Schapfen-Mill

Schapfen-Mill (Schapfenmühle) is a German grain milling company based in Jungingen, a northern district of Ulm on the south-eastern edge of the Swabian Alb. First documented in 1452, it is described as the oldest still-producing company in the city of Ulm. The business is a tradition-conscious family enterprise that combines heritage with modern production, and its corporate philosophy is expressed through a 'value chain' (Wertekette) covering everything from seed selection and harvest through to the finished product, guaranteeing traceability back to the farm. The company operates five business areas and serves several customer groups: the baking trade, the food industry, food retail, and private consumers through an online shop and a mill shop. Its product range includes flours, flakes of all grain types, and baking mixes. Schapfen-Mill positions itself as a specialist in spelt (Dinkel) and emmer, and it markets its quality through certifications and a strong emphasis on regional sourcing. The grain comes from around 500 farms in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria within a radius of 50 to 60 km. The present mill was completed in 1985 after the original mill at the Weinhof site in Ulm's Fischerviertel was destroyed by fire on Whit Sunday 1983. It has a milling capacity of around 100 tonnes per 24 hours, and in 1991 a hulling mill was added with a similar daily capacity of around 100 tonnes. A mixing facility and a trial bakery are attached to the mill. Schapfen-Mill is also known for its grain silo, built between June 2004 and January 2005. With a footprint of 10.1 × 16.7 m and a height of 116 m to the top of the building (nearly 125 m including the mobile-phone antenna mast), it is the second-tallest grain silo in the world, after the Swissmill Tower in Zurich. The tower stores around 8,500 tonnes of grain in 30 cells and has an intake capacity of 120 tonnes per hour. Its south facade carries a photovoltaic system of 1,300 CIS solar modules producing about 70,000 kWh per year. The structure cost €6.24 million, of which €1.56 million was covered by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The silo received several architecture prizes between 2005 and 2008 and is the third-tallest structure and second-tallest building in Ulm. As a family-owned private company, Schapfen-Mill remains active in milling and food ingredient supply, with a focus on regional raw materials, quality assurance, and training; the official website highlights apprenticeships and careers alongside its product lines.

Schapfen-Mill traces its origins to 1452, when it was first mentioned in a document, making it the oldest still-producing company in the city of Ulm. For centuries it operated at its original site at the Weinhof in Ulm's Fischerviertel. On Whit Sunday 1983, that mill was destroyed by fire. The company rebuilt at a new location in Jungingen, a northern district of Ulm on the south-eastern edge of the Swabian Alb, and the present mill was completed in 1985. It has a milling capacity of around 100 tonnes per 24 hours. In 1991 the site was expanded with a hulling mill, which also processes around 100 tonnes of grain per day. A mixing facility and a trial bakery are attached to the mill. The company describes itself as a tradition-conscious family business whose history reaches back to 1452, and it has maintained values of customer proximity, reliability and high quality awareness since its beginnings. Its corporate philosophy is symbolized by a 'value chain' (Wertekette) that defines the process from seed selection through harvest to the end product, guaranteeing seamless traceability back to cultivation. The grain is sourced from around 500 farms in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria within a radius of 50 to 60 km. The company processes all types of grain, and its products include flours, flakes of all grain types, and baking mixes. It operates five business areas and serves the baking trade, the food industry, food retail, and private customers via an online shop and a mill shop. Between June 2004 and January 2005, Schapfen-Mill built its landmark grain silo. With a footprint of 10.1 × 16.7 m, it reaches 116 m to the top of the building and nearly 125 m including the mobile-phone antenna mast of the operator E-Plus. This makes it the second-tallest grain silo in the world, after the Swissmill Tower in Zurich (118 m); it became second-tallest after the 120 m Henninger Turm in Frankfurt am Main was demolished in 2013. The design was by the local office Seidel Architekten. In Ulm the silo tower, which received several architecture prizes between 2005 and 2008, is the third-tallest structure and the second-tallest building, alongside the Ulm-Ermingen telecommunications tower (162 m) and Ulm Minster (161.53 m). Inside, 30 cells can store around 8,500 tonnes of grain, with an intake capacity of 120 tonnes per hour. The south facade carries a photovoltaic system of 1,300 CIS solar modules producing about 70,000 kWh of electricity per year, though vertical mounting yields only about 70 percent of the theoretical maximum. The total cost of the structure was €6.24 million, of which €1.56 million was covered by the state of Baden-Württemberg because of the expected improvement in market structure. Today Schapfen-Mill remains a family-owned private company active in grain milling and food ingredient supply, with a focus on regional raw materials, quality assurance, and training; its website highlights apprenticeships and careers alongside its product lines.

• 2013

  The 120 m Henninger Turm in Frankfurt is demolished, making Schapfen-Mill's silo the second-tallest grain silo worldwide.

• 2005

  The grain silo is completed in January; it is the second-tallest grain silo in the world.

• 2005

  The silo tower begins receiving several architecture prizes (through 2008).

• 2004

  Construction of the grain silo begins in June.

• 1991

  A hulling mill is added, processing around 100 tonnes of grain per day.

• 1985

  The present mill in Jungingen is completed, with a milling capacity of around 100 tonnes per 24 hours.

• 1983

  The original mill at the Weinhof in Ulm's Fischerviertel is destroyed by fire on Whit Sunday.

• 1452

  First documented mention of the mill; it is the oldest still-producing company in Ulm.

Tradition-conscious family business combining heritage since 1452 with modern milling; specialist in spelt and emmer; emphasis on regional sourcing, quality and traceability.

• Flours

• Flakes of all grain types

• Baking mixes

• Spelt products

• Emmer products

1. 1Unser Getreide - Ihre Vielfaltschapfenmuehle.de
2. 2Über uns - Unternehmen - SchapfenMühleschapfenmuehle.de
3. 3Schapfen-Mill - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Schapfenmühle - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org