The son gets in

A special day at Schmalz: Effective immediately, Dr. Johannes Schmalz becomes the third member of the management board. This secures the vacuum specialist from Glatten in the Northern Black Forest's long-term future as a family-run company in its fourth generation.

"I'm really looking forward to my new role," says Dr. Johannes Schmalz, who will now serve as Managing Partner. "I've known the company since childhood and am full of anticipation and confidence to play an active role in shaping the company's future." The 39-year-old will form a three-person management team together with his father, Dr. Kurt Schmalz, and Andreas Beutel.

Dr. Johannes Schmalz most recently worked as an internationally responsible executive in the field of digitalization at a large global family-owned company in the electronics industry. He also has extensive expertise in IT, robotics, and strategy. He is also the founder and shareholder of a successful technology start-up. "I've worked in several different roles and gained valuable experience: in research, as a founder, and in a large company," says the new Managing Partner. "Now is a good time to bring this experience to Schmalz."

Dr. Johannes Schmalz will assume professional responsibility for IT and digitalization, new business, and corporate strategy – always with the goal of increasing customer benefits. The 39-year-old upholds the company's values, which have shaped Schmalz's culture for decades: "Despite all the economic and technological interests, people must always be the focus."

For Dr. Kurt Schmalz, who himself joined the company 45 years ago, his son's arrival has a special significance: "I have put my heart and soul into the company my entire professional life and built it up successfully together with my brother Wolfgang," says Dr. Kurt Schmalz. "I turn 70 this year. I am particularly pleased that Johannes's arrival will permanently secure Schmalz's long-term stability as a family business."

To kick things off, Dr. Johannes Schmalz took a welcoming tour of the company premises. There, the new member of the management team toured the various departments and was warmly welcomed by the Schmalz Group's 1,800 employees – in person at the Glatten site and via video from employees at the worldwide locations. As a small welcome gift, the engineer with a doctorate brought chocolates bearing the Schmalz logo for all employees to ensure an adequate supply of chocolate, as Dr. Johannes Schmalz noted with a wink.