A dependable partner in all weathers
Reliable and solution-oriented – Vienna’s Neustädter Stadtwerke und Kommunalservice GmbH (WNSKS) has collected waste for over 70 years, and now does so from 36 municipalities. They process it using several Komptech machines, from Topturn to Terminator.
Image: Udo Wiesmüller and Gerhard Neubauer (WNSKS)
Last November a purple truck drove onto the grounds of this Austrian recycler. On it was a brand-new Topturn X5500. This Komptech machine’s job was to turn the windrows on the composting plot efficiently to support the rotting process. The team watched with anticipation as the imposing windrow turner rolled off the truck. But before getting started there was a detailed orientation by Komptech Service Rep Michael Haberl. Then the big moment came: The new Topturn X made its way through its first windrow, and immediately impressed the entire team with its performance. But it’s not the first Komptech turner to create the optimum conditions for microorganisms in windrows. Almost 30 years ago, in 1997, a Topturn 4500 – Serial No. 2 – went into operation there, at a time when composting in Austria was just getting started.
„We always want to serve our region the best we can. That is our main focus and Komptech has supported us in that effort for many years now.“
– Udo Wiesmüller –
Operations Manager and Director of
Wiener Neustadt Waste Management
MILESTONES IN COMPANY HISTORY
The Topturn was one of the big milestones in the history of WNSKS. Udo Wiesmüller, Waste Management Operations Manager and Waste and Commercial Law Director at the site, looks back: “We were collecting more and more or-ganic waste. At some point we were no longer able to manage the windrows with the front loader.” He has been with the team since 1997 and since 2000 has been Operations Manager. As the operative arm of the Wiener Neustadt Waste Management Association, WNSKS now serves a total of 36 municipalities with some 70,000 households. Every year the company processes around 75,000 tonnes of waste, of which 25,000 tonnes are domestic and residual waste, 12,000 organic material, and the rest light packaging, paper and bulky waste. But how did such a large collection site come to be in Wiener Neustadt?
Images: Delivering the Topturn and detail orientation before starting.
Waste disposal started here way back in 1954 with two collection vehicles. In the 1970s WNSKS was at the forefront of the industry in Austria, with the country’s first foil-sealed domestic waste landfill. In the late 80s the company set another milestone with the introduction of se-parate organic waste collection. A compost site was part of this. In 1997 the increasing amount of organic waste led the company to invest in the aforementioned Topturn 4500, the first of several Komptech machines that reliably assist this municipal works in recycling and waste processing.
Image: Rain or shine or inclement weather, the Topturn keeps going.
Image: WNSKS uses several Komptech drum screens.
Here we see a Maxx drum screen in winter operation.
HOT ROTTING AND BIOGAS
The path to the current structure of the site was paved with numerous other developments. “Back then, windrow composting was not yet a mature technique, so there were frequent complaints from the neighbours about the odour. To address that we built an enclosed hot rotting compost tunnel system,” says Udo Wiesmüller. Later the existing sorting system was upgraded into a mechanical-biological waste processing system which is now used to dry residual waste. In 2020 a modular dry fermentation biogas plant was taken into operation, which today supplies the location with energy and heat.
„We’re proud that with our machines we can make an important contribution to the efficiency and economic success of Wiener Neustadt Waste Management.“
– Roland Göschl –
Area Sales Manager at Komptech
BULKY WASTE SHREDDED RIGHT
The long relationship with Komptech has been very positive; over the course of the company’s history they procured several other machines like a Maxx drum screen and Mashmaster mixer. For shredding bulky waste, the company decided on a Terminator xtron, as Udo Wiesmüller reports: “The Terminator impressed us with its powerful shredding technology as well as with the quality of the end result.”
Image: The Terminator xtron in operation.
Image: Udo Wiesmüller, Gerhard Neubauer and the Terminator xtron.
Gerhard Neubauer, who has been with the company since 2000 and has been responsible for composting since 2013, talks enthusiastically about the long relationship of WNSKS with Komptech: “The company provides unbeatable service. Whenever we call, there is always somebody there who can help us right away. That level of service has become very difficult to find these days.”
„Komptech’s service is unbeatable as far as we’re concerned. Whenever we call, someone is there and quickly helps us find the best solution for any issue.“
– Gerhard Neubauer –
WNSKS Category Manager
The 24-hour service reduces downtime to an absolute minimum, in any weather including a cold winter like this past one. Wiesmüller adds, “Naturally, before every new acquisition we look at several different machines, and Komptech wins not just on the quality of their products, but also on value for money. We always look at everything in person, and both the drum shredding as well as the opening of the material are really very, very good.”
One thing is certain – Komptech will remain a faithful partner by WNSKS’ side. Roland Göschl, Area Sales Manager at Komptech, explains: “One of the main challenges ahead of us will definitely be the upcoming compost ordinance and the associated need for contaminant reduction in organic waste. Plastic bags in organic waste remain a big problem.” Komptech is already a participant in the Plastic Free Compost project, which researches how contaminants can best be removed from waste streams. But whatever surprises may await, WNSKS can always rely on Komptech for dependable service, the highest expertise and rigorously solution-oriented action.
About Abfallwirtschaft Wiener Neustadt – WNSKS GmbH:
Location:
Wiener Neustadt in Austria
Company size:
~ 19 million euros revenue
~ 120 employees
Komptech machines:
Topturn X5500
Maxx drum screens
Terminator xtron
This is the online version of the article „A dependable partner in all weathers” from the Komptech magazine Opportunity / Issue No. 5 (2026)
Image rights: All images © Komptech GmbH where not otherwise indicated.
No liability accepted for changes or errors.
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