A community worth its weight in gold.
People in the north of Germany are known for being straightforward, down-to-earth, and direct, and choosing the best equipment partner for their own production operations is no exception. Cold, hard facts like precision, yield, and efficiency are top priorities on this point. Those factors are exactly what brought the Goldschmaus Group to Weber Food Technology nearly ten years ago. Their partnership has grown over time, so now the two companies experience something deeper that also matches local values: commitment, reliability, and a drive to work together to achieve great things.
Tim Buddemeyer and Markus Wildermann greet their visitor with a mixture of polite curiosity and composed reserve. Candid, direct, down-to-earth conversation includes sentences like “Our motto at Goldschmaus is ‘a community worth its weight in gold’” – not volunteered, of course, but only in response to questions. It doesn’t take long to see that action is what counts here, not just nice words. That impression is strengthened by a look at the figures that Buddemeyer, the plant’s operations manager, has brought with him: The Goldschmaus Group processes 870 metric tons of meat a day, 150 of it beef and the rest pork. Thirty to 40% by weight is exported, which leaves the majority for the German business-to-business market: Wholesalers, retailers, and processing businesses account for the bulk of Goldschmaus’s customers. “We’re one of the top ten meat processing companies in Germany.” Modesty is another local characteristic: The Goldschmaus Group is actually ranked fourth.
Wildermann is a Weber fan and has been since before he joined the Goldschmaus Group 20 years ago. When Goldschmaus started looking for a derinding equipment partner in 2017, he proposed Weber. “Even back then I had heard that Weber machines brought better yield,” Wildermann recalls. The company contacted Weber, which provided a demo of the ASB 560 belt-fed derinder and three sample machines. After an initial trial phase, Goldschmaus decided to gradually switch operations to Weber machines. These days, there are 18 skinners from Weber Food Technology in use in processing at the Goldschmaus Group. The ASB 560, ASP 560, and ASP 560 D derinders were joined in 2020 by several AMS 533 skinners. By now, the majority of the carving machines Goldschmaus uses for pork and beef are from Weber.
Wildermann agrees: “Whenever I make a suggestion to Weber’s service technicians, they always reach out to work with me to individually adjust the Weber machine to our needs. I really think that sets them apart.” So does the fact that on their initial visit, the Weber service technicians gave Wildermann their personal cell phone numbers so he can get in touch anytime if he has an issue with any of the equipment. In return, he is always happy to test innovative Weber products in his production operations and provide candid real-world feedback. Just recently, he did that for a new pressure roller, Wildermann says with a smile. “It’s a real win-win situation: Weber gets valuable practical feedback, and we get to help shape the latest technologies right away.” Luke Petras, Project Sales Manager at Weber Food Technology, is especially happy about this situation. Petras is the direct point of contact for Goldschmaus within the Weber organization. Thanks to the two companies’ close and excellent relationship, he is even allowed to bring potential new customers to visit the Goldschmaus production site and show them Weber machines in action. He says this does not go without saying: “It definitely requires a lot of trust in us.”
The Weber Food Technology machines are also rugged and durable. The one purchased in 2017 is still running perfectly and dependably today. And after the maintenance that Goldschmaus has Weber perform twice a year, it is even “like new,” Wildermann says, “and much more accurate,” Buddemeyer adds. “Day-to-day maintenance is handled in-house. But the Weber specialists reset the derinders to the point that we get the precision we want,” Buddemeyer says, stressing again the topic of equipment efficiency. The absolute main criterion for him? “Efficiency and precision are just the key facts that come up at every processing step, and they are what make all the difference.”
Petras isn’t worried when he hears that. He knows neither the ASB 560 derinder nor the AMS 533 skinner has anything to fear in a direct comparison with machines from other providers. “Our machines speak for themselves,” he says. “They reliably deliver high yields, and thanks to user-specific settings they can be adjusted to many different products, plus they ensure consistent processing even during long-term use and are often one step ahead in terms of technology.”
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