Company History |
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The company IHU Gesellschaft für Ingenieur-, Hydro- und Umweltgeologie mbH was founded in 1990 in Nordhausen. Therefor, this company is one of the first engineering firms in Germany's five new eastern states that are organised according to free market concepts. This is also proven by the HRB-number 12 (entry in the commercial register), local court Mühlhausen. The IHU GmbH has been brought into being by four partners, who, at that time, already had long-term experience in the field of geosciences. The optimal mixture of profound regional knowledge and innovative methods enabled the enterprise to find its feet on the market fast and to develop rapidly while extending its fields of operation. As a result of the partners' former fields of operation, the company paid closest attention to the following fields: |
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- | hydrogeology |
- | capture of underground water, drinking water protection areas |
- | mathematical models of groundwater flows and of contaminant transport in groundwater |
- | exploration and assessment of contaminated industrial sites |
- | investigation of foundation conditions and experts' reports on foundations. |
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The company worked on several important projects of contaminated industrial sites (Landfill Tröbitz at the Stahlwerk Riesa, Tar Processing Plant Rositz near Altenburg, Buna-Werke, Landfill Groşkayna), searched for a location for an overground hazardous waste landfill for the lands Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Thuringia and worked on a research- and development projects for the subaqueous flushing sluice dump Groşkayna. As a reaction on changing competition conditions and to newly define the company's strategic objectives a diversification of the company's activities was carried out. To cope with the changing market situation the business areas were extended between 1993 and 1997 to involve the fields of: |
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- | hydrological expert's reports, channel hydraulics |
- | search for a location for a landfill and its assessment |
- | environmental impact analyses |
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The last period from 1997 until now is characterised by the increased application of EDP supported methods and business areas as well as an extension of the areas of hydrology and hydraulic engineering as well as planning of waterworks. Here the following are mentioned: |
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- | geographic information systems |
- | precipitation - discharge model |
- | 1D - and 2D - surface water models |
- | development plans of water bodies |
- | precipitation water management |
- | planning of water supply networks, pumping stations, water treatment, drinking and waste water reservoirs as well as water works |
- | sewage systems and water treatment plants |
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In the course of the company's expansion IHU GmbH opended several branches or offices in Halle (1991) and Bad Lauchstädt (1991) in the state Saxony-Anhalt, in Bad Salzungen (1991) and Erfurt (1992) in the state Thuringia, in Dresden (1991) in the state Saxony and in Zepernick (2000) in the state Brandenburg. On the basis of this structure, it was possible to get a clearly better market penetration and at the same time to get closer to the customers. Participation agreements, i.e. the foundation of subsidiaries, were also important steps of the company's development.
Here it is especially worth mentioning the company IMF Institut für Materialprüfung und -forschung GmbH that was founded in 1996.
It is an independent company that works in the fields of material technological analyses (concrete and cement industry) and reconstruction of
buildings. It offers an ideal enlargement of the business capacity of the IHU GmbH.
A further participation agreement was concluded because of the IHU GmbH's engagement at the Chinese market. In 1999, the company UTIMEX Umwelt
Technologie Import und Export GmbH was founded together with two further partners. Connected to the company's growth, the company also moved several times. After starting in a rented flat of three rooms in the former Leninallee, in Nordhausen, the company's location was moved to Herreden, to the west of Nordhausen, in 1991 and with this, the company's area was trebled. Also the technical equipment that extended more and more could be placed there. After two more years, this location, however, that had been planned for a long term stay, was too small again. In 1994, the company bought a property with a building in the village of Leimbach that today is incorporated into Nordhausen. After extended reconstruction and extension, a modern and purposeful office building was established here with ca. 400 m¾ office space, laboratory and technical rooms as well as appropriate outdoor grounds. Because of the foundation of the subsidiary IMF GmbH, the building was generously extended again in 1997 and now it offers best working conditions for both firms, especially because of its newly created laboratory rooms. In 1991 to 1996 the company's factors of business management were characterised by a powerful expansion. Turnover and number of employees increased greatly. Because of the changed market conditions, the level of incoming orders in important spheres of activity, especially the area of investigation of contaminated industrial sites, decreased dramatically and after that, a period of consolidation followed. Although the prevailing conditions were clearly more difficult, we succeeded in stabilising the turnover and the number of employees. Now, with ca. 45 employees , the team of the IHU GmbH will also be able to master the most extended projects. |
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