Heinz Gillrath - 75 years of entrepreneurial spirit and passion for bricks
Heinz Gillrath celebrated his 75th birthday on 12 March 2025. As the long-standing owner of the Gillrath brickworks, he has shaped brick production for decades, combining tradition with innovation. Under his leadership, the family business developed into a nationally recognised producer of high-quality clinker bricks, which can now be found on historic and prestigious buildings - including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zeche Zollverein in Essen.
Born the youngest of four children, Heinz Gillrath grew up in an entrepreneurial environment and learnt about the work in his father’s brickworks at an early age. After training as an industrial management assistant and completing 15 months of military service, he joined the company in 1974 at the age of 24 and gradually modernised it. Under his management, new machines such as forklift trucks were introduced, production was made more efficient and the traditional ring kiln processes were further refined. In the 1990s, he increasingly focussed on handmade, rustic clinker bricks - a decision that proved to be visionary and established the Gillrath brand in the high-quality construction sector.
Despite economic crises in the construction industry, Heinz Gillrath managed the company with foresight. He established strategic partnerships, such as with the company Bockhorner and, since 2010, with the medium-sized company Janinhoff, and built up a strong sales co-operation. The major fire in 2010, which severely damaged the production facility, was a decisive event. But instead of giving up, he decided to rebuild - a decision that turned out to be forward-looking. His sons Bastian and Marcus joined the company, brought in fresh ideas and focussed on sustainable concepts such as photovoltaics, combined heat and power generation and recycled bricks.
Today, Gillrath Brickworks stands for the highest quality and craftsmanship. Thanks to its continuous development and commitment to sustainable production, the company has been able to supply numerous prestigious construction projects. Heinz Gillrath remains a formative figure in the company to this day, but is slowy starting to retire while his sons shape the future of the company.
With his life’s work, Heinz Gillrath not only secured a family business, but also left a lasting mark on traditional brick production in Germany. His 75th birthday is a worthy occasion to look back on an impressive life’s work and to honour his services to building culture.
