Berky

The Berky GmbH (former Anton Berkenheger GmbH & Co. KG) is a German company that manufactures machines, specialized vehicles and boats for water maintenance. The company is based in Haren (Ems) in the Emsland region.

Berky
TypeGmbH
IndustryWater maintenance
Founded1964
FounderAnton Berkenheger
Headquarters
Haren (Ems)
,
Germany
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Gerhard Knoll, Josef Göcking, Felix Knoll, Frank Suelmann
ProductsAquatic weed harvesters
Mowing boats
Dredge boats
Slope mower
Flail mower
Websitewww.berky.de

History
Predecessor model of the today produced slope mower
Slope mower in the year 1980

The co-founder, farmer and chairman of the Meersbach Water and Soil Association, Anton Berkenheger received the first patent for a hydraulic, three-wheeled special machines for mowing ditch banks in 1963. Together with the civil engineer Gerhard Knoll and Josef Göcking, he founded Anton Berkenheger & Co. KG in Haren-Erika.By 1968, they already employed 15 people. [1][2]

In the same year, the company moved to a production facility at the Haren harbour. In 1977, a new production facility was built in Haren-Emmeln with a total area of 1,500 m2 for production, storage and office. It was expanded in the following years to a total area of about 3,000 m2. By the mid-1980s, the company was already manufacturing and distributing slope mowers, tractor attachments, mowing boats and forklifts in Germany. [3]

Since the 1990s, the distribution of special vehicles and machines was also expanded abroad. At the end of 2015, the company Senwatec joined the Anton Berkenheger Group. This made it possible to produce other types of special boats, such as amphibious dredge boats.[4] The company Gilbers from Geeste also became part of Berky in 2019. Through this acquisition, additional mowing machines and attachments, such as flail and double-knife mowers, were produced.[5][6]

Machines

Vehicles

The land vehicles produced by Berky include a three-wheeled slope mower, which was designed for ditch clearing and embankment mowing.[7]

Aquatic weed harvesters and mowing boats
Mowing boat with front clearing rake

Berky produces a range of mowing boats and aquatic weed harvesters.[8][9] While mowing boats are equipped with different machines and tools, such as double knife T-cutting units or front collecting rakes, for cutting and collecting aquatic plants, aquatic weed harvesters cut plants at the front of the boat by using a U-shaped double-knife unit and simultaneously collect them on a loading area via a front conveyor belt that reaches underneath the water surface. In the reverse direction, the collected plant material is unloaded on shore via said conveyor belt.[10]

Specialized garbage collecting boats

By using aquatic weed harvesters, especially in the Asian region,[11] it was noticed that the specialized boats are also suitable for cleaning waters from debris and removing plastic waste. Due to this discovery, the aquatic weed harvesters were converted into special garbage collecting boats. The waste floating on the water surface is collected by the conveyor belt, that is reaching into the water and transported to the loading area of the boat.[12] Nowadays, garbage collecting boats are used worldwide, for example in Indonesia, Slovakia or Jamaica.[13][14][15] Custom made aquatic weed harvesters can also retrieve larger debree or waste pieces by using a clamshell bucket.[16][17]

Amphibious vehicles

The company also produces specialized amphibious vehicles.[18][19]

Tools and special machines

Aside from boats and land vehicles, Berky manufactures tools and machines for water maintenance. In addition to various mowers, such as double-knife cutting units, flail mowers or mowing baskets, the company also produces machines for woodland maintenance, such as mechanic loppers and tree saws.[20]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Berky.

References
  1. Tobias Boeckermann (2014-05-14). "Berky Maschinenbau in Haren wird 50 Jahre | NOZ" (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  2. "Boote sorgen für saubere Spiele" (in German). Archived from the original on 2022-10-16. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  3. "BERKY your key for living waters | Geschichte". Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  4. Tobias Böckermann (2016-03-01). "Berky übernimmt Senwatec | NOZ" (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  5. Tobias Boeckermann (2019-07-05). "Berky Haren übernimmt Gilbers Mähtechnik | NOZ" (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  6. "Unternehmens-Geschichte Berky" (in German). 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  7. PM (2018-04-27). "Berky aus Haren für Außenwirtschaftspreis | NOZ" (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  8. Michael Grottendieck. "Die Ernte fällt reich aus" (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  9. Dietrich Mohaupt (2023). "Erfolgsregion Emsland" (in German). Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  10. Nordwest-Zeitung. "Wangermeer Hohenkirchen: Käpt'n Harms ab sofort im Mäheinsatz" (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  11. Tobias Boeckermann (2014-05-14). "Berky Maschinenbau in Haren wird 50 Jahre | NOZ" (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  12. Guido M. Hartmann (2021-03-31), "Plastik im Wasser: Wie ein Start-up gegen Müll aktiv wird", DIE WELT (in German), retrieved 2022-10-20
  13. "The start of a long journey". 2022-08-21. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  14. NDR. "Müllsammelboote für saubere Meere" (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  15. Eco-Business. "Will this solar powered device clean the worlds most polluted rivers". Retrieved 2022-12-01. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  16. "All the things pulled from the River Cam in just one day". 2019-05-30. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
  17. "Conservators remodel upkeep of River Cam". 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  18. "Innovative Neuentwicklung aus dem Hause Berky – Amphibien- Mähsammelboot "Made in Haren"" (in German). Wirtschaft im Emsland. 2016-06-08. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  19. "Water Industry - Solutions from Germany". AHK Malasyia. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  20. PM (2019-05-03). "Neue Lagerhalle und Hausmesse bei Berky in | NOZ" (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-21.
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