Milestones of a dynamic corporate development

Back in the mid-1980s the company founder, Mr. Wolfram Sommer, made the step to start his own business. At the beginning still together with a corporate partner, Sommer GmbH & Co KG became an independent company in 1997 and was renamed to Sommer GmbH – better known as SOMMER Messtechnik – in 2013. In the early years the business focus was clearly on the so called home marked, that is Austria, Germany and Switzerland, whereas toady SOMMER holds his ground in a global environment while still being an owner-managed family business.

1987

Company foundation as Matt & Sommer through Wolfram Sommer and Klaus Matt
1989

First important orders in the field of hydrography
1989

First important stations for meteorology and equipping the avalanche warning services of Austria, Germany and South Tyrol
1996

Development of the „Lawinenwächter“ (avalanche and landslide monitoring) in cooperation with the company Doppelmayr
1997

Becoming independent as Sommer GmbH & Co KG (alias: Sommer Mess-Systemtechnik), relocation of corporate head office to the new building in Koblach, Austria
1999

Realising one of the first monitoring systems for landslides
2000-2002

EU research project „Snowpower“ for a system to measure local snow parameters for the calibration of satellite data
2004

Development of the snow depth sensor USH-8

New generation of SOMMER data loggers and water level loggers
2005

Market launch of radar sensors for level, surface flow velocity and discharge measurement (RL-15, RG-24, RQ-24)
2008-2009

FFG-research project for further development of the radar sensors for conditions of flood waters
2008

Going online with the SOMMER MDS (web data server for monitoring station)
2009

Market launch of the Snow Pack Analyser (SPA)
2009-2013

Establishing a redundant monitoring network for flood prevention in Vorarlberg (Austria) by order of the federal hydrographic service
2010

Market launch of the new generation of radar sensors for surface flow velocity and discharge measurement (RG-30, RQ-30)
2011

Market launch of the new Tracer System (TQ-S, TQ-F) for mobile discharge measurement through the tracer dilution method
2013

Rebranding to Sommer GmbH (alias: SOMMER Messtechnik)
2014

Nomination for the national innovation award by the ministry of economy with the Snow Pack Analyser (SPA)
2014

Award Best SME 2014 in Vorarlberg (Austria)
2014

Successful implementation of and certification with the quality management system ISO 9001:2008
2015

Opening of the new extension building in Koblach
2016

Market launch of the new generation of data loggers starting with the MRL-6
2016

Market launch of SQ series, the non-contact flow meters for wastewater, sewer systems and industrial effluents
2017

Successful recertification with the quality management system ISO 9001:2015

Success stories

The main pillars of our success are a motivated and highly qualified team, the clear commitment to continuous innovation based on a solid company structure with a high equity ratio. Our success proofs us right.

Sommer Messtechnik applications

Non-contact flow velocity measurement for municipalities

Meteorological measurement

Surface water velocity measurement for hydrology consulting

Non-contact flow velocity measurement for the energy industry

Overflow monitoring for emergencies

Discharge measurement for hydrology research

Water level measurement for water monitoring consulting