Update from Thermoplan
Exactly one year ago, Christian Nether, Managing Director of Thermoplan Anlagenbau Elektrotechnik Verfahrenstechnik GmbH, explained the company‘s plans for the future and business expansion. The occasion was the 40th anniversary of the company‘s founding and the opening of a new location in Pressath, Germany. Since 2021, the company has been aiming to build up capacity to cover all ceramic sectors internationally and to deliver tailor-made solutions, including complete plants. In June 2025, ZI received an update on developments at Thermoplan.
State of affairs
Christian Nether sounds satisfied and somewhat tense. He is pleased to report that Thermoplan continues to operate at full capacity and has a positive outlook for 2025 and 2026. He also notes that the company is still successfully pursuing the goals it set for itself at that time.
Mr Nether reports that Thermoplan employs slightly more people than a year ago, around 60 in total. The development of the sites is progressing. In May, a 1,500 m² pre-assembly hall was moved into in Pressath, enabling prefabrication to be carried out there as planned.
Thermoplan closed the past year 2024 with a slight profit. Mr Nether is very pleased with this, as he never thought that the massive investments would pay off in the first year. The company is expected to be able to repeat this result in the current year. Fortunately, two major projects with a total order volume of around 2.5 million euros have been awarded, thus achieving the acquisition target for the first half of the year. He expects Thermoplan to perform well in 2025 and 2026 as well.
The internationalisation of the business in all areas of ceramics is proving successful, as things stand at present, and the foreign representatives are gaining momentum.
However, Mr Nether emphasises that there has been a particular stroke of luck despite the difficult year overall in 2025. In Tom Wolf, the company has found a partner and co-shareholder who is actively involved with his company network and experience, and who also brings with him an important customer in Deutsche Steinzeug Solar Ceramics GmbH and thus practical production experience.
Difficult times
When asked how 2025 has developed so far, Mr Nether candidly admits that it is currently a very difficult time. In the heavy clay sector, there are still enquiries and orders, but they are not as extensive as they used to be. It is noticeable that there is no positive outlook across the industry as a whole, and companies are therefore cautious when it comes to investment.
In ceramic sectors outside of heavy clay, such as utility and sanitary ceramics and technical ceramics, things are going somewhat better. The prevailing view everywhere is ‘We are not investing anything’. Despite the tense market situation, all employees at Thermoplan are working at full capacity in 2025.
Further steps
Thermoplan is investing heavily in acquisitions, project planning and new developments in order to prepare for further growth. This also includes research collaboration with the University of Aachen. As part of these investments, the company is also looking beyond the ceramic sector. There are currently projects in the food, logistics and pharmaceuticals sectors. Diversification is an important corporate goal.
On the other hand, says Mr Nether, the company is investing in the development of cutting, grinding and testing equipment. Thermoplan has had the expertise for these product groups for some time, and the first projects are already being implemented. However, these are outside the field of heavy clay.
The topic of PV systems in combination with battery storage and intraday trading is another current development that Thermoplan will offer in the future.
Positive outlook
Due to the large investments and the difficult market situation, this year will certainly be a big challenge for Thermoplan. But if the figures are even partially achieved in 2025, the result would be a fourfold increase in the size of the company in four years. ‘Achieving and organising this with our customers is a major challenge. As things stand at present, it looks as if we will actually manage to make ends meet. We also expect to be able to maintain this growth rate.‘
Thermoplan will participate in Ceramitec 2026 because it is the ’in-house exhibition around the corner’ for the Olching-based Bavarian company. It will be represented with one booth each in the halls for technical ceramics and heavy clay in order to address both target groups, which hardly ever overlap.
Mr Nether is much less concerned about the year 2026, as international business outside the field of heavy clay is now picking up significantly, the sales lead time of over a year is also paying off, and Deutsche Steinzeug Solar Ceramic GmbH, an important customer with big goals like Thermoplan itself, has been won as a partner.
