LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR CULTURAL CHANGE
BIW HAS A NEW MANAGEMENT BOARD
The social megatrends of globalisation and digitisation do not spare the family-run mid-tier, the supporting pillar of the German economy, either.
The world is moving together more and more as it overcomes great distances in both the movement of people and goods, and feels like it is turning faster and faster. The internet creates the greatest possible transparency in a matter of seconds. But information technology does not make it any easier to recognise differences in product quality and to assess individual performance professionally.
BIW is also facing up to future challenges and increaseddemands on its growth path towards the future. With a new organisational structure, a host of creative ideas and a broader positioning – both in terms of personnel and locally – we are moving closer to the international markets and our customers and offering high-quality products and individual solutions to problems. This includes consulting and service as well as innovations and further developments.
At the company’s headquarters in Ennepetal, some 10,000 m² of new production areas are successively being equipped with plant investments in the current expansion phase. A new office floor with modern “open spaces” and a “co-working area” will also be opened in the coming weeks.
The “Research & Development” and “Prototyping” divisions will be combined in the expanded and redesigned “Innovation Centre”. Our long-standing Managing Director Dr. Markus Wiethoff will take over as “Innovation” Director with a clear focus on new applications and the goal of shorter development cycles to series production (“Time to Market”). This also includes the use of new process technologies and the further development of application-orientated high-performance silicone compounds.
Our management team will be strengthened by Frank Miska, Director of Operations since the beginning of the year, who, with his experience in the automotive manufacturing supplier industry, has taken on the task of optimising and automating series production processes using digital technologies. Thorsten Schwippert successfully took over as Commercial Director in the fourth quarter of 2018, with joint responsibility for Sales. Spokesman of the Management Board, majority shareholder Lutz Stoffels, is already part of the third generation of the family, so that continuity and positive investment in the traditional family-run business will be ensured for a further generation. The transfer of tasks, company-specific know-how and responsibility began in January 2017 and can now be regarded as completed with the change at the top of the Group. Ralf Stoffels from the second generation will, of course, continue to be available as Managing Partner in an advisory capacity and will be responsible for the internationalisation of the Group, at the same time as doing his utmost as President of the South Westphalian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SIHK) to play a decisive role in shaping and improving economic framework conditions.
This now sets the course for the future. Continuity in development, strong internal cohesion and short communication channels will continue to be the decisive guarantors of success. And this applies to our main plant in Ennepetal, as well as to our sites in Nieder-Olm, Breslau, Glogau and Kunshan, where BIW is taking further steps in terms of its “global footprint”.
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