Zittau: Sorting machine company moves into Ibex property and grows

From Thomas Christmann

Stefan Stettler and Andreas Jäger stand at the latest sorting system developed - the Unisort Finealyse 1400. This separates significantly more plastic mixtures to be recycled and many other materials than previous machines in the same amount of time. This innovative and powerful system has already found its place at the future site of Steinert Unisort on Ostritzer Allee - the property of the former automotive supplier Ibex. Stefan Stettler calls the technical center area a "living showroom", as this is where customers will be able to experience and test the entire product range of the manufacturer of sorting systems for industrial and packaging waste in action.

The devices are still being developed and built at Hirschfelder Ring, as they have been for 26 years. Initially under the name RTT Systemtechnik, which moved into a new building in the Weinau industrial park in 2000 and expanded in 2004 under the umbrella brand Unisort. Five years later, the Cologne-based company Steinert - which belongs to the Buchholz family's Metalloxyd - bought shares in the company, which is one of the leading manufacturers in the field of recycling technology and is represented in 50 countries with its sales and service. The Cologne-based company has been the sole shareholder since 2022, with founder Bert Handschick and employees remaining on board.

Andreas Jäger has been at his side since January. The trained industrial mechanic and businessman joined Steinert seven years ago as global sales manager for the waste sector. One of his goals: To expand the market in the USA and Asia, because there is still pent-up demand there. "And we are working to ensure that more and more materials can be recycled," says the 50-year-old. The company has its finger on the pulse of the times.

Stefan Stettler has been employed at Steinert Unisort since February 2024 and is one of around 80 employees who most recently generated a turnover of 18 million euros - and the trend is rising. "The team is simply fantastic," he says. The colleagues support and motivate each other in an excellent way. The 46-year-old is a trained electrician with a master's degree and holds master's degrees in electrical engineering and business administration. Stefan Stettler will join the management team in October. "We want to grow continuously and sustainably at the Zittau site," he reports, talking about an industry of the future. The company already has plenty to do until 2025, with orders from all over the world.

However, it can no longer expand at its current location, but it can on the former Ibex site. The automotive supplier was declared insolvent in the fall of 2021. of the Krefeld pressing plant as the parent company triggered by the global chip crisis. An investor was found in the form of the Winning Group, but closed the site in Zittau in 2022. Since then, the seven-hectare site in the Weinau industrial estate has been unused. The building alone measures over 9,000 square meters and is therefore at least three times as large as the one rented on Hirschfelder Ring. "The purchase of the site demonstrates the Steinert Group's long-term commitment to the Zittau site and the existing trust," says Stefan Stettler. This is the result of the company's outstanding products, but also the successful work of the colleagues on site.

His tasks include making the building fit for its new use and organizing the move. The 46-year-old first had to clear out the new property, as there were still Ibex machines inside. "A large part could be sold, another could only be disposed of," reports Stefan Stettler. According to him, it took several months just to get the dirty halls clean. The refurbishment is now underway, involving at least ten trades and costing several million euros.

The building will have areas for production and development, a warehouse and offices. The new location offers the opportunity to optimize structures and processes. For example, an automated storage system is moving in to make logistics work easier. In addition to air-conditioned rooms, employees can also look forward to their own canteen. "We are still looking for an operator for this," he says.

The move should be completed by the end of the year. What is then still needed for further growth is personnel. "We are looking for reinforcements in all areas," says Stefan Stettler.