Over the next 25 years, he transformed GEA into a global system supplier and introduced machinery and plants for the food processing industry, Energy industry, air-conditioning and refrigeration industry. After making over 70 acquisitions, GEA had over 200 subsidiaries in 60 countries. In 1989 he took his company public at the Frankfurt stock exchange, but kept the majority of the voting stock in the family. By 1999, Happel had increased GEA's revenues to over €2.56 billion, as well as its net earnings proportionally.