BÜFA positions itself ecologically and economically for the future

• Oldenburg chemical company actively promotes diversification and internationalization 
• Water as a key strategic topic for a sustainable circular economy

Despite challenging economic conditions, the BÜFA Group will remain securely positioned in 2023 and consistently drive forward the strategic topics of sustainability and innovation. The Oldenburg-based group of companies is focusing on a sustainable circular economy with a focus on water and on innovative, international partners. 
The essential resource of water is a strategic focus topic for the BÜFA Group. BÜFA has extensive expertise in this area, particularly in the Cleaning and Chemicals business units. The aim is to circulate process water both in the company's own operations and at customers' sites and to clean waste water in a reusable and environmentally friendly way. The BÜFA Group relies on various measures and specialized partners to achieve this goal. Felix Thalmann, CEO of the BÜFA Group, explains: "Our aim is to save resources in all areas and to make our activities sustainable in every respect. For us, using the valuable resource of water efficiently is a fundamental building block in the sustainable circular economy." 

BÜFA, Ferr-Tech & MacSerien - Strong partners for comprehensive expertise in water treatment
Since the end of 2022, BÜFA has been the strategic investor in the Dutch start-up Ferr-Tech, which specializes in the chemical purification of wastewater. Ferr-Tech has succeeded for the first time in producing ferrate(VI) in a stable and ready-to-use form using an innovative process. The product FerSol® can be used to purify wastewater from industrial processes efficiently and in an environmentally friendly way. Manufacturing companies can then reuse the clean, antibacterial water instead of disposing of it. The product therefore makes an important contribution to a sustainable circular economy. BÜFA and its customers are already successfully using FerSol® in their processes. BÜFA has therefore invested once again in this sustainable market and acquired further shares in Ferr-Tech. The start-up has just won another major innovation award in the Netherlands. In addition, the Oldenburg-based chemical company is screening the start-up scene for companies with a focus on water treatment in order to strategically expand this area and pick up innovative impulses.

In summer 2022, BÜFA gained a partner specializing in the sustainable reprocessing of water and anhydrous chemicals in the Swedish MacSerien Group. The MacSerien Group has two production sites in Sweden and Estonia as well as other sales locations in parts of Scandinavia. The cleaning product manufacturer's products are primarily used in the areas of car cleaning, water treatment, catering and in various branches of industry. MacSerien has been relying on H2O vacuum distillation technology for sustainable water treatment for over 20 years. The company from southern Germany builds systems for wastewater recycling that are used in various industries worldwide. As an exclusive partner of H2O, MacSerien sells the systems to various companies throughout Europe. As a system provider, BÜFA supplies the cleaning agents and chemicals, thus ensuring an optimal wastewater treatment process. "For us, the MacSerien Group is a strong, international partner that ideally complements our expertise in the production of highly effective cleaning agents with innovative technologies and years of experience in water treatment," explains Sebastian Specht, Managing Director of BÜFA Cleaning.

BÜFA Cleaning in Oldenburg also installed a VACUDEST vacuum distillation system this year. This enables BÜFA to operate its production without waste water. The electricity for the VACUDEST is generated by the company's own photovoltaic system. As a result, the wastewater is cleaned, treated and fed back into the process cycle in a climate-neutral way. 

The current 2023 financial year and the outlook for 2024
The year 2023 has so far been affected by a difficult economic environment in Germany, with demand continuing to decline overall, accompanied by persistently high energy costs and characterized by high core inflation. The declining sales market for chemical raw materials in particular has had a negative impact on BÜFA's business. 
"We are expecting a result that is below the very good level of the previous year overall," summarizes CFO Ralf Ramke. "Thanks to our broad portfolio and, above all, our good European positioning and presence, we are in a robust position despite these challenges," adds Ramke. After the first three quarters, the BÜFA Group's consolidated Group sales amounted to EUR 265 million. "We are planning around EUR 380 million for the coming year 2024," continues Ralf Ramke.

"Particularly in this difficult environment, it is important that we continue to consistently pursue our path and focus on sustainability and innovation in order to continue to position BÜFA for the future," emphasizes Felix Thalmann.

Photo: v.l. CEO der BÜFA-Gruppe Felix Thalmann, CFO Ralf Ramke und BÜFA Cleaning Geschäftsführer Sebastian Specht, Copyright BÜFA, Foto: Harry Köster