Minol: Networked for the future

Minol Messtechnik W. Lehmann GmbH & Co. KG enjoys a nationwide reputation as a service provider in the real estate world. Now the company is setting course for the future by introducing both the Internet of Things and smart services to the real estate business.

Many landlords, facility managers, owners and tenants are familiar with the name “Minol” from their annual energy costs billing: assigning heating, water and other running costs based on usage among all parties in line with the provisions of the German heating costs ordinance has long been the core business of the company founded in 1948. Especially in view of the energy turnaround, the statement of consumption is essential: it clearly illustrates residents’ consumption habits, encourages saving and is one of the most effective tools for reducing building energy costs. Metering devices like heat cost allocators, heat and water meters also bear the Minol brand name, for instance. Minol is headquartered in Leinfelden-Echterdingen (near Stuttgart) and operates 20 offices in Germany to ensure nationwide presence. The company belongs to the family-run Minol-ZENNER Group, together with the affiliated ZENNER company, which produces and sells metering equipment for global markets. Worldwide Minol and ZENNER have more than 2,600 employees in over 60 countries with local subsidiaries and sales partners.

Pioneer of digital transformation Aside from billing, Minol offers many services for professional legally secure facility management including mounting and testing the function of smoke detectors, testing water for legionella, energy performance certificates for properties and even natural gas for real estate via subsidiary Minol Energie. Minol is a pioneer of the digitisation mega trend. Back in the mid 1990s, Minol wireless metering systems enabled Minol to record consumption values from outside buildings to improve convenience for residents. Its customers support the company in digitising its processes. Minol groups a host of services which landlords and facility managers can use to automate billing under the broad term of “Process-optimised operating costs billing” (ProBeko). The company also offers energy monitoring so that facility managers always have a clear overview of consumption trends across all the buildings for which they are responsible.