50 Years Van der Heijden

In addition to a large bouncy castle, there was also a popcorn and candyfloss stand for the children. The play mobile from Barntrup, the "Flotte Lotte", was also there again - whether it was a Kettcar, Pedalo or Bobbycar, the entire equipment of the play mobile was gladly used.  While the employees chatted over delicious drinks, magician "Charly" showed off his magic skills. He made red and blue elephants disappear and amazed even the "big guests" with his magic tricks.

After a small refreshment in the form of coffee and cake, Managing Directors Mirko Laskowski and Andrej Kepler asked all guests to take a seat in the marquee to officially open the celebrations. They were delighted that the employees and their families, as well as the guests of honor, had accepted the invitation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Van der Heijden Labortechnik GmbH.

In his opening speech, Mirko Laskowski took the guests on a short journey through time:

The company was founded in 1974 by Peter Van der Heijden in Brüderstraße in Dörentrup-Spork as a specialised laboratory retailer. Quite early on, he realised that there was also a need for cooling facilities in the industry and so he came up with the idea of producing application-specific cooling units for laboratories.

The first cooling units were simply configured on a sheet of paper. Each of the appliances was different and there was no clear line in the configuration. The name of the cooling units designed by Van der Heijden was "KÜHLMOBIL".

Christoph Plagens brought new ideas and innovations to the company in the 1990s. In addition to his training as a technician, he always worked in production and later in the office. In 2001, he finally became part of the management team and a good two years later became the sole owner.

Almost 10 years after Christoph Plagens took over the company, he decided to take a bold step due to its rapid growth: more orders require more employees, but above all more production space!

So the company, which had been based in Dörentrup-Spork for over 30 years, relocated for the first time in 2012. However, it remained loyal to the tranquil village of Dörentrup and moved just a few kilometres further to the Dörentrup-Humfeld district. The new company building offered almost three times as much space (increasing from approx. 650 m² to approx. 1800 m²) and also met the latest energy standards with its modern design.

There were further changes in the company in 2017: Christoph Plagens made the decision to sell the company. 

However, as the company and its employees were very close to his heart, he did not want to sell it to just any investor.

It was also very important to him that the Dörentrup site be retained and that everything continue to run as usual. In the end, he found the right business partner in "Peter Huber Kältemaschinenbau SE" from Offenburg. Since the sale in 2017, Van der Heijden Labortechnik GmbH has been operating as an independent subsidiary of Peter Huber Kältemaschinenbau SE. The sale to a globally active company opened up new sales channels for Van der Heijden Labortechnik GmbH. The long-standing employees Mirko Laskowski and Andrej Kepler took over the new management with the sale. Christoph Plagens acted as a mentor in sales for a few more years before retiring from the company completely.

In 2020, the production and storage area was expanded by a further 1000 m².The extension has a modern photovoltaic system for the sake of sustainability.

Following his journey through time, Mirko Laskowski once again pointed out the rapid development of the company.In 2012, the move was completed with 20 employees.Today, Van der Heijden Labortechnik GmbH has 51 employees and has established itself on the global market as a manufacturer of cooling appliances.

At the end of his speech, he referred to the further programme of the anniversary celebration and thanked all employees, because without them the company would not be where it is today.

Andrej Kepler, Managing Director of Van der Heijden Labortechnik GmbH, then thanked all employees for their attendance. He also emphasised the impressive development of the company in his speech.  

There were special congratulations from the IHK-Lippe zu Detmold. IHK employee Lars Henning Döhler presented the management with a certificate of honour in recognition of the entrepreneurial achievements of Van der Heijden Labortechnik GmbH, which has been in existence for 50 years.  He conveyed his very best wishes and wished the company all the best for the future.

Mrs Irmlinde Nolting (Deputy Mayor) was present at the anniversary celebration on behalf of the municipality of Dörentrup. She was very pleased that companies such as Van der Heijden Labortechnik GmbH are located in a small town like Dörentrup.

Such companies make the town more attractive. They offer jobs as well as training opportunities. Mrs Nolting also reviewed the history of the company. As a long-standing member of the local council, she could still remember the plan to relocate the company site from Spork to Humfeld. The numerous charity and sponsorship projects supported by Van der Heijden also make Nolting proud and grateful.

Managing Director and board member of "Peter Huber Kältemaschinenbau SE", Daniel Huber, also took the opportunity to address a few words to the management and employees of Van der Heijden Labortechnik GmbH. He emphasised that the turnover of Van der Heijden Labortechnik GmbH has doubled since the takeover. He then presented Andrej Kepler and Mirko Laskowski with some culinary specialities from the Black Forest as a gift.

When the official part was over, all the guests present enjoyed the lovely party before the large barbecue buffet from 5 p.m. enticed them with all kinds of grilled delicacies.

An absolute highlight of the anniversary celebration, which every guest will remember fondly, was the balloon competition that took place in the evening. The sight of over 150 balloons decorated with postcards, which the employees released into the deep blue sky, made eyes light up, not only among the youngest guests. Most of the balloons landed in the Harz Mountains, with a few even making it as far as Thuringia and Bavaria. The lucky winners will be announced in August.

The party continued in a cosy atmosphere with music and dancing until late in the evening.

Van der Heijden Labortechnik GmbH is looking positively to the future - here's to the next 50 years!