KARLSBAD - Ultrasonic welding specialist Herrmann Ultraschall is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a series of donations to organisations in its local region.

"The anniversary is a nice occasion to say thank you," said CEO Thomas Herrmann. "We have made it our mission to build strong connections with all the people we come into contact with."

This, he said, was also expressed in the company's written mission statement: Bonding - More Than Materials.

In order to strengthen and celebrate these connections, the Karlsbad-based family business held a small anniversary event, which included a presentation of cheques to six selected organizations that make a difference locally. They will receive a total of € 60,000 from the entrepreneurial family as a thank you to the region and the people in it. €10,000 each will go to:

1. Local relief campaign of the newspaper Pforzheimer Zeitung PZ: "Menschen in Not" (People in Need), Pforzheim
2. Local relief campaign of the newspaper Badische Neueste Nachrichten, the BNN foundation "We help", Karlsruhe
3. Kinder- und Jugendarche Karlsruhe for the youth
4. “No cold feet” – a youth and young adult relief institution of the Heimstiftung Karlsruhe
5. Child protection initiative „Kinderschutzbund Karlsruhe“
6. Blut.eV Weingarten (near Karlsruhe) for stem cell typification

The company has also taken up a special cause, namely the search for a stem cell donor for Fredy Pfeiffer from Karlsbad-Auerbach, who is suffering from acute leukemia. In addition to financial support, appointments for typification are being offered at the company for all employees in cooperation with the organization Blut.eV.

At the anniversary celebration, the company also provided insights into its eventful history. Three ideas helped founder Walter Herrmann to industrialize the young technology of ultrasonic welding: a robust and reliable ultrasonic generator, a screen to make the process visible, and sound insulation for the welding applications that caused unpleasant whistling noises. Today, he himself can hardly believe what has become of the small company he founded in 1961 with no money and no telephone, but with a lot of enthusiasm. At the Karlsbad site, there are now 500 employees; worldwide, more than 600 with locations in 20 countries.

Walter Herrmann was always the technical pioneer who kept on inventing, while his son Thomas realized early on that he had to internationalize the company. Since he took over in 2007, both the number of employees and sales have quadrupled. Just recently, Thomas Herrmann received the prestigious "Entrepreneur Of The Year" business award in the Innovation category from Ernst & Young (EY) for the technical advances, but also for an innovative and value-oriented corporate and HR policy.