They were looking to meet high standards.
They found top quality.

Heinemann Medizintechnik GmbH develops ENT treatment units for doctor’s surgeries and clinics around the world. The company’s high standards for quality and sustainability are fulfilled at the headquarters in Kaltenkirchen.

Anyone who visits an ENT practice in Singapore, India or Papua New Guinea will probably be treated using innovative technology from Kaltenkirchen. As one of the global market leaders, Heinemann Medizintechnik GmbH produces treatment units for clinics and doctor’s surgeries on nearly all continents. Workstations for ear, nose and throat practices are adapted to individual requests based on a modular concept and also meet the strictest requirements when it comes to design. "Essentially, we manufacture technical furniture for medicine," explains Managing Director Frank Spillner. The units, comprising roughly 130 individual parts, are almost fully manufactured in-house at the company – from punching the galvanised steel plates to installing the complex electronics. Alongside the products manufactured in-house, the company also sells medical devices such as microscopes, endoscopes and patient chairs.

The company was founded in 1983 and was based in Hamburg-Hummelsbüttel for a long time. In 2012, the current headquarters in Kaltenkirchen opened its doors. "In the ten years leading up to the relocation, our annual revenues had increased from 2 million euros to around 78 million euros. We were no longer able to keep pace with our business in the limited space. Today our production facilities are 9 times larger. Kaltenkirchen also had a highly attractive tax assessment rate," says Frank Spillner. The property, spanning 6,000 square metres, houses a modern office building as well as an energy-efficient 1,600 m² production hall. "We are highly committed to sustainability," remarks the managing director. "The entire hall was outfitted with energy-saving LED technology and photovoltaic installations on the roof. We also set up multiple electric charging stations in our car park that can be used by all employees."

The Heinemann Medizintechnik company group has around 220 employees worldwide. But the location in Kaltenkirchen is and remains the company’s beating heart. "We are truly happy here," says Frank Spillner. "We have an attractive space, a good fibre-optic infrastructure and enough shopping options for lunch breaks. Our employees can get to work quickly from other locations via the A7 motorway or the nearby train station. We have a good connection with the business development office and we also enjoy exchanging ideas with Mayor Hanno Krause.” For Frank Spillner, social involvement in the local community is also a matter of course. The company has a close connection with the Janusz-Korczak-Schule support centre, which the company assists with IT support and material donations such as rolling medical stools.

In future, Heinemann Medizintechnik GmbH intends to further strength this bond with the local community in the form of a subsidiary and a partner company: On the still available commercial premises next door, a production hall and administrative building will be constructed at an investment cost of roughly 5 million euros for ILO Electronic from Quickborn, a manufacturer of endoscopy devices, light sources and cameras. "Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to postpone the planned start of construction by roughly two years, which fortunately was not a problem for the town of Kaltenkirchen," explains Frank Spillner. Another part of the property is reserved for a business partner.

The integration of subsidiary ILO Electronic is an important strategic step for Heinemann Medizintechnik. "We are already in the premiere league on an international level and are the market leader in the ENT field in many countries. Our customers know that we only install high-quality components, which means our products last up to 20 years. In future, we would like to be a full-range supplier and also produce instruments such as endoscopes and cameras ourselves," explains Frank Spillner, who formerly worked as Finance Director at Philips. However, he is currently concerned about the business in Russia, where the majority of revenue was achieved until now. "We have 50 employees in just our Moscow office. Medical technology has not been fundamentally affected by sanctions so far, but the war in Ukraine creates a great deal of uncertainty for us."

At the headquarters in Kaltenkirchen, the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming. "We foster a good work environment," says Managing Director Frank Spillner. The building underscores this impression with bright spaces and two terraces where employees can meet in summer for an ice cream break or to enjoy barbecue evenings together. The Managing Director’s office, on the other hand, offers up an almost exotic landscape. The room is teeming with gifts from international business partners and many souvenirs. For instance, there is a group photo hanging on the wall of a state visit to Uzbekistan together with the current President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier. And there is bike racing memorabilia everywhere – a hobby that Frank Spillner pursues passionately and together with the in-house bike racing team. The balance between international success and strong regional roots seems to have found an exemplary model in Kaltenkirchen.