About us

The idea

Joachim Thees, a fruit grower from Wardenburg, asked himself this question in the summer of 2021. He knew the pitfalls of strawberry growing from years of his own experience – and knew exactly what was missing: a system that combines as many advantages as possible at once, instead of always offering only compromises. So he got to work. He developed the first machines himself, tinkered, tested and refined – always with the eye of the practitioner who ends the day standing in the field himself.

To turn the technical vision into a viable business as well, Joachim brought his brother Guido on board. Guido Thees – also a trained fruit grower and qualified business economist – brought the commercial foundation that every good idea needs in order to really grow. In August 2021 the two of them founded Thees Dammtec GmbH together: Joachim as technical head and developer, Guido as commercial mainstay.

Growing step by step – always close to practice

What Joachim developed was never created at the drawing board alone, but always with the knowledge of what really counts out in the field. Already in the following year, Thees Dammtec GmbH extended its range with a three-row substrate dam machine – with exactly the same dimensions and row spacings as the topsoil version. That sounds like a technical detail, but in everyday work it means: both cultivation systems can be worked with the same tractor and the same crop protection equipment. No retooling, no rethinking. And because the three-row design increases the working width, dams can be formed in existing polytunnels right up to the side walls, even though the tractor has to drive further towards the middle because of its height.

More crops, more possibilities

At the beginning of 2023 came the single-row substrate dam machine XL for larger dams – now also for blueberries and raspberries. Thees Dammtec GmbH grew beyond the strawberry.

Even more flexibility

Substrate and topsoil dam machines for single rows followed – and with them solutions for even more farm sizes and growing situations. Particularly practical: the topsoil version is now also available as a two-row machine that stays under three metres in width and can therefore be transported on the road without difficulty on the three-point linkage.

A new chapter: Guido Thees takes over

At the beginning of 2026, Joachim Thees handed the company over to his brother. Guido Thees, who had helped build up and accompanied Thees Dammtec GmbH from the very beginning, took over the business and has since been owner and managing director.

The technical foundation that Joachim created in the preceding years – every machine, every further development, every solution that does its job in the field today – is the legacy on which Guido continues to build. With the same ambition: no half measures, but machines that really convince in everyday use.

Awarded: expoSE Innovation Prize 2026

The Verband Süddeutscher Spargel- und Erdbeeranbauer e.V. (Association of South German Asparagus and Strawberry Growers) has awarded our insect vacuum VENTURO the expoSE Innovation Prize 2026. Among 32 entries, our submission prevailed with an independent expert jury. The certificate will be presented to us on 18 November 2026 at expoSE & expoDirekt at Messe Karlsruhe.