Helmuth Penz - Entrepreneur and art collector
When Helmuth Penz says: "Ich bin Unternehmer, nicht Unterlasser", this describes him perfectly. In addition to continuously developing and expanding his companies, he is a passionate art collector and sponsor of sports.
Helmuth Penz is a Berliner through and through. Halfmeasures are not an option to the entrepreneur born in 1945, who chose to study business administration after completing secondary school and a commercial
assistant examination. On completion of his studies he immediately took the plunge into self-employment as a business economist.
In 1970, at the age of 25, Helmuth founded his first company. ELTEC initially a specialist
electrical installation company, quickly gained a leading position in the Berlin market. By
constantly adapting latest technical developments, consistent service and customer
orientation and flexibility, the company soon gained an excellent reputation at home and
abroad in electrical system construction and building automation.
Since then, ELTEC has been a key player in major international building developments such as airports in Warsaw, Athens and the Czech Republic. Additional references include industrial buildings in the
Middle East, shopping centres and hospitals, office complexes, sports facilities and hotels, as
well as numerous German embassy buildings worldwide. In Berlin city centre; the Sony
Center, the Mall of Berlin in Leipziger Platz, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and numerous
other building projects have complete technical installations by ELTEC.
Following German reunification, Helmuth Penz became involved primarily in the construction
sector in the new federal states. During this time, he expanded his entrepreneurial activities
into many associated industries – often for the simple reason that he could not find reliable
suppliers who met his demands for flexibility and service.
Helmuth Penz is a born networker; his long-standing partnerships and business relationships
lead regularly to new opportunities and enterprises. He is incredibly enthusiastic, therefore
sports sponsorship was a natural step to take. Helmuth engages in supporting and
developing handball, ice hockey and polo with a long term strong support for women’s
handball. In holding the presidency for 10 years, Helmuth Penz was instrumental in ensuring
the survival of SC Magdeburg.
As a dedicated supporter of charities, Helmuth Penz has served for 20 years as a member of
the board of trustees of the Deutsche Sports Aid and as a supporter of the German AIDS
Foundation, Helmuth was honored in 2013 for his long standing commitment.
The art collection “Sammlung Penz” grew from a chance meeting into a passion and
developed to become one of the most comprehensive privately owned collections of West
Berlin art from the 1970’s and 1980’s.
