Background
Henry Schmill was born in Germany 1925. His father was Otto Schmill, a dairy tenant from Mecklenburg. His mother was Gertrud Alexandrine Schmill (née Hörder).
Henry Schmill was born in Germany 1925. His father was Otto Schmill, a dairy tenant from Mecklenburg. His mother was Gertrud Alexandrine Schmill (née Hörder).
From 1948 to 1952 he studied Mining Engineering at the Technical University of Aachen where he became a favoured student of Professor Carl Hellmut Fritzsche. 1952 Schmill graduated as Diploma Ingenieur and joined Thyssen Schachtbau GmbH.
Schmill began his career in 1945 working as a miner in the German Ruhr valley. 11 years later he came to the United Kingdom as a senior engineer with Thyssen Shaft Sinking Limited, a subcompany of the Thyssen AG. Schmill founded Amalgamated Construction Limited (AMCO) in 1970 initially working for the National Coal Board on the construction of shafts, drifts and roadways. Later the firm expanded into other engineering fields with the decline in the mining industry.
In the mid1990s Schmill bought the American Institute of Management-listed Tolent Public Limited Company, a Tyneside AMCO rival, before it was demerged in 1999.
In 2002 AMCO and Tolent had a combined turnover of approximately £217 million and employed 1675 people. O H Schmill medal
The O H Schmill medal originated in 1999 through Henry Schmill.
The medal is double sided and is awarded from time to time at the discretion of the Council of the Midland Institute of Mining Engineers as recommended by its Finance and committee. AMCO bursary
A Declaration of trust dated 11 th November 1999 was made by the Midland Institute of Mining Engineers to set up a bursary.
The idea of a bursary was that of Henry Schmill.
The AMCO Corporation made a gift of £100,000 to be placed on permanent endowment to fund the Bursary. Bursaries are awarded from endowment income. Registered Charity Number by the Charity Commission for England and Wales: 1080526
The Midland Institute of Mining Engineers
Advisory Councillor, The Federal Trust.
The Midland Institute of Mining Engineers
Advisory Councillor, The Federal Trust.