products industry and non-automated operations:

• Loop-knotting machines for hanging up joints of meat
• Advice and installation for industry and non-automated operations
• Manufacture of machines for butchers / retail trade
• Wholesale of twine
• Butcher's shop supplies
• Sausage loop production

Specialist area of production - the manufacture of general and customised machines:

• Contract turning, milling and welding
• Contract drilling, grooving and sheet metal working
• Production of assemblies and parts
• Specialist area of production – working stainless steel:

Contract production of parts and assemblies

• Balcony railings
• Production of sketches, drawings and specifications

The beginning - From 1960

Even before the company was actually founded the first loop-knotting machines for hanging up joints of meat were already being developed and manufactured in a converted cowshed. The revenue generated was used to by further tools and machines. The business set up under his sole ownership by master engineer Rudolf Schad in 1960 began with the mass production of a loop-knotting machine for hanging up joints of meat, which is now a market-leading product known all over the world. In 1967 and 1970, the production facility was increased in size by 300 square metres on each occasion. The workforce also had to be enlarged.

Over the years, by virtue of the reliable quality products it developed, excellent technical support and personal customer service, the company quickly established a good reputation both locally and internationally as a solid business partner. Thus in the early 1970s a new area of business was created to make general and custom machinery for other branches of industry. To this day, the company continues to provide on-time production of high-quality individual parts, modules and complete units for prestigious clients in the textile, rubber, automotive, milk processing, engineering, footwear and packaging industries.

From 1980

As a result, in 1980 and 1992 it was imperative to increase the size of the production facility once again, by 450 square metres on each occasion, in order to satisfy the client demand for productivity, reliability and quality. In the middle of the 1980s, the section of the production operation working on stainless steel was also expanded.
Here, as in the machine building section, high-quality individual parts, assemblies or complete structures are manufactured in accordance with customer requests, sketches etc. In the years that followed the company repeatedly invested in new, high-quality manufacturing machines, such as in a NEF 500 cycle-controlled lathe and various processing machines in 1999.

From 2000

In 2000, there then came the procurement of a further CTX-400 CNC lathe and in 2004 the company invested in a new grooving centre. In 2005, following an accident, the oldest son and general manager Wilhelm Schad left the company. Another son, Hans-Dieter Schad, was appointed Commercial Director. From 2006, in the stainless steel division, the company began producing stainless steel balcony railings to customer requests, sketches and/or specifications. In 2007, founder Rudolf Schad handed the company over to his family.

In May of the same year he passed away aged 80. The Schad family is grateful for the expressions of sympathy from friends, employees, acquaintances and business friends, who knew and valued Rudolf Schad as a friend and business partner. The company's management was restructured with three sons taking on key roles: Christoph Schad headed up the machine-building and stainless steel division as Technical Director. Hans-Dieter Schad headed up the butchers' machine/supplies and support division as Commercial Director. Wolfram Schad, having trained in industry operations, assumed a role supporting the family firm's management team.

In 2007, warehousing space was increased by 240 square metres in order to store butchers' supplies such as skinning and rind-removing blades, band saw blades, machine blades, meat blades, clips, butchers' machines, Nutrafilm (edible film), elastic nets, sausage yarn and twine for the loop-knotting machine.

In 2008, the company invested again in a new NEF 600 CNC lathe. On 30th July 2009, the oldest son, Wilhelm Schad, died after a serious illness. Once again the company had lost an individual who had been extremely involved with the business for 32 years and had played a key role in its successful growth. Personal commitment, sound business sense and a rich wealth of experience were his outstanding attributes. Coupled with aplomb, good judgement and humanity, he was a colleague who was respected and highly valued by all who knew him.

Timed to coincide with IFFA 2010 in Frankfurt am Main the company unveiled new products in its range. These new products were:

SYNTHESY skinning and rind-removal systems for non-automated operations
NUTRACASING - a plant-based edible sausage casing
ERGONOMIC and STOCKFIX smoke rod systems for direct take-up onto skewers

In 2011, the company made investments in a new and environmentally friendly compressed air system. A steel facility with 2 separate processing cabins for working stainless steel and steel products also went into operation. In 2012, operations began in a new 1050 DMG milling centre. In 2013, conversion and expansion work began for the new administration building. The company also invested in an environmentally friendly and energy-saving pallet heating system.

Today the company has a production facility covering over 1,700 square metres, warehousing space of over 240 square metres, 24 highly trained employees, 3 apprentices, 4 part-time staff and modern machinery and vehicles enabling us to satisfy all of our clients' wishes and support needs.