Sewers are a water hygiene subsystem and as such are an essential part of everyday life. The task of repairing and maintaining this ‘part of everyday life’ and assuming economic and social responsibility for it, has long been and will continue to be the motivation underpinning Bodenbender GmbH’s work.
This family business, based in Hesse, Germany, was founded in 1967 by Herbert Bodenbender Senior, who handed over the reins to his son Herbert Bodenbender Junior just a few years later. Now in the hands of the third generation, the company embodies a spirit of partnership and is known for its high-quality solutions in the area of trenchless sewer rehabilitation.
With Andrea Bodenbender, Jonas Bodenbender and Christian Kunkel at the helm, the company offers trenchless pipe and sewer rehabilitation products to customers worldwide. Whilst specialising in domestic connection sewers, the company is happy to offer products beyond this scope too and willingly responds to individual customer requests.
Given that today the company’s technicians primarily carry out rehabilitation works in a training context and on customers’ construction sites, it should perhaps be highlighted that the team previously worked as a service provider in the field of sewer cleaning and the inspection of existing sewers. Herbert Bodenbender and his team faced all manner of on-site challenges and had to come up with solutions and they did so, simply out of an ambition to find a way to rehabilitate the damaged pipes they saw every day. The company succeeded in this when it developed the ‘Point-Liner®-System’.
Then, working with Bayer AG, a German chemicals and pharmaceutical concern, came the development of its proprietary rehabilitation resin, Bodenbender EP.
These developments even made it around the world. “I have already renovated pipelines in a Greek monastery and drank an ouzo with the nuns in the evening and I have also managed a great project in Australia together with a company based there. We got into quite a bit of trouble, but the pipes are still intact.” joked Heinz Bodenbender, who joined his brother’s company at an early stage.
Today, the mid-sized company serves customers worldwide with its proprietary products for track rehabilitation (Inliner process), partial restoration (Point-Liner®), inlet rehabilitation and shaft renovation. Products from sales partners RIDGID® and RENSSI® add inspection, milling and cleaning operations to the company’s portfolio.
Bodenbender GmbH also extends and converts individual rehabilitation vehicles. By using modular units, small trailers and entire HGV’s, units can be easily fitted with cooling modules for resin tempering, impregnation installations, tool cabinets and more.
Quality is always the company’s top priority. “This is why quality controls are regularly carried out in our own laboratories, ensuring at the same time that we always meet building standards. In fact, almost all of our systems are certified by the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt).” said Jonas Bodenbender.
Partners and suppliers are selected and checked with the utmost care and new products are tested thoroughly before being approved for customers.
Jonas continued: “Our products constantly change over time. Perhaps a connection is added, the size changes, or the packaging is altered. After all, perfection is a process and we have been working on it for 50 years now. Anyone who says their products are perfect as they are, will not survive for long in the market.”
This approach means that the company is in constant close contact with its customers so improvement options and actual case studies can be discussed with them. Trust is the most important element of collaboration with specialist companies, both trust in the products and the team. “Many of our employees have been with us, looking after our customers, for over 20 years. They know precisely what individual customers need and expect. They understand each other, and this means solutions can quickly be found.” mentioned a proud Christian Kunkel.
One of these solutions is the development of the AIRBAGLINER® – a calibration hose made of double-layer OPW fabric. The reusable hose is based on a technology which is a world first in the area of trenchless rehabilitation. Pipe lining within one hour (including curing time) is definitively possible and it is safe for the worker at the same time, no matter whether curing with water, steam, or anything else.
The task for the future will be to further improve our products, and here, the company has set the bar very high saying: “Sewer rehabilitation is our passion and that is why we want to see it done well. We also want to move with the times. Our sector can be modern and digital without losing sight of our basic principles. Our products must be profitable and work as simply as possible. In this way, for craftsmanship, building standards and new approaches, we are always glad to welcome new partners, whether in Germany, Great Britain or elsewhere.”