We have been developing and manufacturing life-saving equipment for aviation and shipping since 1926. Today, more than 120 employees work at our site in Holm, near Hamburg. We supply around 100,000 lifejackets every year.<\/p>
Behind SECUMAR lie 100 years of company history, a clear philosophy and a combination of in-house development, a high degree of vertical integration and the \u2018Made in Germany\u2019 standard. Our commitment remains unchanged: we aim to develop and manufacture life-saving equipment that works reliably when it matters most.<\/p>
SECUMAR is the brand of \u201cBernhardt Apparatebau GmbH u. Co.\u201d. For decades, the name has stood for safety and rescue at sea. Our history began with diving equipment and diving helmets. From this, a company evolved that today manufactures lifejackets and other rescue equipment for demanding operations on, in, under and above the water.<\/p>
The company\u2019s history began in 1926 with Karl Bernhardt\u2019s manufacture of diving equipment and diving helmets. Over the following decades, Bernhardt Apparatebau developed into a specialist in technical equipment for the maritime sector.<\/p>
In 1961, Jost Bernhardt coined the brand name SECUMAR. He combined the terms \u2018Securitas\u2019, meaning safety, and \u2018in mare\u2019, meaning in the sea or at sea. Thus, the name was found that still stands for our life-saving equipment today.<\/p>
Following the Second World War, an enquiry from the Danish Navy drew the company\u2019s attention to the subject of lifejackets. A customer had enquired about lifejackets in addition to diving equipment. The Bernhardt team took this enquiry as an opportunity to focus intensively on the development of suitable life-saving equipment.<\/p>
In 1957, the maritime tragedy involving the Pamir led to a radical rethink. The training sailing ship sank in a hurricane off the Azores. Only six men from the 86-strong crew were rescued alive from the lifeboats.<\/p>
Many of those left at sea drowned because the lifejackets in use at the time kept the body afloat but did not reliably keep the head above water. Jost Bernhardt and his team therefore developed rescue equipment designed to protect the wearer from drowning even whilst unconscious. The lifejacket had to turn a person from a prone position onto their back and keep their head, with their face, above water.<\/p>
To achieve this, the company expanded its fundamental research into the physics of swimming and the behaviour of the human body in water. The research findings were published, amongst other places, in the study Mensch im Medium Wasser (Humans in the Medium of Water). Crucial insights into torque enabled the development of a lifejacket capable of turning the wearer into a position that prevented them from losing consciousness.<\/p>
In 1958, Bernhardt Apparatebau launched the Norge 3F, the first unconsciousness-safe lifejacket. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in the development of modern lifejackets.<\/p>
Today, we develop and manufacture lifejackets for both recreational water sports and professional applications. These include, amongst others, use by fire services, in civil protection, by rescue organisations and in the shipping industry. Our products are used in aviation and on the water, as well as in specialised technical applications.<\/p>
The development of our life-saving equipment thrives on dialogue with the people who use it. Feedback from the field, our own tests and the continuous refinement of our products are therefore closely intertwined. One example of this synergy is the specialist lifejackets we have developed for the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service.<\/p>
We combine practical experience with our own research and development, intensive testing and high quality standards. Our aim is not to offer as many products as possible. We want to develop the right, reliable solution for a variety of applications.<\/p>
Since the start of this millennium, we have been based in Holm, Schleswig-Holstein, near Hamburg. On a site covering around 10,000 square metres, our production and administration, development, sewing workshop, sales and marketing departments work closely together.<\/p>
The proximity between the various departments is a key advantage for us. Many processes remain directly traceable. Queries can be resolved quickly. Insights gained from production and from our contact with customers are immediately incorporated into further development.<\/p>
\u201cWe want to remain at our site in Germany because we have deep roots here and feel a sense of responsibility towards our employees and our region,\u201d says Benjamin Bernhardt, who is the fourth generation to lead the company.<\/p>
Even as a child, he acted as a \u2018crash test dummy\u2019 for the first SECUMAR inflatable lifejacket designed for young children aged two and over. Jan Ulrich Bernhardt, a member of the management board and Benjamin Bernhardt\u2019s father, also emphasises the importance of the location:<\/p>
\u201cWe rely on production here in Holm because we manufacture life-saving equipment that must function 100 per cent reliably. We can meet this quality standard here with our highly motivated team.\u201d<\/p>
We manufacture in Germany because this is where we find the conditions necessary to meet our quality standards. These include our in-house development, high vertical integration, short supply chains and the expertise of our staff.<\/p>
\u201cIt is precisely because we place such a strong emphasis on quality that we manufacture in Germany. Only here are we able to achieve this high standard of quality. Innovation is, and always will be, a key priority for us,\u201d says Benjamin Bernhardt.<\/p>
Our goal is clear: we want to remain specialists in rescue equipment for aviation and shipping and distribute our products worldwide.<\/p>
Four generations of the Bernhardt family have shaped the company. Founder Karl Bernhardt was succeeded by Jost Bernhardt, Jan Ulrich Bernhardt and Benjamin Bernhardt. Every generation has placed great emphasis on in-house research and development. This combination of experience, technical expertise and continuous development has made SECUMAR synonymous with safety and reliability.<\/p>
We supply around 100,000 inflatable lifejackets every year. Over the decades, we have produced many millions of inflatable lifejackets. On top of that, there are millions more non-inflatable lifejackets.<\/p>
Our company has grown step by step. The team of eight from the 1950s has grown into a workforce of more than 120 employees. They shape SECUMAR with their ideas, technical expertise, craftsmanship and passion.<\/p>
For us, responsibility means more than just developing and manufacturing reliable life-saving equipment. In our anniversary year, we are aiming for ISO 14001 certification. Our solar panel system supports an energy-efficient and independent power supply. We are also involved in regional projects as well as in sport and culture. This includes the \u2018ars secumaris\u2019 series of events.<\/p>
100 years of company history give us cause to look back. Above all, however, they spur us on to continue our work with determination. The goal remains the same: we want to develop the best possible life-saving equipment for each era and thereby ensure safety on the water and in the air.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A family-run business, a history, a name: SECUMAR We have been developing and manufacturing life-saving equipment for aviation and shipping since 1926. Today, more than 120 employees work at our site in Holm, near Hamburg. We supply around 100,000 lifejackets every year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":61423,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[936],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n