Scheidt & Bachmann

Scheidt & Bachmann
Andrewrabbott · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Scheidt & Bachmann
Type	Private
Founded	1872
Founder	Heinrich Scheidt; August Bachmann
Headquarters	Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Key people	Executive Board
Industry	Industrial engineering; Transport technology; Payment systems
Products	Fare collection systems; Ticketing machines; Parking solutions; Fuel retail systems; Access control

Scheidt & Bachmann is a German engineering firm founded in the 19th century that produces automated systems for railway fare collection, parking management, fuel retail payment, and access control used by public and private clients worldwide. The company has collaborated with transit authorities, airport operators, and municipal administrations, deploying equipment in networks operated by organizations such as Deutsche Bahn, Transport for London, and municipal agencies across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Its product lines intersect with technologies developed by firms and institutions including Siemens, Thales Group, IBM, Oracle Corporation, and universities such as the RWTH Aachen University.

History

Founded in 1872 by Heinrich Scheidt and August Bachmann in Mönchengladbach, the firm initially manufactured mechanical devices before expanding into electromechanical and electronic systems during the 20th century, aligning its development with milestones involving companies like Siemens and standards bodies such as the International Electrotechnical Commission. During the postwar era the company supplied equipment to rail operators including Deutsche Bahn and collaborated with industrial partners like Bosch and Kassel Maschinenbau to adapt to electrification and automation trends influenced by events such as the Marshall Plan and the growth of the European Coal and Steel Community. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries S&B entered digital ticketing and networked payment systems, interacting with technology ecosystems represented by Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Google, and payment networks like Visa and Mastercard.

Products and Services

The company offers fare collection equipment used by transit authorities and operators including validators and vending machines comparable in role to products from Cubic Corporation, MTR Corporation, and INIT. Its parking solutions—parking meters, pay stations, and guidance systems—compete with offerings from Schrack Seconet and TIBA Parking Systems, serving municipalities and private operators such as APCOA Parking and Q-Park. Fuel retail solutions integrate forecourt controllers and payment terminals akin to systems used by Shell, BP, and convenience chains like 7-Eleven. Access and revenue control products are deployed at stadia and airports alongside integrators like Gatwick Airport and Frankfurt Airport. Value-added services include software for revenue management and backend clearing comparable to platforms from Finastra and SAP SE.

Technology and Innovation

S&B has pursued innovations in contactless ticketing and mobile integration, adopting standards such as ISO/IEC 14443 and compatibility with schemes modeled after Octopus Card and Oyster card infrastructures. Its systems interoperate with open-loop and closed-loop architectures seen in deployments by Transport for London and operators implementing EMV contactless payments. The company has developed telemetry and remote maintenance capabilities influenced by industrial automation vendors like Rockwell Automation and Siemens PLM Software, and leverages cybersecurity guidance from organizations such as ENISA and compliance frameworks akin to PCI DSS. Research collaborations and patent activity have paralleled work at institutions including Fraunhofer Society and Technical University of Munich.

Global Operations and Locations

Headquartered in Mönchengladbach, S&B operates manufacturing and service facilities across Germany, with regional offices and subsidiaries in markets such as United Kingdom, United States, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and South Africa. Regional projects often involve coordination with transit agencies such as Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York) and municipal authorities like the City of London Corporation and municipal utilities in cities such as Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Madrid, Paris, Rome, and Toronto.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

Operated as a privately held company, the organization’s governance includes an executive management team and supervisory structures similar to corporate models used by family-owned German engineering enterprises allied with financial partners like Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank. Its ownership model mirrors patterns among engineering firms that balance family ownership and institutional investors, comparable to the governance approaches at firms such as Schneider Electric (for comparison) and midsized groups in the Mittelstand.

Major Projects and Clients

Major transit clients have included agencies connected to networks operated by Deutsche Bahn, Transport for London, New York City Transit Authority, Chicago Transit Authority, SNCF, RATP Group, Moscow Metro, Shanghai Metro, Hong Kong MTR, and regional operators like Dublin Bus and Translink (NI). Airport and concession clients include operators similar to Fraport, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, and regional airport authorities. Parking and municipal implementations have been contracted by firms and local governments such as APCOA Parking, city councils of Leipzig and Graz, and private retail clients modeled on Tesco and IKEA store networks.

Corporate Responsibility and Certifications

The company adheres to quality and environmental standards aligned with certifications such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 and follows occupational health guidance comparable to OHSAS 18001 frameworks. Sustainability initiatives reflect commitments similar to corporate responsibility programs seen at Siemens AG and BASF, including energy efficiency in manufacturing, supplier code of conduct provisions analogous to those promoted by the OECD and reporting practices that echo disclosure models encouraged by the European Commission and international organizations like the United Nations Global Compact.

Category:Engineering companies of Germany Category:Transportation companies