Busch Group: Dr.-Ing. Karl Busch passes away at the age of 96

The engineer, inventor and entrepreneur Dr.-Ing. Karl Busch was born on April 20, 1929 in Lörrach (Baden-Württemberg) and grew up in Zell im Wiesental. In 1949, he began studying mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). It was there that he met his future wife Ayhan Gökay. In 1960, he completed his doctorate on the subject of friction and wear in water-cooled rotary compressors. In 1963, he founded the company Busch Vacuum Solutions together with his wife Ayhan Busch - with just 5,000 Deutschmarks in start-up capital. Over the following decades, he built it up into a globally active technology group with an annual turnover of over 2 billion US dollars. Today, more than 8,000 people in 44 countries work for the Busch Group, which includes the two well-known brands Busch Vacuum Solutions and Pfeiffer Vacuum+Fab Solutions.

Vacuum technology as the life's work of Dr.-Ing. Karl Busch

His life's work continues to shape the innovative power of vacuum technology in various industries worldwide. Dr. Karl Busch combined visionary thinking with the attention to detail of an engineer. His pioneering inventions, such as the Huckepack and R5 vacuum pumps for food packaging, were more than just technical masterpieces - they reflected his demand for practical solutions and the highest product quality. The R5 was revolutionary in its design and became the world's most successful vacuum pump with millions sold. Beyond his entrepreneurial achievements, Dr. Busch was a great family man. He involved his children in the company at an early stage, sought their advice and shaped a corporate culture based on family cohesion and shared values. His personal motto in life - in Alemannic dialect: "Nit luck lo!" - meant something like: "Never give up!" This motto ran like a red thread through his life, be it on hikes through the Black Forest into old age, a half marathon at 87 or during the negotiations for the first German-Chinese joint venture in 1978.

Dr.-Ing. Karl Busch active into old age

Dr.-Ing. Karl Busch also showed a strong sense of responsibility in his social commitment: he was involved in charitable projects, supported his home region and helped the next generation to continue his life's work. He attended the last managers' meeting in the Netherlands. Their last business trip together took him to Bavaria less than a year ago. And just two months ago, he celebrated his 96th birthday in Italy, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. Just a few days before his death, he said that he was at peace with his life - an expression of his unshakeably positive spirit. Dr.-Ing. Karl Busch is survived by his wife Ayhan, his children Ayla, Sami and Kaya and their partners, six grandchildren and a worldwide family of colleagues and friends.