The VOLCANO CLASSIC is the first product from our company and the reason STORZ & BICKEL is so strong today.

Over the years, the VOLCANO has developed a cult following among connisseurs and a status symbol for users. Today, the VOLCANO CLASSIC is our flagship product and the best-known Hot Air Generator on the market. And what many don’t know is that when the VOLCANO CLASSIC was launched in 2000, it served a niche market as one of the first well-functioning Hot Air Generators worldwide.

In 1996, Markus Storz came across an article suggesting that herbs do not necessarily have to be burned, but can also be inhaled in a more gentle way, by means of vaporization. He was immediately captivated by the idea and built himself a Hot Air Generator using a glass pipe and a hot air gun. The mode of operation convinced him immediately, but the handling of the heat gun construction was very laborious in the long run. So… Markus decided to build a device that would simplify the usage.

Watch now: 20 YEARS VOLCANO - THE DOCUMENTARY

1996: The first version of the original VOLCANO. At that time Markus had constructed a housing around a heat gun.

However, since the heat guns emitted carbon particles into the air, Markus had to come up with a clean method of vaporization.

1998: The second version of the original VOLCANO with Heating Element, Air Pump and Bimetallic Regulator.

From the very beginning, Markus' vision was to produce devices for medical purposes.

In 2000 Markus assembled the first 100 VOLCANOs in his basement. At that time, these were sold under the brand name VAPOTEC Inhalatoren.

The technology developed by Markus Storz for the VOLCANO later continued to be developed and improved, but its basic principles are still in use today.

In 2002 Markus’ friend Jürgen came back from a construction project for sewage technology in Peru and was looking for work.

Since Markus needed support in expanding his small business, Jürgen helped him out for several months. In 2002 the two joined forces and founded STORZ & BICKEL GmbH & Co. KG with headquarters in the Ehrenbergstraße in Tuttlingen.

The two entrepreneurs quickly recognized the potential of the US market and began manufacturing devices for the North American market in 2003.

This gave the small company an upswing. In order to be able to serve the market there even better, STORZ & BICKEL America Inc. was founded in 2005, with headquarters in Oakland, California.

In 2004 STORZ & BICKEL moved to the Rote Straße in Tuttlingen, where they rented several floors of the building over the years, allowing them free rein over their steady growth until 2016.

The VOLCANO was further developed and a digital VOLCANO derived from its purely electromechanical predecessor. 2007 sees the launch of the VOLCANO DIGIT.

STORZ & BICKEL was the first company worldwide to certify a herbal Hot Air Generator for medical use and launched the VOLCANO MEDIC in 2010.

The next major growth spurt came in 2014 when STORZ & BICKEL launched the two portable devices MIGHTY and CRAFTY. STORZ & BICKEL doubled its sales and employee numbers within 2 years.

Due to the immense growth, STORZ & BICKEL had to move again, as the capacity of the building in the Rote Strasse had been exhausted.

Markus and Jürgen decided to build the first factory for the production of medical Hot Air Generators.

STORZ & BICKEL today

The S&B Vapor Factory embraces a radical open-space concept, in which the production, administration, development and management teams are connected. Openness, transparency and short communication channels thus create an ideal environment for innovation and vision.

The new building is intended to combine functionality and modern architecture and, in addition to optimizing processes, will also ensure that enhanced workplaces and social facilities offer employees a modern, attractive workplace.

The master plan of the S&B Vapor Factory envisaged dividing the building into two construction phases and completing the East Wing and Foyer first. Due to the company’s continued growth, the extension of the West Wing was also started at the beginning of 2020 and is scheduled for completion mid-2021. The West Wing will primarily be used to expand the production area and introduce additional production lines for new products.