Pioneering work in wet-cast technology for 30 years

When, in 1995, Rolf Demmerle presented the first masonry blocks called Gardenwall and Rusit, which were manually made by means of PU molds, at Bauma many visitors, among others, coming from the German-speaking countries most probably did not know what to think of them. For a start, the company was able to acquire international customers, selling molds to Dubai, India and other countries. There, people first realized the opportunity to manufacture an attractive and profitable product within a very short time and even requiring moderate investments. Whereas the manufacture of wet-cast products was already very common in France and England. A regionally shaped style, small production units and individuality are typical for these countries. In France, the famous “Bars de Montpellier” were produced in a wet-cast process some 100 years ago, when the natural quarries were exploited.

In 1997, the floor slabs Beaulieu and Aranjuez were brought to the market. More than hundred structures and versions followed until today. Floor slabs, wall claddings, swimming pool borders, curbstones, steps, antique planters – a complete product range of decorative elements in various designs. One of the first licensees of Beaulieu was the Weinzierl company located in Ingolstadt, today‘s Lithonplus.

Growing interest
since Bauma 1998

At Bauma 1998, the wet-cast exhibits of Rolf Demmerle were already noticed with growing interest. NKS-Demmerle was supplying molds to Cuba, Mauritius, Portugal, Spain, Malta, India and to other countries with a large proportion of manual production and relatively low labor costs, respectively.

On the part of German manufacturers there was also a steadily growing demand for these molds and surfaces, which could be machine-made in larger quantities. While the profit of gray concrete products began to go down, the demand for individual, profitable products increased at the same time.

This development led to the fact that Rolf Demmerle began searching for a domestic manufacturer of machinery for the production of concrete products using PU molds. Baumgärtner based in Blaubeuren was the first company prepared to get into this visionary project, thus providing the engineering resources needed. Finally, the sales contract for the first machine with PU molds was concluded between Messrs. Greese and Demmerle at Bauma 2001 in Munich.

At the suggestion of Rolf Demmerle, Jürgen Greese from the Western-Pomeranian town of Eggesin came up with the idea of adding the wet-cast production to his well-established production of bricks as well as the less and less profitable manufacturing of paving blocks. He courageously dared to attempt the adventure and bought, in 2001, the machine, which is now named “BFS”, but originally Baumgärtner. And he concluded a contract with NKS-Demmerle, which secured him the exclusive right of production, the right to sell and the property right for the product range Venetia/Vineta, like Weinzierl before him (for the series Beaulieu) and Reinschütz (for the series Aranjuez).

Growing success
generates competition

In France too, Baumgärtner and NKS-Demmerle installed a starter-kit machine for the production of block steps and window sills using PU molds. From Bauma to Bauma, the interest and the number of visitors was increasing more and more, with a growing number of national and international customers.

In European countries, NKS-Demmerle was in a leading position with 17 licensees in Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Austria, Germany and Poland. They appreciate the flexible potential of being in the position to respond to customer requests individually, fast and flexible. Moreover, there is a profound knowledge of the entire wet-cast technology, starting from concrete mixing to special color effects and surface treatment.

Jacqueline Demmerle-Pérad, General Manager of NKS, was satisfied when she concludes: “In the meantime, Greese has evolved to the Greystone company. We congratulate Greystone/Greese to the successful continuation of the technological development which they started together with NKS-Demmerle in 2001.”