Hydrant cartel
The hydrant cartel consisted of six companies that carried out illegal price fixing and thus secured a market share of 70% in Germany. In 2011 the cartel proceedings were opened, as a result of which a cartel fine of around 15.5 million euros was imposed.
There were initial indications of collusion in the course of the investigation into a cartel between two manufacturers of cast iron pipes. In February 2007 the Federal Cartel Office searched nine companies in the hydrant industry. After the search, the companies Erhard, Schmieding and Frischhut submitted a bonus application . The managing director Rolf Kummer from Heidenheim helped with the clarification and the investigations of the cartel office.
Companies affected by the antitrust fine include
- Erhard GmbH & Co. KG , Heidenheim an der Brenz
- Schmieding Armaturen GmbH , Holzwickede
- Frischhut Armaturen und Formteile GmbH, Heidenheim an der Brenz
- AVK Mittelmann Armaturen GmbH, Wülfrath
- VAG Armaturen GmbH , Mannheim
- vonRoll hydrotec GmbH, Prenzlau
The President of the Federal Cartel Office, Andreas Mundt , discussed the scope of the price agreements : These included increases in list prices, general discounts as well as individual maximum discounts and conditions for certain customers. There were regular discussion groups, in some cases since 1995, in which managing directors and sales managers exchanged information about competitively relevant information. The cartel agreements severely impaired competition over a long period of time.
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- Bundeskartellamt: fines of millions against hydrant cartel from December 16, 2011
- the west: Cartel Office imposes a fine on Schmieding
- Newspaper archive of the Heidenheimer Zeitung and the Südwest Presse Article: Erhard cooperated in the investigation of the Cartel Office