Uwe Brinkschulte, HYDROTEC Chairman, and Christian Wenzing, HYDROTEC Export Manager, visited SIGMA’s corporate headquarters in Cream Ridge New Jersey in February. SIGMAFLows caught up with Uwe, and he was kind enough to spend some time talking about the history of HYDROTEC, the drainage industry, and the latest market trends.
SIGMAFlows: Can you tell us about the history of HYDROTEC?
Uwe Brinkschulte: HYDROTEC has been producing trench drains since 1992. It is a family business started by my father, who supplied grates to major manufacturers. There was a high demand for drainage products, and he got the idea to make the entire trench assembly as an all-in-one product. He also patented the locking mechanism, which was revolutionary. We created the first boltless grate locking mechanism. Everyone tried to copy it, but we had the patent.
SF: How did you form the affiliation with SIGMA?
UB: We had a supplier in India who also supplied SIGMA. He knew SIGMA CEO Victor Pais well and thought there might be good potential between our two companies. He made the connection, and we met in a club in India. Victor liked the idea of selling HYDROTEC in the US. That was back in 2012.
SF: What changes have you seen in the industry over the years?
UB: Our industry is very conservative. There is not a lot of change in the material—we use concrete because we believe it is the best. What we have seen is a lot of different types of products from the same materials. In recent years, there are more and more heavy rainstorms due to climate change. This means flooding, and therefore a need for better drainage. New construction has to include a drainage plan, which diverts stormwater so it doesn’t overtax the sewer system and infrastructure. Trench drains provide a cost effective solution to this increasingly common issue.
SF: What future trends can you anticipate in the drainage market?
UB: Retention Trenches. These are huge trenches that hold the water and allow it to flow out gradually to avoid overwhelming the system. As we see more and more flash floods and super storms occurring all over the world, we will probably see more of these type of drainage solutions.