From Schiene to market leader In 1966, the young master tiler Werner Schlüter founded a new company in Saerbeck, Germany which has since made a name for itself worldwide as Schlüter-Systems. Only two years after the company was founded, Werner Schlüter relocated to Iserlohn, where the company headquarters are still located today. Fast forward to today and there are now international offices and further subsidiaries in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France and Turkey. Still in constant discussions, for example about the DITRA-HEAT-E electric wall heating system: Werner Schlüter and his sons Udo and Marc. With the company's own production facilities, competent experts and optimal technical equipment, the highest quality of system products is guaranteed. It all started with profiles made from all kinds of materials. Today the product portfolio includes much more, such as heating systems and drainage solutions. Secure waterproofing for wet rooms – made easy with the intelligent Schlüter-KERDI polyethylene film with fleece on both sides. Schlüter products are always tailored to our customers' requirements. Our prefabricated KERDI-BOARD sets, for example, let you build niches quickly and easily (and optionally even with lighting). Support and advice from our Technical Department through every stage of a project. "Our products cannot be sold - they must be understood". This motto underpins our specialised training. Schlüter-Systems is a company with activities worldwide yet is still family-owned; today it is in the hands of the second generation, headed by Marc (left) and Udo Schlüter (right). Comprehensive training gives installers knowledge to confidently install and work with our products. The entrance to Schlüter-Systems Ltd headquarters in Coalville, Leicestershire. Inside Schlüter-Systems Ltd's headquarters in Coalville, Leicestershire. Drawings by the Technical Department illustrate the build-up of our products. Consultation with knowledgable Schlüter experts ensures the right product selection for every project. We offer high product availability, with the UK warehouse stocking over 250,000 products. Schlüter products are installed at the headquarters in Coalville, helping make them easier to understand. Displays showcase product applications. Hands on training gives a better understanding of how our products are used. It all started with an idea... During a construction project in the mid-1970s, Werner Schlüter was faced with the challenge of neatly laying Florentine mosaic tiles in a bathroom. The exposed tile edges were prone to chipping and breaking. Werner Schlüter came to the conclusion that a metal L-shaped bracket, applied before the tiles were laid, would not only serve as an edge protector but also conceal the unglazed edge and create a straight and clean transition to the adjoining surfaces. A suitable product was not yet on the market at the time, so with the help of a toolmaker friend, he developed the first tile profile: Schlüter-SCHIENE was patented and launched on the market. A comprehensive product range To date, several hundred million linear metres of Schlüter-SCHIENE have been installed by tilers all over the world. Since the invention of SCHIENE, the product range has steadily expanded and today includes over 12,000 products, which are divided into the following areas: Bathroom & wetroom systems Our company ethos is: "Our products cannot be sold, they must be understood." This motto underlines the focus on education through our dedicated training courses. In these courses, we get hands-on with our products to demonstrate their benefits and how they can be used to achieve long-lasting tile and stone installations. We work with everyone involved in a project including distributors, showrooms, tilers, architects, contractors and specifiers to provide the best possible customer service. From product suitability and CAD drawings to checking general planning and on-site support: at Schlüter-Systems we are happy to assist you at any time during your project. Timeline of company history Company is founded and relocated Werner Schlüter opens his company, Fliesen-Schlüter, in Saerbeck in the Münsterland region. Tinkering and working on details resulting from daily work has been a part of life in the company from the outset. Just two years later the young company moves to Iserlohn, where the company headquarters remains to this day. Introduction of a classic product: Schlüter-SCHIENE Werner Schlüter develops the Schlüter-SCHIENE and begins production and distribution of what has remained a classic to this day, in the five heights M60, M80, M100, M125 and M150 in brass. The first SCHIENE products in aluminium and anodised aluminium enter the range just a year later – including the additional profile heights of 17.5, 20 and 22 millimetres. Three new product ranges for different areas in one year Three new product series are launched on the market: Schlüter-BARA for elegant covering of the edges of balcony structures, Schlüter-TREP for protection of the edges of steps and Schlüter-REMA to provide concealed access panels in tile coverings. Developments and presentation of a new smart product solution The attractive and functional Schlüter-JOLLY profile, in coloured coated aluminium or coloured plastic, solves the problem of unglazed tile edges on wall coverings. And the Schlüter-SCHIENE also gets a new cross-section, a new patent and the trapezoidal hole pattern in the anchoring leg. Division into two companies What was previously registered as a single company, Fliesen-Schlüter, is divided into two: Schlüter-Schiene GmbH and Fliesen-Schlüter GmbH. Presentation of a surface drainage system for outdoor areas With Schlüter-TROBA, Schlüter creates surface drainage for balconies and, combined with the Schlüter-BARA balcony system, creates the basis for functionally reliable coverings on balconies and terraces. With the Schlüter-DILEX profile series, movement joints can