Heinz-Peter Schlüter founded Trimet and led it to continuous growth. In the process, he shaped it into the type of company that can rarely be found today. He founded Trimet in 1985 as a metals trading company with a staff of three. In the 1990s, the company entered the aluminium production sector by taking over the aluminium smelter in Essen and the recycling plant in Gelsenkirchen. Through further acquisitions, Schlüter was able to keep production facilities open and secure local jobs while proving a sustainable future for aluminium production and processing in Europe. Today, Trimet Aluminium SE operates eight locations in Germany and France, including four aluminium smelters, two recycling plants and a number of foundries. With nearly 3,000 employees, the materials specialist has become a leading European aluminium producer.