Decarbonisation and grinding innovation
Christian Pfeiffer (Germany) is one of the leading suppliers for grinding and separation technologies to the global cement industry. Martin Paterson, managing director, discusses the latest trends in cement manufacturing technology and the potential for decarbonisation to drive innovation in grinding technologies.
Martin Paterson, Managing Director of Christian Pfeiffer
ICR: Can you give us a ‘virtual tour’ of Christian Pfeiffer and its main activities?
Martin Paterson (MP): Emphasising the holistic view of grinding processes for decades, the company has established itself as the global industry leader for innovative, efficient and sustainable grinding and separating solutions. With almost 100 years of experience in this field, Christian Pfeiffer’s mission is to continuously develop grinding and separation processes by dedicating our entire expertise and innovative capacity. Every process-relevant component is being developed, tested and optimised in-house. Christian Pfeiffer’s engineers look closely at the customer’s needs and develop solutions that are precisely oriented to the requirements of the respective production situation.
Though Christian Pfeiffer’s reputation for efficiency and sustainability was gained in the cement industry, we have been transferring it in a solution-oriented manner to challenge the status quo in the industrial minerals and mining sector.
ICR: What share of your business does the cement sector represent?
MP: As mentioned, the company was created and developed within the cement sector but began diversifying its portfolio from 2017 onwards. Meanwhile, approximately half of the €50m turnover comes from the newly-established industrial minerals and mining sectors. It is difficult to identify any regional trends, but my long experience in the projects business has taught me that opportunities always appear where and when we do not expect them.
ICR: You joined Christian Pfeiffer in November 2021 as managing director (Commercial). What is your background in the cement sector and why did you choose to join Christian Pfeiffer?
