The recipe for success of the 100 patents company News

Dozens of Chinese words are written on the flipchart in the conference room of the DMG chemical-pharmaceutical factory on Elbgaustraße. "We are learning the language because we want to understand the Chinese better," explains Wolfgang Mühlbauer (59), Managing Director of the dental company. This not only applies literally, but also to the mentality of the Asians. The group, which includes a total of 20 companies, makes almost a fifth of its 90 million euro turnover in the Middle Kingdom.

In 90 countries around the world, dentists and laboratories work with dental products and systems "made in Hamburg". Innovations for dental treatment have been coming from the house in Lurup for decades. That is one reason, but not the only one, why DMG was honored as "Family Company of the Year" on Monday evening in the former main customs office in Hamburg am Alten Wandrahm. WELT is the media partner of the award.

In 1963, Ernst Mühlbauer founded the company under the name DMG - Dental Material Gesellschaft. The merchant had noticed that the silicate cements that were common in dentistry at the time could be greatly improved. In the kitchen at home, he developed a new type of cement that quickly established itself on the market. The founder set another milestone in 1978 with the “Safecaps”, self-activating amalgam capsules.

After Ernst Mühlbauer's death in 1998, his son Wolfgang, born on the day his father founded DMG, took over the business. At the age of 18 he had already taken on various tasks in the company. "It was an advantage that I already knew all facets of the company," he recalls.

The chemist, who has a doctorate, pushed ahead with the expansion and invested heavily in the location in 2014 with the expansion of the production halls in the west of Hamburg. And the expansion continues: a production building is currently being converted and expanded. Mühlbauer is proud of the fact that he is preserving a large part of the old building structure in an environmentally friendly way, instead of tearing it down and building a new one with lots of concrete. The new areas should be ready in 2023.

The family business now employs a good 500 people, 460 of them in Hamburg, the rest in China, Brazil, Great Britain and the USA. 15 prospective chemical laboratory assistants and industrial clerks are currently being trained at DMG. Wolfgang Mühlbauer is a passionate advocate for the Hamburg location and a strong head office: "The fact that all departments are united at Elbgaustraße connects and strengthens the employees' understanding of the big picture."

The medium-sized company is innovative. In research and development, the company employs more than 60 chemists, engineers, technicians and chemical laboratory assistants. DMG also cooperates with various universities. More than 100 patents in the safes of the medium-sized company are an expression of the innovative strength of the Lurup company. The innovations "developed by DMG" include "Icon", the only product in the world that enables caries treatment without having to drill.

For this purpose, a thin plastic is applied to the diseased area of the tooth, penetrates deep into the enamel and is then hardened with light. For this development, DMG was awarded the German Innovation Prize in 2010. The company's current focus is on digital prosthetics. Bite splints, models and drilling templates for implant restorations are now being produced with 3D printers using light-curing plastics.

DMG is family owned. It should stay that way, emphasizes Wolfgang Mühlbauer, who receives inquiries from mergers almost every week

The family company is also a family-friendly employer. The medium-sized dental company cooperates with a family service agency that offers employees support with childcare and the care of relatives as well as advice in difficult life situations. There are also flexible working hours and the opportunity to work from home - but only up to 40 percent of the working hours.

"Because we are convinced that we have to see each other and work together if the corporate culture is to be preserved," explains Susanne Stegen, who works alongside Wolfgang Mühlbauer on the management board. She is responsible for sales, marketing, human resources, IT and clinical research. The proportion of women at DMG is over 50 percent – also on the management level. Hamburg's major competitors such as 3M or Dentsply Sirona cannot boast such a quota. In 2020, Lurup received an award in the "Hamburg's Best Employers" competition.

"Because we are convinced that we have to see each other and work together if the corporate culture is to be preserved," says Stegen, who works alongside Wolfgang Mühlbauer on the management board. She is responsible for sales, marketing, human resources, IT and clinical research. The proportion of women at DMG is over 50 percent – also on the management level. Hamburg's major competitors such as 3M or Dentsply Sirona cannot boast such a quota. In 2020, Lurup received an award in the "Hamburg's Best Employers" competition.

What is the recipe for success of this year's family business of the year? Wolfgang Mühlbauer: “It is the combination of chemistry and application of our products. We are close to the dentist, are constantly talking about new needs and developments, and we maintain close contact with our 150 trading partners.” Further training events at the Hamburg headquarters and series of events such as “Scientific Talk@DMG” contribute to this. Another strength, Stegen adds, is continuity. Many employees have been on board for decades, and in almost 32 years the company boss himself has never been absent from the office due to illness.

Hamburg's Economics Senator Michael Westhagemann (independent) was full of praise for the company's innovative strength at the award ceremony on Monday evening - the prize itself has the shape of a gear lever. He also emphasized the importance of family businesses as a whole, especially in difficult economic times. Henning Fehrmann, regional chairman of the Hamburg metropolitan region of the family business and member of the jury, emphasized: "With DMG and Dr. Mühlbauer we honor a hidden champion, a market leader. dr Mühlbauer is an example of the Hamburg production site, made in Hamburg. His entrepreneurial spirit and perseverance have led to impressive milestones in dentistry.”