Each of Schmeidl’s locations houses focus group facilities. It also has 60-seat call centres in Berlin and Munich, a field force of 500 interviewers and online research capabilities.

The company first launched in Munich in 1985. Its Berlin office followed 10 years later and a Frankfurt base was established in 2010.

For Schlesinger – which acquired the Schmiedl business from owners Christian Schmiedl and Edith Schenk – the purchase marks a continuation of the US company’s European expansion, which began in 2006 with the takeover of the UK’s Research House, followed in 2010 by the acquisition of French agencies ConsuMed and Passerellas.

Schmiedl’s management team remains in place post-acquisition. Pictured (from left) is Berlin and Frankfurt MD Stephen Lange, Munich MDs Markus Herbig and Stephan Schmid, and Frankfurt manager Tim Eglin.