Schüco is continually expanding its range to include comprehensive services and consultancy, as well as the corresponding technical and digital products, in order to support the entire life cycle of the building envelope.
At the heart of this are circular solutions with closed-loop recycling to retain valuable raw materials. In 2024 and the first half of 2025, new product and service developments have therefore been consistently geared towards this, and the company also entered into new collaboration agreements in the interest of creating a sustainable construction industry. Instead of concentrating on newbuilds, the focus has increasingly been on solutions for adaptive reuse projects as well.
Changing climate conditions, increasing safety and security requirements and a growing demand for conversion and renovation concepts necessitate long-term, sustainable and cross-material concepts and products for the building envelope. The intention is to enable properties to retain their value throughout their lifecycle and to comply with the climate target set of becoming climate neutral by 2045 in Germany and 2050 in Europe.
However, these requirements are offset by a lag in investment and the ongoing construction industry crisis, which is now in its third year.
Sales performance in 2024
» 1.1 Overall sales performance in 2024
In recent years, the Schüco Group has increased its presence in international markets, enabling the entire Group to achieve a turnover of 2.05 billion euros in 2024, despite the difficult market conditions in Germany. This is a decrease of 3.1 percent compared to the previous year. Adjusted for exchange rates, this equates to a decrease in turnover of 1.6%.
» 1.2 Sales performance by region in 2024
In the core market of Germany, the Schüco Group achieved a total turnover of 749 million euros. Internationally, the turnover was 1.3 billion euros, of which 958 million euros was generated in Europe (excluding Germany) and 341 million outside Europe. The international proportion of the overall turnover has therefore increased by around 2% compared to the previous year.
» 1.3 Sales performance by division in 2024
The Metal division (aluminium and steel) achieved a global turnover of 1.65 billion euros, which was 1.8 percent below the previous year (2023: 1.68 billion euros). In comparison, Eastern Europe, Italy, Greece and India performed well in 2024, while the rest of Europe and the Middle East, for example, fell below expectations. When compared to the previous year, sales on the Iberian peninsula and in Northern Europe have remained stable.
At 314 million euros, the PVC-U division (Schüco Polymer Technologies KG, Weißenfels) fell below the previous year's total. (2023: 346 million euros).
Since its foundation in 2022, Schüco Service has continually expanded and successfully developed internationally. Compared to the previous year, this division managed to increase its turnover by 8 million euros to 36 million euros in 2024. In Germany, Schüco Global Services KG was able to increase its turnover by 2.2 million euros to 3.7 million euros. Further internationalisation and the associated support of all of our partner companies, who are experiencing increased demand in this area, will be a focus in the future as well.
Employees in 2024
The Schüco Group employed a total of 6850 employees globally on average in 2024 (2023: 6750 employees), divided up as follows: 2850 employees worked for Schüco outside Germany (2023: 2750 employees). Germany accounted for 4000 employees (2023: 4000 employees), of which 2438 were based in the East Westphalia-Lippe region (2023: 2409). At the headquarters in Bielefeld, the company employed a total of 2135 members of staff (2023: 2068 employees).
Investments in 2024
The equity capital continues to remain stable and, even in these challenging times, demonstrates a well-balanced capital structure. In 2024, Schüco invested over 41.6 million euros. An important investment project was the new Sälzer Centre of Excellence. This includes a showroom, training rooms and a multi-functional test rig, where windows and doors can be tested for resistance to shock waves and vandalism, as well as break-in and break-out attempts. Sälzer, with its range of high security windows, doors and façades, is based in Marburg and has been part of the Schüco Group since 2018.
Executive Management in 2024/2025
As Managing Partner, Andreas Engelhardt took over sole responsibility for the OTTO FUCHS Beteiligungen KG consolidated group on 8 April 2024. In addition to his existing role as Managing Partner and CEO of the Schüco Group, he also took on the role of Managing Partner of Otto Fuchs KG.
Philipp Neuhaus, CFO of Schüco International KG, took on the role of Chief Financial Officer of OTTO FUCHS Beteiligungen KG in addition to his other responsibilities. He is therefore in charge of the financial management of the consolidated group.
Andreas Engelhardt, Managing Partner and CEO of Schüco International KG. Photographer: Frank Peterschröder / ©Schüco International KG
The operational running of the Otto Fuchs KG subsidiary group was taken over by Dr Walter Stadlbauer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer of Schüco International KG. At the start of 2025, Dr Walter Stadlbauer began concentrating his efforts exclusively on OTTO FUCHS KG. This means that, since January 2025, the Executive Management Board of Schüco International KG has consisted of two people: Andreas Engelhardt and Philipp Neuhaus.
With the decision to consolidate the overall Group management, optimum advantage can be taken of synergies between the two subsidiary groups and the companies can be geared towards the future.
Corporate sustainability in 2024/2025
» 5.1 Sustainability reporting at schueco.com
As part of the move over to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the sustainability reporting process is gradually being further developed. Previously, Schüco always followed the GRI standards for their report that is published every two years. The new online report launched in June 2025 takes European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) into account for the first time. Wherever currently possible, the company is making ESRS-compliant information available. The report primarily relates to the Schüco Group with its fully consolidated subsidiaries. The information required by ESRS is not yet being collected by all of the subsidiaries in the Group. However, this will be rolled out systematically. Alongside the report, new processes for Group-wide data collection and assessment are currently being rolled out. Schüco International KG is a special case because, due to its legal form, it is currently not obligated to provide a detailed publication regarding its financial figures, although it nevertheless provides these as part of its sustainability strategy. www.schueco.com/sustainability
» 5.2 Schüco establishes an ESG Board – August 2024
With the ESG Board, Schüco set up an external committee in August 2024 to further strengthen the company's focus on holistic sustainability. As part of this, the board members – including scientists, economists and politicians – assess the activities of Schüco with regard to their ecological, social and economical impacts, and generate impetus for the further development of the sustainability strategy. www.schueco.com/esg-board
» 5.3 Expansion of reduced carbon material versions
Schüco has succeeded in further expanding the procurement of low-carbon material versions in the upstream value chain. In Germany, for example, the proportion of reduced carbon aluminium profiles in 2024 exceeded 75%. The company is therefore getting closer to its aim of making low-carbon materials the new standard in the medium term.
» 5.4 Environmental Product Declarations for material grades
Overall, it has been possible to significantly lower the carbon footprint of the aluminium material grades by increasing the use of green energy and recycled materials. This has enabled the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the Schüco Low Carbon (LC) aluminium profiles to decrease from 4.14 kg of CO2e per kilogram of profile to 3.84 kg of CO₂e. For Ultra Low Carbon (ULC) profiles, it was possible to reduce the GWP value from 2.27 to 1.99 kg of CO₂e per kilogram. This value has been achieved above all by using post-consumer recycled material, of which the profiles contain at least 75%. The new GWP parameters were confirmed at the start of 2025 by independent profile EDPs (Environmental Product Declarations).
» 5.4.1 New materials versions for PVC-U profiles
In addition to the increased use of recycled aluminium, new material versions have also been added to the PVC-U range, with reductions in carbon being achieved both by increasing the proportion of recycled materials used in production and by using bio-based raw materials. As a result, Schüco has added the material classes “Balanced PVC”, “Recycled PVC” and “Bio-attributed PVC” to its PVC-U portfolio.
» 5.4.2 Change of insulating bar material
By converting from polyamide insulating bars made from PA 66 GF 25 to recycled materials in all product groups, Schüco has completed another step in its sustainability strategy. Compared to polyamide insulating bars made from new materials, the use of recycled polyamide enables more than 65% of the CO2e to be saved.
» 5.5 Safeguarding raw materials through return systems
The company is also gradually expanding its return systems. These will ensure access to high-quality secondary raw materials in future and are strategically important levers for change with regard to decarbonisation – even if their impact is not yet reflected in current emission data.
Strategic measures in 2024/2025
Schüco has set itself the aim of becoming a pioneer in holistic sustainability throughout the life cycle of the building envelope. This includes the continual further development of products and services, which enable the desired climate neutrality to be achieved in the construction industry and valuable resources to be kept in the material cycle. In addition to new product developments, collaborations, shareholdings and attendance at leading global trade fairs are future-oriented ways of safeguarding the business within this context. The following list is in chronological order.
» 6.1 Schüco invests in the Stemeseder Group – February 2024
Since July 2023, Schüco and Stemeseder (from Hof, Austria) have been collaborating on the cross-trade product solution Schüco Perfect for windows and sliding systems. This product combines a Schüco opening unit made from aluminium or PVC-U with the Perfect module from Stemeseder to create a single unit and can be fitted with sun shading, a flyscreen, a window sill, a safety barrier or a threshold.
With the acquisition of a minority shareholding in the Stemeseder Group in February 2024, the companies are cementing their partnership and further expanding their collaboration with regard to development, production and distribution.
» 6.2 FENSTERBAU FRONTALE exhibition – March 2024
At FENSTERBAU FRONTALE in Nuremberg in March 2024, there was a particular focus on presenting window, door and sliding systems for all materials for the construction of low-carbon residential buildings. At this trade fair, the new PVC material grades were introduced for the first time. These systems enable the recycled material content of Schüco PVC-U profiles to gradually be increased for all systems. As a reusable raw material, PVC helps reduce the carbon in the Schüco PVC-U profiles. In addition, PVC can be recycled up to seven times and fed back into the material cycle.
How this works exactly was demonstrated on the exhibition stand by the Schüco subsidiary RE:CORE. This recycling specialist was founded in 2022 as a joint venture of Remondis and Schüco, with the aim of making a real contribution towards a sustainable construction industry by establishing a closed PVC-U material cycle. Since October 2024, RE:CORE has been a network partner of Rewindo, the recycling initiative of the German PVC industry.
» 6.3 Schüco invests in Skyline Windows – June 2024
Schüco entered into partnership with Skyline Windows, a leading firm in the American window industry. By acquiring a minority shareholding in this North-American company, Schüco is expanding its distribution network internationally and increasing its influence on the US market. Together, both companies want to promote sustainable innovations in the construction industry.
» 6.4 Schüco subsidiary acquires shares in 2High SRL – July 2024
In July 2024, the Italian subsidiary Schüco International Italia S.r.l. acquired a majority shareholding in 2High S.r.l., Bologna/Italy. 2High is an Italian national company active in the field of building envelope maintenance. This acquisition will help expand the Service business division.
» 6.5 Relaunch of the Schüco Marketing Center – November 2024
In November 2024, Schüco introduced its modified Marketing Center to support partner companies with their marketing campaigns or recruitment. Quick, free and available 24/7, the Marketing Center allows customised advertising media to be created for different communication channels. This increases visibility and sales success and saves partner companies agency costs.
» 6.6 Separation from Schüco Interior Systems – January 2025
In January 2025, Schüco International KG announced its separation from the subsidiary Schüco Interior Systems KG with its production site in Borgholzhausen. The company produces and sells products and interior systems for industrial customers, including those from the furniture and vehicle manufacturing industries. Based in Cologne, Rheingold Capital took over 100% ownership of the former Schüco Interior Systems KG on 1 February 2025.
» 6.7 Founding of the brand Venuro – January 2025
Under the newly formed brand Venuro, Schüco has been offering customised sliding systems as high-quality, unique products made from glass fibre-reinforced (GRP) and carbon fibre-reinforced (CFRP) composite materials since January 2025. This provides the Schüco Group with access to the high end market segment with a focus on German-speaking and selected international markets. The Venuro limited company has its headquarters in Wädenswil, Switzerland.
» 6.8 2025 BAU exhibition – January 2025
As a cross-material systems provider, Schüco exhibited its latest developments and prototypes for a circular and sustainable construction industry at the BAU exhibition in Munich. The entire life cycle of buildings was a focus here. With the presentation of Schüco Value Up, the comprehensive offering to increase the value of existing properties, the building envelope specialist makes a seamless connection to its modular solution, Schüco Carbon Control, which reduces the carbon footprint of buildings.
Schüco Value Up is a modular solution of products and services structured in four phases to create a renovation process
that increases the value of properties. ©Schüco International KG
that increases the value of properties. ©Schüco International KG
The company's exhibition presence was rounded off with solutions for modular construction, fire protection and high security, for residential construction and for the digitalisation of the construction industry. The new brand Venuro was also presented for the first time at the ICM on the exhibition grounds.
» 6.8.1 Schüco Value Up for renovations – January 2025
The buildings of the past are the buildings of the future. In order to meet the requirements of changing climate conditions, increasing security needs and new types of use, existing buildings must be renovated and continually maintained so that they retain their value for the long term. This is a complex task with many stakeholders. Schüco Value Up offers all those involved in the project reliable products and services throughout all phases of the building envelope renovation process. This process is divided into four phases: Analyse to Upgrade, Plan to Upgrade, Rebuild to Upgrade and Maintain to Upgrade.
» 6.9 Schüco collaborates with the TSR Group – March 2025
Closing the aluminium cycle to keep the recyclable material in the construction industry – it was with this goal in mind that Schüco International KG and the TSR Group GmbH & Co. KG established a collaboration. The TSR Group is one of Europe's leading specialists for the processing of scrap metal into high-quality recycled raw materials for the industry. Together, both partners want to actively counter the growing lack of resources to create a sustainable construction industry.
The aim is for the TSR Group to recoup waste windows from renovation projects and profile offcuts from production via the Germany-wide network of sites and turn them into high-quality recycled raw materials. For a closed material cycle, these raw materials are then made available to the Schüco network for the production of sustainable profiles. This solution is organised by the newly founded Schüco subsidiary RE:CORE metals GmbH.
» 6.10 Schüco and Saint Gobain Glass become partners – April 2025
The reuse of glass is also becoming increasingly important in the construction industry. To promote the recycling of glass, Schüco and Saint-Gobain Glass Germany have formed a collaboration. By reusing recycled glass to produce new flat glass, valuable natural resources such as sand, soda and lime can be conserved and energy consumption can be considerably reduced. Melting recycled glass requires less energy than manufacturing new glass, which contributes significantly to a reduction in carbon emissions. The aim of this collaboration is to avoid consumption of non-renewable resources and reduce carbon emissions, as well as lower the ecological footprint of the building.
» 6.11 Schüco and LIXIL strengthen their partnership – April 2025
LIXIL is a global construction company headquartered in Japan. The environmental strategy of LIXIL aims to achieve “Zero Carbon and Circular Living”. The medium-term aim of LIXIL is to use 100% recycled aluminium by the 2031 financial year. Schüco is committed to sustainability and offers low-carbon aluminium profiles in different material grades throughout Europe. With its emerging construction industry and growing demand for sustainable building materials, South East Asia is currently facing limited availability of low-carbon aluminium due to a lack of suppliers.
This new partnership offers Schüco the opportunity to supply low-carbon aluminium products in Europe and South East Asia, and to therefore meet the growing global demand for low-carbon profiles. LIXIL will provide Schüco with its PremiAL series, which is produced in the LIXIL factories in Thailand and Vietnam. By expanding the distribution of low-carbon aluminium profiles in South East Asia, LIXIL and Schüco want to make a contribution towards decarbonisation and help promote the circular economy in the global construction industry.
Research and pilot projects
» 7.1 Nitrogen-fixing Schüco FACID NOX textile façade
Nitrogen can cause impurities in the outdoor air. Nitrogen oxides are formed when oil, gas, coal, wood and waste are burned and contribute to particulate matter pollution in the air. They are one of the main causes of poor air quality in cities in particular. With the FACID NOX façade pilot project, Schüco is currently testing a nitrogen-fixing textile façade to clean the inner city air. The façade prototype has been on the building of the adult education centre in the city centre of Cologne since April 2024. In terms of appearance, the air-purifying façade is indistinguishable from a standard Schüco FACID textile façade. To achieve the air purification effect, a coating is applied to the fabric, which filters out the nitrogen particles that are harmful to health and the environment and converts them into harmless nitrates.
Rainwater rinses the nitrates off the façade and carries them down into the soil as minerals. Scientific research documents the positive effects of this. The textile membrane has the added advantage that it can also be fitted in front of windows. Transparency from inside to outside is retained, while its function as external sun shading remains very effective. The fabric protects the building from overheating, can considerably reduce the energy required for cooling and can therefore also lower the carbon emissions. At the same time, the microperforated membrane permits an almost unimpeded view to the outside.
In this Cologne-based pilot project, which Schüco is implementing together with the city of Cologne and the “Lebendige Stadt” Foundation, the air quality in front of and behind the membrane is measured using digital technology in order to evaluate and document the air-purifying filtration function. The renowned Forschungszentrum Jülich research centre has been commissioned with evaluating the results of the measurements. The project is currently still ongoing and the results will be published once they have been evaluated.
» 7.2 The circular Schüco aluminium window
Schüco has undertaken extensive research into the principles of circular design. At the BAU exhibition in January 2025, the company presented its first fully circular aluminium window as a prototype. AW Circular was developed to reduce resource use, emissions and waste during the product life cycle, and to close resource loops. Furthermore, different carbon reduction measures were implemented for AW Circular. These include the design that makes efficient use of materials, an increased proportion of recycled material and the use of recycled components.
It has also achieved the Cradle to Cradle Material Health Gold Standard. This is only awarded when 100% of the materials used are harmless to health and recyclable. AW Circular also makes it easy to maintain, repair, treat, retrofit and recycle the whole window or individual components.
» 7.3 Schüco Minimal Wall unitised façade concept
With Carbon Control, Schüco offers comprehensive solutions for reducing the carbon footprint of the building envelope. In order to take advantage of additional potential for further reducing carbon, the offering is being continually expanded. One option, for example, is to optimise the use of materials in the building envelope, in order to minimise the carbon emissions in the production process. Narrower profiles with smaller basic depths than usual must, however, be in a position to meet the same requirements in terms of functionality and security. Reliable distribution of the bearing load in particular is therefore one of the biggest challenges when developing new façades with a reduced proportion of material.
In response to this challenge, Schüco has developed the pioneering unitised façade concept Schüco Minimal Wall and launched it as a prototype in January 2025 at BAU in Munich. The Minimal Wall design principle utilises the principles of the bond behaviour between glass and aluminium and increases this by means of innovative adhesive technology. The load-bearing reserves that result from the structural bonding between the two materials are taken into account in order to be able to reduce the structural load-bearing dimensions of the frame.
Minimal Wall glazing can be designed with the standard glass composition. All additional functions such as spandrel cladding, projecting design elements and opaque areas can continue to be integrated without restriction.
Overall, Schüco Minimal Wall can reduce the amount of aluminium used by up to 40 percent compared to conventional façades. This future-proof concept can therefore contribute towards reducing the carbon values of Schüco building envelopes even further.
Outlook for the second half of 2025
» 8.1 Current geopolitical situation
The world is currently experiencing challenging geopolitical conditions in many places. The current wars and conflicts are creating a terrible situation for the people in the affected regions. These crises also have an impact on an international company like Schüco International KG, which has a responsibility towards its employees and partners. In addition to this, there are challenges as a result of climate change, for example due to extreme weather events like heat, flooding and storms.
The discussion around tariffs raised primarily by the Trump Administration is further contributing to the abovementioned issue of economic recession and is making it even harder for decisions to be made about business and investments. For these reasons, the Schüco Group must make its infrastructure, supply chains and processes even more resilient in future and take its customers and partners with them on this journey.
» 8.2 Schüco Group strategy
As a company in the construction industry, Schüco has defined its own transformation pathway in its Strategy 2030 and has already implemented a number of important steps. The development of their own added value chain to support the entire life cycle of the building envelope is a focus here. Key issues on the way to achieving this are the consistent orientation of the offering to changing customer needs with a focus on products, digital solutions and services. Digitalisation, including AI, and the optimisation of the portfolio and the company's own processes are important in all of this. The focus is also on achieving holistic global sustainability in accordance with international standards (such as ESG). The core strategy of the Schüco Group will be governed by this in future.
In its corporate strategy, Schüco has committed to staying on the chosen path to achieve the company sustainability targets. Potential deviations from sustainability requirements due to current regional, political developments will not change this long-term, global aim of Schüco.
» 8.3 Political situation
In Germany, Schüco expects short-term decisions to be made by the new government with positive effects for the economy. The company sees the initiatives introduced by Federal Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Building, Verena Hubertz, to simplify and accelerate the approval process in residential construction (Bau-Turbo) as positive. Another important component is renovation measures for buildings that have poor energy efficiency. Energy-efficient building envelopes contribute to cost-effective operation with reduced CO2 levels, support energy security and lead to greater independence from energy imports.
The configuration of the subsidy landscape can be a helpful building block on the way out of the construction crisis. Further steps are required to simplify building standards (like the German Gebäudetyp E or Building Type E initiative), in order to optimise both the speed and cost of construction, making investments in the building sector attractive once again.
The new government will have to be judged overall on how rapidly and consistently the announced packages of measures are implemented in the second half of 2025 in order to feel the positive effects in the construction industry in 2026. The new government seems to be aware of the urgency of the issues facing the economy as a whole.
In Europe, the Schüco Executive Management considers the simplification of regulations and reporting obligations to be a positive development. However, we should not lose sight of the requirements that are essential for achieving the climate targets. In particular, the revised EU building guidelines (EPBD) should therefore be transposed into national law soon.
