Terhalle Timber Construction

Sustainable building with wood – that has been the core of the medium-sized company Terhalle Holzbau GmbH for nearly 40 years. “We are a very active company,” says Ludger Wittland, Managing Director and Head of Marketing & Sales. “Over the past 40 years, we’ve experienced significant growth. When you constantly have to fight for your position in the market, you learn to adapt and that keeps you moving forward.”

In 1986, master carpenter and joiner Josef Terhalle founded the family business as a carpentry company. In 1990, he expanded the portfolio with a joinery workshop, and by 1992 the first timber frame houses followed. Since timber construction became increasingly accepted in northern Germany and architects embraced it, Terhalle has been building turn-key timber homes since 1995.

In 2007, the product range was expanded to include the production of windows and façades. “Since 2008, we’ve also been a window manufacturer,” says Ludger Wittland. At that time, Josef Terhalle already had 80 employees in his own company. He took over his former training company located directly adjacent to his property along with all 30 employees.

“Today, we produce everything ourselves that relates to the closed building envelope,” Wittland explains. “We have our own joiners, carpenters and roofers, which means the envelope is complete. For all technical building systems, we collaborate with specialized partners.”

Through acquisitions and expansions, the Terhalle Group now also includes a metal construction company, a roofing company, an architectural office, and branches in Berlin and Hengelo (the Netherlands). “I’ve been with the company for ten years now, and every year we’ve built a new hall,” says Wittland. A company in constant growth, now employing more than 620 people, all proud of their successful organization.

“For us, it’s all about integrated, climate-neutral construction, that’s our vision,” says Ludger Wittland. “Wood has so many advantages over other building materials. Every cubic metre of wood stores the equivalent of one ton of CO₂! Much of what we build should also be easy to dismantle. Circular construction and sustainability are essential to us, and timber construction gives us a significant advantage over other building methods.”

“Our strength is quality,” Wittland sums up. “We deliver outstanding quality in all areas of our business, which brings us many satisfied customers. The quality of our employees is also very high and they are all trained in-house. Each year, we take on 20 to 25 trainees across seven different apprenticeships, and 90% of them stay with us after completing their training.

We invest heavily in our apprentices: we visit schools, invite them to our premises and offer internships. And if you do that well, word spreads quickly among young people.”

“We are proud to have very low staff turnover and a highly motivated team, thanks in part to our excellent working conditions,” says Wittland. These conditions include the option to work from home for pregnant women and mothers with young children, as well as plenty of room for individual initiative and personal development.

“At our company, everyone has the opportunity to grow and is responsible for their own area of work,” Wittland explains. “The most rewarding thing is when employees truly enjoy coming to work and of course, they talk about that with friends, family, and everyone they meet.” He adds: “Thanks to our well-functioning suggestion system, every employee can contribute to progress. Every idea is evaluated, and if implemented, it is rewarded.”

Why air cleaning? “That had actually always been on our agenda,” explains Clemens Gesenhues, Safety Officer and Technical Director. “But after we installed a new fire alarm system, we had to take action, we could no longer postpone it.”

“Out of concern for our employees alone,” adds Ludger Wittland. Employees have always been central at Terhalle. “That’s why we do it. What does Josef Terhalle always say? If people work for me for a long time, they should be able to retire in good health!”

In May 2023, Josef Terhalle discovered Euromate’s air filtration solutions at LIGNA in Hanover – the leading global trade fair for the woodworking and wood processing industry. Euromate had a booth at the event, where a DFI air cleaner was on display. Shortly afterwards, Josef Terhalle ordered seven air cleaners “with a trade fair discount,” as Clemens Gesenhues adds.

Terhalle was very satisfied with the advice provided by Senol Göktas from Euromate, both during and after the exhibition. “I became convinced that these air claners could genuinely solve our fine dust problem,” says Clemens Gesenhues. Another reason for the swift decision to invest in this solution, according to Gesenhues, was the “simple installation without major construction work.”

Seven DFI industrial air cleaners are now in operation at Terhalle in Ahaus. How have the devices performed? “Very well,” says Clemens Gesenhues. “And that’s measurable: the smoke detection system of the fire alarm in the filtered areas is now significantly less dusty than it was before the installation of Euromate’s extraction units.”

Because Euromate continuously improves its products, the seven DFI units have recently received an update. They are now equipped with modern online control and can be operated remotely via a browser.

The employees are also very satisfied, Gesenhues notes – and that’s extremely important at Terhalle. “Other companies in the wood industry should definitely look into this,” he says. “Because what does Josef Terhalle always say? If people work for me for a long time, they should be able to retire in good health!”