Company History
The company founder, Theo Ott, has been involved with the manufacture and sale of wood
shingles since 1947. During a six-month visit to Canada in 1956, he learned the production
techniques that were being used there and was inspired by the Western red cedar.
He imported this wood, which is very good for splitting, for use in his own production
facilities in Germany. Finished shingles were also introduced at a later date.
Right up the present day, the company still enjoys excellent business relationships
with the best Canadian shingle manufacturers. In 1976 the Theo Ott company was established
and in 1980 it became a GmbH.
An article in the "Holz-Zentralblatt", a leading German trade journal for the forestry
and woodworking industries, drew Theo Ott’s attention to alerce shingles. In 1980 he
travelled to Chile and established the first contacts with manufacturers and exporters.
He once again imported wood and finished shingles until 1986 when, following an amendment,
the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna
banned the import of this type of wood.
In 1987, Bernhard Thußbas, Theo Ott’s son-in-law, took over management of the GmbH.
Having lost one of his important sources of income without warning, he searched for
alternatives to alerce shingles. In the following years, a modern shingles workshop
was built in the warehouse in Hammerau. The building was converted and warehouse
stock movement was subsequently carried out by forklift truck. As a result of the
new production equipment, production capacity was able to be increased by up to
50 m² of roof shingles a day.
By 1990, having made several trips to Eastern Europe, which in those days was still
something of a great adventure, Bernhard Thußbas had already established contacts with
woodworking companies there and in 1991 he began importing split shingles made from larch,
spruce and oak from Poland and Czechoslovakia as it was then known. Over the years,
production in Hammerau continued to be scaled down and the machines were transported
to the various new business partners. In 1993, a production facility for sawn shingles
was constructed in Poland.
Following the modernisation work carried out in 1996 and 1997, capacity has now reached
approx. 2.3 million units annually of sawn shingles made from oak, larch, spruce and hornbeam.
In 2002, the company commenced its activities in Siberia. The Siberian larch is famous for
its exceptional quality of wood. Due to the tough climatic conditions in Siberia, the trees
grow very slowly. The wood is hard and has a high resin content. Nevertheless, several
obstacles had to be overcome before production could function in a continuous manner and
to the required quality. Today, the company also has a reliable supply of the very best
shingles from Siberia.
Theo Ott GmbH has enjoyed an almost five-fold increase in sales volume since 1986 and
as the company continued to expand, ever-increasing problems were experienced in terms
of storage capacity. Approx. 600 m² of warehouse space and approx.1.700 m² of
open-air storage had previously been available. However, in the spring of 1999 the decision
was taken to build a new warehouse with a capacity of around 450 m² . There is now
adequate capacity for approx.10,000 m² of split shingles and approx. 400,000 units of
sawn decorative shingles, which the company constantly holds in stock.
When the rebuilding work was carried out, space was also created for a larger office. Data
processing and office technology were also brought up to the very latest standards. Today,
Theo Otto GmbH is one of the largest businesses in Europe specializing in wood shingles.
Exports account for approx. 40% of sales. The company has customers throughout the whole
of Germany, in Austria, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Switzerland.
Shingles are also exported to Sweden, the Canary Islands, Korea and the Caribbean.
Up to 10 shipments a day leave the Ott premises, all neatly packaged and palleted. Orders
received before 12 noon, for shingles which are in stock, are dispatched on the same day.
If necessary, the company can deliver within 24 hours throughout Germany.
We look forward to your visit!
Warmest regards from the
Theo Ott Team
