bito AG is a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

-incorporated company based in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. It was first a wholesaler, and later a manufacturer, of industrial

paint Paint is a material or mixture that, when applied to a solid material and allowed to dry, adds a film-like layer. As art, this is used to create an image or images known as a painting. Paint can be made in many colors and types. Most paints are ...

s and finishes.

History

The company was founded in Berlin in 1966 by Rudolf Spitzley as a wholesale trader for industrial paint, pigment, colours and lacquer-varnish. Co-founders were Hans-Peter Haas and Gunther Wirth. In 1989, bito took over Wilhelm Detel GmbH in Uelzen. Today, the company owns branches in Eberswalde, Heinersdorf,

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and largest city of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the Havel, River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

Spandau Spandau () is the westernmost of the 12 boroughs of Berlin, boroughs () of Berlin, situated at the confluence (geography), confluence of the Havel and Spree (river), Spree rivers and extending along the western bank of the Havel. It is the smalle ...

and

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

. bito went public in 1999 under Joachim Spitzley, the founder's son.

Shift to production

In 2009, bito shifted from wholesale to production with a focus on research of colours and lacquer-varnishes. One major innovation of the company was the introduction of a green deposit system for containers and the use of recycled containers making Bito a pioneer of green

chemical engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of the operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials ...

and wholesale in Germany.

Sponsorship and charity

bito is a supporter of Berlin's local ice hockey team ''Die

Eisbären Berlin The Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also ...

'' and of ''

Robert Harting Robert Harting (; born 18 October 1984) is a retired German discus thrower. He represents the sports club SCC Berlin, his coach is Torsten Schmidt (athlete), Torsten Schmidt. He is a former Olympic, World, and European champion in the men's dis ...

'', the former Olympic, World, and European champion in the men's discus throw, and local small business as well as artists. Joachim Spitzley founded the Initiative ''Made in Berlin'' a network to support regional trade and commerce.
. Made in Berlin . Retrieved on 19 January 2012.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official WebsiteTriangle PaintingHouse Painting
German brands Paint manufacturers Manufacturing companies based in Berlin Business services companies established in 1966 1966 establishments in West Germany 1999 initial public offerings Chemical companies established in 2009