He was one of the four founders in 1989 and Christian Ecker is still CEO of SCHILLER Austria today. At that time, he had already been working for the Tatschl company, which sold SCHILLER devices in Austria, for several years. He therefore already knew the market. In the spring of 1989, things really got going with the founding of SCHILLER Austria and an inauguration party.
Bestsellers yesterday and today
“Our bestsellers back then were the AT-6, as ECG device with spirometry and the AT-3 with its diagnostic software,” recalls Christian Ecker. “Some of these devices are still on the market with enthusiasts who use the latest SCHILLER products in their practices and clinics, but who simply value these long-lasting initial products too much to put them aside,” says Christian Ecker. Through digitalization, thermal printers and LCD displays, SCHILLER has turned the Austrian market upside down. The market share in the ECG sector in Austria is consistently around 60%. Today, the CARDIOVIT FT-1, AT-102 G2 and CS-104 are at the top of the popularity rankings.
From Austria to Eastern Europe
SCHILLER developed the Eastern European market from Austria. In the early 1990s, subsidiaries were established in Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and in the Ukraine, as well as in various Balkan states. “We established branches, sales offices or subsidiaries depending on the legal possibilities,” Christian Ecker recounts of the expansion.
