ACO Passavant is a member of the German ACO Group which is headquartered in Büdelsdorf in Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. The family-owned group is a global leader in drainage technology and offers a broad selection of custom-designed drainage solutions for civil engineering, gardening, landscaping and marine applications as well as buildings and sports facilities.
“Our product range comprises drains and drainage channels, oil and grease separators, backflow stop systems, pumps, pressure-water-tight cellar windows, light shafts and other specifically engineered ‘water handling’ solutions,” states Sales Director Marco Pizzi.
The company processes a wide variety of quality materials, depending on the individual application: cast iron, plastics, polymer concrete and stainless steel.
The origins of ACO can be traced back to the year 1827 when the Ahlmann family started an iron foundry in Büdelsdorf – as the first industrial business in Schleswig-Holstein. The company as known today was founded by Josef-Severin Ahlmann in 1946 – at the site of the original foundry.
Today, ACO employs over 4,000 people in more than 40 countries in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia, including 1,500 in Germany.
The Group has 30 manufacturing plants worldwide and annual sales of 670 million EUR. Located in Bagnolo in Piano, not far from Bologna, ACO Passavant has been part of ACO since 1989.
Today, the company is one of the leading manufacturers of drainage equipment for all kinds of commercial and industrial facilities. The company has 50 employees in Italy and turns over ten million EUR, including approximately 10% from international activities.
“Our main direct export markets are Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Libya and Malta,” explains Mr. Pizzi. ACO Passavant mainly produces standard products suitable for a wide range of applications and markets.
“We are focused on special high performance drainage and water treatment components that fit many markets,” says Mr. Pizzi. “In addition, each subsidiary operation and manufacturing plant within the ACO Group has its special systems and solutions to meet individual customer demands and local market trends.”
The core business of ACO Passavant is drainage systems for interior and exterior applications. The company therefore has two production operations: one for polymer concrete products and one for stainless steel products.
ACO Passavant supplies its products to architects and project developers, distributors and wholesalers as well as directly to corporate end users.
“We have many loyal clients who have been served by us for decades,” states Mr. Pizzi. “Altogether, we have more than 900 active customers, including a growing number of project developers with whom we are working together on a close basis. We generally have very close customer relationships and always aim to transform our clients’ specific needs into effective, durable, competitively priced solutions.”
As a global technology leader in drainage systems, ACO – in Italy and elsewhere – is determined to further enhancing its international market position.
“Our goal is to be recognized as a worldwide reference for quality drainage solutions that are constantly being adapted to changing customer and environmental requirements,” concludes Mr. Pizzi.
