About MERO-SCHMIDLIN (UK) PLC

 

MERO-SCHMIDLIN (UK) PLC is a privately German owned company based in Surrey, England, that provides construction solutions in the specialist steel and glass roof, atrium and facade market, the bespoke unitised aluminium curtainwalling market and the raised access floor market, across the United Kingdom. As part of the TSK group of companies, MERO-SCHMIDLIN (UK) PLC has both the local knowledge and expertise to provide innovative solutions to complex structures as well as the full backing and expertise of the international organisation, specifically MERO-TSK in Germany and SCHMIDLIN-TSK in Switzerland. As pioneers of the space frame structure and of pre-fabricated, unitised curtainwalling, our group is constantly evolving and developing leading edge structural solutions that push forward the possibilities of building design through both modular system and fully bespoke and innovative structural solutions. MERO-SCHMIDLIN (UK) PLC is proud to have been heavily involved in many of the UK's landmark structures, which in many cases have been made possible through the passion and commitment to delivering breathtaking buildings that the MERO-SCHMIDLIN team share.

 

The Foundations of MERO

 

Developed in Germany in the late 1930's by Dr.Ing Max-Mengeringhausen, the MERO spaceframe is an efficient and economical structural solution designed to span great distances, with minimal structure and support. 1943 saw the foundation of the company MEngeringhausen ROhrbauweise (MERO) in Berlin, Germany, and the beginning of production of the node and tube spaceframe that remains virtually unchanged and still very much in demand more than 60 years later.

Worldwide success of the MERO spaceframe for construction systems led to the development and application of the MERO spaceframe into the product markets of aircraft docks and hangars, exhibition systems, and raised floors, all of which are in high demand from MERO worldwide today. The MERO spaceframe systems for exhibition and display markets, Meroform M12, have through their design defined modern day exhibitions, whilst MERO spaceframes in general have been so innovative that they have constantly spawned many derivative systems from manufacturers worldwide attempting to replicate the success of MERO.

In October 2004, following the administration of MERO GmbH & Co KG in Germany, the MERO group of companies were acquired by German entrepreneurs Guenther and Ingebord Troester, and the assets of MERO GmbH contributed to the formation of a new German company, MERO-TSK International GmbH & Co KG. With the independence from financial institutions gained from this acquisition, the MERO group is at it's strongest and most secure position ever.
The financial strength of TSK, together with its commitment to developing its entry into construction, has been further demonstrated when, in February 2006, following the administration of Schmidlin Facadetechnology AG in Switzerland, the Troester family acquired the assets of this company and re-formed the operation as Schmidlin-TSK. MERO-SCHMIDLIN (UK) PLC has been given the responsibility for the activities of Schmidlin-TSK in the UK and Irish markets and now looks forward with eagerness to continue developing and delivering the stunning structures that both MERO and Schmidlin are renowned for, right throughout the 21st century.

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

MERO in the UK

As soon as the spaceframe systems of MERO started to reach the international market, UK clients realised the potential of MERO structures and started specifying them on their projects. All design and co-ordination was initially handled through the German office, with manufacture being performed under license by BICCC in the UK as well as direct from the German factory.

 

In 1975, MERO provided the spaceframe visitor stands for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which needed to be easily erected and demounted every year, and is still being used to this day over 30 years later, with the annual erection, demounting and maintenance performed by MERO-SCHMIDLIN (UK) PLC. 
With the sole MERO office in Germany handling all of the sales, design, installation and management of every worldwide project, it was decided in 1986 to set up regional offices in each of MERO's main markets. The USA office was first established along with it's own manufacturing facility, closely followed by subsidiaries in Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Saudi Arabia, and joint ventures set up in Japan, Malaysia and Australia.

In November 1988, MERO (UK) PLC was established to service the construction and exhibition system markets across the UK and Ireland and it immediately got busy developing the huge spaceframe roof on the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. For the next seven years, MERO (UK) PLC provided many magnificent structures to clients, ranging from small canopies to huge long span roofs, all based on MERO's system products.

In 1997, MERO (UK) PLC completed it's first non-spaceframe structure, the swimming pool roof of the Carlton Tower Hotel in London. The bespoke steel structure market rapidly complimented and overtook that of the spaceframe systems and, just two years later in 1999, MERO completed it's first major project in Ireland at the RTE studios in Dublin, an exciting glazed half cone, half pyramid, atrium roof structure of lightweight steel sections, and a spaceframe roof to the entrance foyer.

With the dawn of the new millennium, MERO was in great demand to provide the landmark buildings that few other companies were able to produce and deliver. In 2000, MERO completed the huge geodesic biomes of the now world famous Eden Project, which it designed from concept, the three entrance canopies of the new underground station at Canary Wharf in London, and were on site with the millennium commission funded Glasgow Science Centre and 'The Deep' in Hull. In the short space of just 11 years, MERO (UK) PLC. had grown from a îµ­ turnover company to a company turning over just under à­®
Not content with the groundbreaking projects just completed, MERO continued to develop innovative new solutions to roof and facades, and in 2002/2003 delivered two stunning cable net structures to clients. In London, MERO completed the installation of one of the UK's first cable net roofs at Paddington Basin, whilst in Dublin they installed a huge glazed cable net supported facade to Stack 'A' on Dublin's docklands.

In 2003, the MERO Exhibit Systems department split from MERO (UK) PLC as part of a global exhibition system sales strategy, whilst in 2005 MERO (UK) PLC took in-house the supply and installation of the MERO Raised Access Floor systems throughout the UK. In October 2004, following the administration of MERO (UK) PLC's parent company in Germany, the entire group including the UK company was purchased by TSK, a family owned German company ran by Guenther and Ingebord Troester, making MERO (UK) PLC a directly owned private company instead of a subsidiary of a privately owned parent company. This change in status has put MERO (UK) PLC in an increased position of strength and stability within the UK market, from where it is ideally placed to service the needs of current and future clients.

With more recent projects including the BBC Headquarters in London, MERO's biggest ever contract, a series of three packages at over æ­ for the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, and numerous other smaller roofs, facades and towers, MERO continues to produce innovative and visually stunning solutions to a wide range of clients across the UK and Ireland, servicing contracts in value from à°¬000 to å­®

In April 2006, MERO secured its first curtainwalling contract working with Schmidlin-TSK. 51 Lime Street in the City of London, next to Lloyds and designed by Foster and Partners for British Land and Stanhope, is a complex, unitised project of two buildings valued at over ç­® In October 2006, MERO (UK) PLC was renamed MERO-SCHMIDLIN (UK) PLC to reflect it's strengthend position in the unitised curtain walling market, and the authorised design and installation company in the UK and Irish markets for the curtain walling systems of it's sister company SCHMIDLIN-TSK.