BITZER: HERMANN RENZ, A LIVING LEGEND IN REFRIGERATION, FINALLY RETIRES

Hermann Renz had his last working day at BITZER in Rottenburg, Germany. In a small group, Corona-compliant and yet warmly, Mr Renz was said goodbye to by his closest and long-standing colleagues.

In five decades and beyond his official start of retirement, Hermann Renz has characterised the way in which BITZER provides technical support and information to its customers. During the years as Director Application Engineering and Product Performance, he developed and held countless trainings on compressor and system technology, oil, refrigerant retrofit and much more. Many of these topics are being taught today in updated trainings in the SCHAUFLER Academy. Travels around the world shaped his career and took him to systems and installations in some of the world’s most remote places, and his expertise made him a welcome speaker at events and seminars in Australia, America and Europe. The art of application engineering as well as teaching and conveying the knowledge he has gathered – whether personally, in application manuals or in the Refrigerant Report – was of particular concern to him. In the recently published handbook “Fundamentals of Refrigeration”, targeting also newcomers in the industry, he summarised and contributed his experience. And last year he even became a TV star by performing live stream interviews in the BITZER Refrigerant Web Forum.

The content and the design of the technical documentation arise from his experience of daily advising customers from all over the world and application variations in refrigeration and air conditioning. In his Application Engineering department, many employees have been trained in customer service, products and their application and have carried this knowledge into the company and the industry and utilised it.

In the Application Engineering department, also the BITZER Software was created, enabling customers to independently select and design BITZER products for their needs and in which they can find loads of information and documentation. Naturally, Hermann Renz was also involved in the development of the first BITZER website in 1997 and right in the middle of the team establishing the Refrigerant Ruler App.

In countless associations like Asercom, EPEE, Eurammon, in discussions with the designers responsible for European directives and regulations for refrigeration products and in standardisation committees at DIN, CEN and ASHRAE, Hermann Renz is highly valued for his great commitment and his technically profound and factual contributions. Beyond being at BITZER, he also worked for the Management Board of the SCHAUFLER Foundation, in the foundation council of the Valerius-FĂĽner-Stiftung and, after the death of Senator Peter Schaufler, Hermann Renz was called for the Supervisory Board of BITZER SE. Its adoption by the Supervisory Board will take place in June 2021 at the Annual General Meeting.

Hermann Renz is a role model, both as a person and as an expert, and will be missing as a valued advisor and mentor at BITZER and in the entire industry. BITZER wishes all the best for the well-deserved retirement.