DMT's roots lie in the early hard coal industry surrounding the Rhine and Ruhr rivers and the founding of the organization Bergamtskasse Graftschaft Mark in 1737. At first solely responsible for the finances of the supervisory mining authorities, a merger in 1864 formed the Westfälische Berggewerkschaftskasse (WBK) and greatly expanded the company's focus to include miners' training, research, testing, and consulting and subsequently developing it into one of Germany's leading research and testing facilities as safety in mines became more stringent.
As a result of the German mining crisis in the 1960s and the foreseeable decline of the coal industry in the decades thereafter, the WBK joined forces with Bergbauforschung Essen and Versuchsgrubengesellschaft in Dortmund in 1990 under the new name DMT. Their mission was to develop and exploit new markets and regions in order to become independent from the German coal industry, and what better initial credential than the cutting-edge technology which had already made German coal mining the safest worldwide?
“DMT has fulfilled its mission” explains DMT CEO Prof. Dr. Eiko Räkers. “However, DMT still is and will remain a reliable partner for the German coal industry up to the closure of the last German mines in 2018 and beyond, assisting in all issues related to hard coal mining”. Räkers adds “Upcoming challenges in Germany include the control of rising mine water, monitoring the after-effects of mining and the rehabilitation and redevelopment of abandoned mining sites”.
With a total of 14 engineering and consulting firms based at 30 offices worldwide DMT has earned the title of global group. Its service portfolio covers exploration, engineering, consulting and geotechnics as well as testing and monitoring. The development and manufacture of diverse industrial measuring systems and test products is a further string to DMT’s bow.
Since 2007 DMT has been a member of TÜV NORD GROUP with over 10,000 employees and offices in 70 countries. DMT forms one division within TÜV NORD GROUP and is a brand in its own right for the natural resources and infrastructure sectors.
DMT has established itself as an international engineering service provider and continues to grow and prosper at international level, with the brand "DMT" binding its manifold activities.
Experience and safety since 1737 – consolidated under the brand DMT for 25 years
Contact and further information
Dr. Paul Althaus
Tel +49 201 172-1989
Please visit the History of DMT.
Download of the press release 25 years of the brand DMT (pdf).
