In 1959, the trained cartwright and blacksmith Johann Huppertz took over a company based in Medell (Amel, Belgium). In this rural region, his customer base consisted largely of farmers.
As early as 1968, the premises were expanded with the construction of a hall. With the upswing of the dairy industry, the range of services was also expanded: From then on, milking wagons in various designs were offered and serviced. The company became the official representative of the German and Danish milking machine manufacturers Miele and Strangko.
In 1983, Karl-Heinz Huppertz began a two-year apprenticeship as a blacksmith and building fitter in his father’s company. The area of activity continued to develop as the company became a contract manufacturer for industry.
New managing director and new location
In 1989, there was a generation change. Johann Huppertz withdrew and handed the management over to his son Karl-Heinz. The metalworking shop Huppertz PGmbH was founded. In the same year, a new hall was built and the existing one rebuilt. The company developed more and more into an industrial supplier. With this change, the first employees were also hired.
After 10 years, the location became too small to meet the increasing demand. Ultimately, the managing director decided to move to a nearby industrial area. “Looking back, it was one of the best decisions we ever made,” says Karl-Heinz Huppertz today. In August 2000, the new halls with offices were built in St. Vith, Steinerberg 5.
The HUPPERTZ PGmbH metalworking shop became a stock corporation with family shareholders, Huppertz AG Stahl- und Apparatebau. In April 2001, the move was completed.
Enlargement of the production facility
In 2004, Hall 1 was built for pre-assembly. There, in March 2006, a newly founded company “New Laser and More” started its cutting business.
In 2007, Halls 1 and 2 were expanded. In 2009 another hall was built for the cutting business.
In 2015, Hall 3 was expanded to create space for a state-of-the-art wet paint booth and a large sandblasting booth. In addition, a new sanitary block was also built.
Progress with vision
In recent years, our company has been defined by growth, modernization, and a strong focus on sustainability. Numerous investments and strategic decisions have helped ensure that Huppertz remains future-ready.
In 2019, a new facility for powder coating was completed. Covering nearly 6,000 m², this state-of-the-art facility enables efficient and high-quality coating processes. The previous powder coating area was then repurposed and is now used by the welding department, which has since benefited from significantly more space.
At the same time, investments were also made in our subsidiary, New Laser. A new office building and an expansion of the production hall were completed in 2019. The resulting space gains at Huppertz made it possible to increase capacity in the pre-assembly area as well.
A modern machinery fleet for greater efficiency
With the additional space, we also invested in cutting-edge technology:
A welding robot from Valk Welding now supports our welders in their daily tasks while also increasing overall production capacity.
In the powder coating division, we took a major step toward automation: a new powder coating system with an integrated 3D scanner from Gema ensures consistently high quality, increased throughput, and noticeable relief for our employees.
In addition, an evaporator from Eco-Vision was installed. This system treats 95% of the industrial wastewater generated during the chemical pre-treatment phase of powder coating, allowing it to be reused in a closed-loop process. As a result, the powder coating operation has not only grown in size and capacity but is now also at the forefront of both technology and environmental sustainability.
Generational transition – The third generation takes the lead
Another major milestone came in 2018, when Mireille Huppertz, daughter of Karl-Heinz Huppertz, joined the family business.
As of January 2024, she has officially taken over management of the company. During this transition, Karl-Heinz transferred his shares to Mireille, firmly placing the company in the hands of the third generation.
Looking ahead – Sustainability and automation
The years ahead are guided by a clear vision for the future. Together with its subsidiary New Laser, Huppertz is investing in renewable energy. Approval has been granted for three wind turbines, each with a capacity of 90 kW, which will contribute to the site’s energy self-sufficiency.
In the sheet metal processing division, another groundbreaking investment has been made:
A robotic press brake from LVD will soon enhance efficiency in this area while also easing the workload of our employees – a crucial move in light of ongoing skilled labor shortages.