The manufacturer of X-ray tubes and emitters is investing 1.6 million euros
Bad Blankenburg. The COVID-19 crisis, along with a roughly ten percent decrease in sales last year, caused them to hesitate for a moment – but now, with the situation stabilized and order books full for the next one to two years, they are determined: Almost on schedule for their 30th anniversary, Petrick GmbH is embarking on an expansion project at their premises in the Bad Blankenburg industrial park. “This will be the investment of our generation,” say Antje and André Petrick, the managing directors of the manufacturer of X-ray tubes and X-ray emitters for medical and technical applications. 1.6 million euros will be invested in the 15 by 24 meter, two-story extension, which will be built between the bike racks and the pond. The foundation stone will be laid next Friday.
Increasing the Quality of Components
“It’s primarily about creating technical clean rooms that will allow us to further enhance the quality of our finely cleaned components,” says the daughter of company founder Horst Petrick, who, together with her husband, took over the management of the company seven years ago. Two of these clean rooms will be located on the ground floor, along with a personnel and material lock each. On the upper floor, above the entrance gate, there will be a cafeteria for up to 60 people, a larger meeting room, and office space for administration. The project is being supported by the Thüringer Aufbaubank with funds for “improving the regional economic structure” (GRW). The company is also continuing its photovoltaic strategy on the flat roof, in line with its energy-intensive operations.
Since its founding in 1991, Petrick GmbH has steadily grown. The company currently employs 43 people, and its revenue has doubled from 2.4 million euros in 2014 to 4.8 million euros in 2019. “This year, five million euros is realistic,” says André Petrick. With the extension, they also want to send a signal to the region. The planning has been taken over by the Rudolstadt-based company **bauart atelier luther**, and the shell construction will be handled by **BARU Hoch- und Tiefbau GmbH**, another company from the neighboring town. The topping-out ceremony is expected to take place in November, and the new building is planned to be ready for occupancy by the end of 2022.
Products from Bad Blankenburg are used worldwide, with exports accounting for about 30 percent of sales, and the trend is rising. The equipment is used in various applications such as in dental practices, as explosives detectors at airports, for density measurements in the construction industry, production monitoring, or non-destructive material testing. In the Netherlands, even flower bulbs are X-rayed to assess the quality of the blooms in advance.
Text and image by Thomas Spanier (OTZ 14.05.2021)
