Miller Magazine Issue: 128 August 2020
66 MILLER / August 2020 A family-owned mill in eastern Germany thrives on its expertise and passion for milling as well as state-of-the-art technology and the introduction of Bühler’s Tubex Pro marks an important step towards the mill of the future. Scales: The heart of the next generation mill In the eastern-most region of Thuringia, in Germany, the town of Wünschendorf marks the furthest reach of the ice shield that once covered the region nearly 500,000 years ago. It is an old country and the 1000-year-old St. Veits church stands testimony to its rich heritage. Here on the confluence of the rivers White Elster and Weida, waterpower has provided the driving force for mills for centuries. To this day, the Otto Crienitz mill puts the water flow to good use for its own energy requirements and even feeds electricity into the national power grid. The family-owned and managed mill is deeply rooted in the region’s history. Built in 1900 the mill has undergone many changes. Technical innovation has altered production processes in 25-year cycles. During the formation of the Ger- man Democratic Republic (GDR), the family was dispossessed but regained control over the mill after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Since then they have developed the business and successfully adapted to new market requirements, focusing increasingly on deploying innovative technology to achieve the highest standards in quality, pro- ductivity, hygiene, and environmentally friendly production processes. The business has grown fast and extended its customer base, two thirds of which are larger in- dustrial customers and one third smaller artisan bakeries. “It is very important to us as a business to maintain a close relationship with our custo- mers and understand their needs,” says Felix Sc- Felix Scharf Owner and Plant Manager at Otto Crienitz
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