Milestones
schülke's long company history is characterized by true pioneering work, innovation and the mission to protect lives worldwide through our work. Join us on a journey through schülke's 130-year history and the origins of the company as we know it today.
1889
In April 1889, the merchants Rudolf Schülke and Julius Mayr met in a comptoir in the center of Hamburg to sign a contract that laid the foundation for the Schülke & Mayr company. Production of the first branded disinfectant, Lysol, began in April of the same year. A minor sensation at the time, as hardly anyone knew what disinfection actually meant and why it was so important.
1892
In the hot summer of 1892, a cholera epidemic broke out in the Hanseatic city and claimed many lives. However, for the first time, such an epidemic was contained with the help of the brand disinfectant Lysol, thus saving many lives. Lysol quickly became a household name and demand for the product grew enormously worldwide.
1893
For its commitment and educational work during and after the epidemic, the company Schülke & Mayr was awarded a gold-plated certificate of honor by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg on March 31, 1893.
1913
The first preparation Lysol (1892) was followed by numerous other new and innovative products that set milestones in the company's history: Buraton®, Primasept®, Gigasept® in the medical field and Grotan®, Parmetol®, Euxyl® in the industrial field, to name but a few. After years of hard work, research and development, chlorinated phenols were patented as active ingredients in 1913. In the same year, this led to the introduction of the well-known disinfectant Sagrotan, which is still synonymous with hygiene and disinfection today.
1920
The US trading company Lehn & Fink acquires the share capital of Schülke & Mayr. The two companies already had a long-standing business relationship at the time. Lehn & Fink had been selling the brand disinfectant Lysol worldwide since 1892. When Rudolf Schülke and Julius Mayr withdrew from the business, Lehn & Fink took over the production of Lysol.
1939-1945
Like many industrial companies, Schülke & Mayr was called upon to set up alternative plants in "less endangered locations" during the Second World War. Thus, branch plants were established in Brand, a small town in the Fichtelgebirge, and in Wesel, which were only dissolved again after the war. The fact that the company continued to exist despite all the hardships was down to two things: the loyalty and skill of its employees and the good fortune that no bombs hit the production facilities.
1961/1976
Even though Schülke & Mayr's production facilities have survived the last few decades largely unscathed, it was now time for a new start in terms of space. In 1961, the foundation stone was laid for a new factory in Glashütte, Norderstedt.
1961/1976
A factory with bright rooms, the latest production facilities and ultra-modern chemical and bacteriological laboratories.
1961/1976
The employees placed a handmade box with newspaper reports, advertisements and photos in the foundation stone.
1961/1976
This casket was rediscovered during construction work in 1976.
1972
In 1972, the Rudolf Schülke Foundation was established in honor of the founder Rudolf Schülke. The aim is to promote research and development in the fields of hygiene and microbiology beyond the internal boundaries of Schülke & Mayr. Every two years, the foundation awards the highly endowed Hygiene Prize to outstanding scientists who have developed special solutions to problems in the fields of hygiene, microbiology, preventive medicine and public health.
1978
In the same year, Schülke & Mayr launches its first preservative for cosmetic products, Euxyl K 100, on the market.
1989
Schülke & Mayr celebrates its 100th anniversary in 1989! A long time and a not always easy path have brought the company to this point. Time to take stock and take a look into the future: numerous patents, worldwide distribution of products and over 500 employees. Schülke & Mayr has further consolidated its core competence, has a loyal customer base and strives for continuous development through innovation. The then Managing Director Dr. Heinz Eggensperger gave a speech to the employees and the invited specialist audience at the celebratory evening in Norderstedt town hall.
1989
The company launches the antiseptic Neo-Kodan on the market. Based on the high-performance active ingredient combination Octeniderm, which contains the innovative, patented active ingredient octenidine, Schülke & Mayr revolutionizes skin disinfection.
1990
Schülke & Mayr launches Octenisept on the market. Octenisept is an innovation in the mucous membrane antiseptic market. Its rapid onset of action and above-average duration of action are impressive. Due to these properties, the product is used in particular in gynecology, urology and proctology as well as in the preoperative area in hospitals.
1996
In 1996, the French Air Liquide Group acquired Schülke & Mayr. The French group offered Schülke & Mayr the chance of a new start, stability and a strong partner for the future. Schülke will remain a subsidiary of the group for over 20 years.
2009
The roots and headquarters of the internationally active company have been in northern Germany since its foundation. This is because all functions are represented in Norderstedt: Production, logistics, quality assurance, research and development, human resources, product management and the German sales organization. This is also reflected in the continuous expansion of the Norderstedt site. In 2009, the new logistics center with an area of 10,800 m² is opened.
2019
In April 2019, schülke celebrates its 130th anniversary. 130 years is a long time and schülke can look back on an eventful, successful and at times challenging period. The company has survived epidemics, wars and many business changes and has emerged stronger each time. Our mission "We protect lives worldwide" was Rudolf Schülke and Julius Mayr's vision for their company and products even back then, 130 years ago. And a small North German business has grown into an international company.
2022
schülke acquires the Danish company Wet Wipe, a specialist and market leader for surface disinfection in the healthcare sector in the Scandinavian market - Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. The company is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. schülke thus successfully continues its growth course and starts its market entry in Scandinavia.
2022
Vesismin Health's mission is to develop and promote innovative disinfectants with a proven specialization in hospital infection control. The company offers market-leading chlorhexidine-based antiseptics, surface disinfectants and highly effective disinfection solutions for medical devices and equipment based on state-of-the-art technologies. With Vesismin Health, we are expanding our group with a top-class company for infection prevention and hygiene solutions in the healthcare sector.
2022
With mikrozid® universal wipes green line, schülke is launching medical disinfectant wipes on the market for the first time that are 100 percent plastic-free and produced in a climate-neutral manner. With this product innovation, schülke underlines its claim to protect life worldwide - through effective products for the treatment and prevention of infections and the consistent commitment to the environment. The mikrozid® universal wipes green line offers users the usual application safety - and at the same time contributes to making everyday clinical and care routines more sustainable.
2023
As one of the pioneers in the industry, schülke has been dealing with sustainability issues for many decades. At the heart of this is the conviction that ecological sustainability always goes hand in hand with social and economic sustainability. With the use of ethanol made from 100 percent renewable raw materials, schülke is committed to greater sustainability in everyday clinical practice with its tried and tested hand disinfectant desderman®.* Over 90 percent of the pharmaceutical alcohol used comes from EU agriculture and is chemically identical to ethanol from fossil sources. *Ethanol content calculated. Only valid for the above-mentioned product in Germany.
2023
schülke is awarded the Ecovadis Gold Medal and is now one of the top four percent of companies in its sector. With this latest award, schülke underlines its pioneering role within the industry when it comes to sustainability. In addition to ecological sustainability, social and economic sustainability are also firmly anchored in the company. In a globalized world, schülke assumes responsibility for current and future generations.
2023
A consortium led by ATHOS, a Munich-based single family office, will become a new long-term shareholder and partner of schülke. Together with the consortium, schülke, under the leadership of CEO Jan-Dirk Auris, will build on its 135-year tradition as a provider of high-quality, holistic solutions for infection prevention and treatment. As a new shareholder, the consortium will support schülke in further implementing its mission "We protect lives - worldwide". The collaboration will focus on continuing the sustainability agenda, accelerating investment in new product innovations, further strengthening customer loyalty and opening up additional geographical markets.