Fleischwaren Höllerschmid is a family-run business with around 100 employees, placing great importance on regional sourcing, quality and artisanal processing. The company sources most of its meat from Austrian partner farms and supplies the hospitality sector, large-scale kitchens and private customers. End consumers receive personal advice on premium products at the “Fleischbank” shop. Only beef, poultry and pork from regional farmers are processed.
“Sustainable cooperation with farmers, transparent product origin and well-trained employees are particularly important to us. With branded programmes and the highest quality standards, we aim to set ourselves apart from the traditional market,” says Managing Director Christoph Höllerschmid-Haslinger.
“Fleischbank” Expands Its Site
After the site in Walkersdorf, Lower Austria, had been gradually expanded over the years through smaller extensions for sales and storage, it was enlarged once again in 2016. As part of this expansion, the “Fleischbank” shop was created, offering 140 square metres of retail space for direct sales. The Fleischbank provides end customers with perfectly matured products, a range of 500 different items and expert advice. Each product label contains precise information on origin, from slaughter date to fat content.
“Our aim is to combine traditional craftsmanship with modern retail. Customers typically come to us because of our diverse range, which includes dry-aged beef, a wide variety of pork products as well as special ham and sausage specialities,” Höllerschmid explains.
Comprehensive Modernisation
Before long, working space once again became limited and the building’s technical systems had become outdated. In 2024, the owner family therefore decided to undertake a major refurbishment and extension of the existing meat processing plant. In total, 2,500 square metres of new space were created for fresh meat processing, goods reception, logistics and building services, as well as offices and social facilities. The modern extension blends seamlessly into the architecture of the Fleischbank shop and features large glass surfaces and a continuous stainless-steel façade.
“The workspaces are now flooded with light and equipped with modern ventilation technology and height-adjustable tables,” Höllerschmid describes. He also had clear requirements for the new refrigeration systems: “A key requirement was a system using a modern refrigerant such as CO₂. We also needed an advanced control system for temperature monitoring, as well as an alert system and a 24/7 emergency service.”
Reliability and Trust Matter
With the support of a specialist planner, Höllerschmid reviewed various energy-efficient refrigeration systems using natural refrigerants. Ultimately, the meat specialist chose Hauser as its partner, impressed by the company’s high-quality solutions and strong regional service network.
“What we particularly value at Hauser is the hands-on mentality, which fits very well with our family business. The highly available service and the 24/7 emergency support were also decisive factors, as they are essential for our operations,” says Höllerschmid.
Renewing the refrigeration system proved challenging: following completion of the shell construction, the old system had to be dismantled and the new refrigeration system installed while meat processing and retail operations continued.
“In close coordination with Hauser, we planned exactly when individual areas would be switched from the old system to the new one. The conversion phase also brought some unexpected challenges, such as a fault in the old refrigeration system. Fortunately, Hauser was able to rectify the issue within a few hours,” Höllerschmid reports.
Modern, Highly Efficient Refrigeration Technology
Cooling is now provided by two transcritical CO₂ refrigeration systems from Hauser with a total capacity of around 700 kW. These systems reliably supply the entire meat processing operation, storage and dry ageing rooms, as well as the blast freezer. The complete system is housed in a full-surface intermediate technical level. The five dry ageing rooms are equipped with specialised temperature and humidity control to precisely monitor the five-week maturation process and ensure product safety.
“An alarm system notifies us by email of any deviations or cooling failures, allowing us to take immediate action,” says Höllerschmid.
The new system operates with a high level of reliability, reducing the need for repairs and maintenance. In addition, cold exposure for employees has been significantly reduced, as highly modern evaporators distribute cooling air evenly throughout the cold and working rooms.
Another Step Towards Sustainability
A key contribution to efficiency and sustainability is the recovery of waste heat from the refrigeration systems to heat the buildings.
“We have noticed that we now require less energy per square metre. Thanks to heat recovery, we save around 25 per cent in heating costs,” explains the Managing Director.
The new refrigeration system is an important component of the company’s sustainability strategy. Fleischwaren Höllerschmid is also a klimaaktiv partner.
“The environmentally friendly CO₂ refrigeration system fits perfectly into our operating concept. We are consistently working to reduce our emissions and have already phased out natural gas. We now use electricity generated by our own photovoltaic system to cook ham products. In addition, we train our employees to use energy and resources responsibly,” Höllerschmid concludes.
