GERMANY
Hohenstein, the testing service provider and research partner, has reliably carried out detergent tests for more than half a century. Now the group is saying goodbye to the established head of detergent testing for the past 30 years, Roswitha Hild, as she retires. Dr Eva Gierling will now take over as her successor from 01 May.
A lot has happened in the detergent market over the past 30 years. Amongst other things, Hohenstein has developed alternatives to the very time-consuming wash and wear tests, which have a duration of 22 weeks and thus represents a costly factor for the manufacturers.
“In 1992, colour detergents entered the market as powder detergents,” said Roswitha Hild. “We had to develop new test procedures as, unlike heavy-duty detergents, they also contain an additive to prevent bleeding.”
Internationalisation has also increased significantly in recent years: when it comes to detergent tests, many customers, including global customers such as Dalli Werke, Mifa and Chemolux Germany, have relied on the expertise of Hohenstein for decades. Dr Gerling is a graduate chemist and has worked for Hohenstein since 2010. She knows the industry: “Our customer structure is slow to change – once someone has worked with us, they often stay for decades.”
