Andreas Hiby-Durst, fifth generation descendant of the founder family, leaves as last family member and name giver the 193 year-old Durst Malz, Heinrich Durst Malzfabriken after being 29 years with the company. Malteries Soufflet, that bought the three German Durst Malz maltings with a total malt capacity of 200,000 tons in 2011, thanked in a press statement Mr. Hiby-Durst for his work as CEO of the company in the last 5 years after the sale.
In November 2014, Mr. Hiby-Durst was also elected president of the German Maltsters Association, after his predecessor and family malster Martin Göhler left his company BestMalz. In March Mr. Hiby-Durst resigned his post as president and became vice president of the association, which he has to quit now as well when leaving the malting industry.
Mr. Hiby-Durst remains loyal to the brewing sector. He founded in 2013 Vilser Privatbrauerei in Vils/Austria where he also has a leasehold of hunt. Last year he invested €2.8 million to build a new brewery just across the street of the old one with a capacity of 10,000 hl in the final expansion stage. Additionally he is said to be involved as a silent partner in other brewing operations including Privatbrauerei Eichbaum in Mannheim/Germany with a capacity 1.8 million hectoliters.
Sales responsibilities of Durst Malz as of July, 1st are now being taken over by Peter Hase (53), who held several similar positions within the German malting industry before including with Cargill Malt and Schill Malz/GrainCorp.