In 2013, the enterprise AZ Armaturen looked back over 50 years of company history. AZ supplies industrial valves for production plants in the chemicals and petrochemicals industry, nuclear power plants, pharmaceuticals and paper industry, and for food production, seawater desalination plants and many other application areas.
The enterprise was founded in 1963 by Dipl.-Ing Gerhardt Wisser. Right from the start, he specialized on soft-sealing, cavity-free plug valves and special solutions in industrial facilities. New valve types for more economic production facilities were developed together with the customers. The company reacted to the increasing requirements of the industry with larger diameters up to DN 600/24″, as well as higher pressures up to PN 160/class 1500 and innovative product developments.
Additional product impetus through the use of new materials and innovative production processes are the cornerstones of the company’s growth. Thus, by the mid-1970s AZ produced the first FEP/PFA lined valves in the transfer moulding process. Different product patents, e.g. for sampling systems, also underscore the high level of the development engineers at AZ.
The extensive line of metallic plug valves, sight glasses, as well as sleeved plug valves/ball valves, dampers, filters and check valves is just one part of the product portfolio. In recent years, the system offerings for sampling stations, control valves, automation and extensive special manufacturing have been the particular sales focus.
“We want to be a competent partner for the most rigorous demands for our customers,” states Dipl.-Ing. Jörg Wisser, Managing Partner of the AZ-Group for almost 20 years. He has consistently pursued the production policy that his father had initiated and has driven it forward: AZ is a specialist for technically demanding special valves.
This strategy requires the establishment of international sale structures and production facilities in order to follow the customers into the future markets. Today AZ produces at four locations. In addition to the headquarters site in Mönchweiler/Germany, the firm also produces in Brazil, South Africa and China with a total of 350 employees. This globalization will be further pursued in years to come.
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