WAFIOS passing the baton 15 October 2021

After 20 years involvement in the management of the company, Jutta Leib is retiring from WAFIOS Umformtechnik GmbH. Andreas Pawelzig took over as joint managing director from 1st July 2021.

After almost 30 years in the WAFIOS Group, 20 years as managing director, a new phase of life is beginning, not only for Jutta Leib, but also for WAFIOS Umformtechnik GmbH. To mark the start and hand over of the baton, Andreas Pawelzig received a Swabian dictionary from his predecessor – certainly helpful for keeping regular communication with the parent company in Reutlingen.

The new joint managing director has many years of experience, amongst other things as a commercial manager in medium-sized mechanical engineering companies and is therefore very familiar with the challenging environment in which WAFIOS operates. “The technological know-how and the international orientation are great strengths of WAFIOS. Aligning the processes with this and constantly developing them further will be my focus in the coming weeks and months,” says Andreas Pawelzig.

Focus is an important keyword here, because WAFIOS is currently consistently realigning its strategy under the guiding principle of ‘Focus on the Future’. The objective is to further develop the already successfully implemented three pillar strategy consisting of the business areas of innovative new machines, service oriented aftersales, and high-quality thread rolling dies. “The focus is always on customer benefits,” agrees Andreas Pawelzig and his joint managing director, Jens Gutsche, who continues to be responsible for sales and technology.

“Digitalisation will be a key focus and Industry 4.0 also requires continuous further development of processes in the commercial area in order to support the value creating faculties in the best possible way,” explains Andreas Pawelzig.

In recent months, the Covid-19 pandemic has not only been a major challenge, but also a driver of the transition to digital formats for WAFIOS. For example with regard to virtual machine demonstrations and commissioning or through the use of modern video conferencing systems for internal and external communication.

Deputy Editor

Claire Aldridge Deputy Editor t: +44 (0) 1727 743 889

Biog

Having spent a decade in the fastener industry experiencing every facet – from steel mills, fastener manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, as well as machinery builders and plating + coating companies, Claire has developed an in-depth knowledge of all things fasteners.

Alongside visiting numerous companies, exhibitions and conferences around the world, Claire has also interviewed high profile figures – focusing on key topics impacting the sector and making sure readers stay up to date with the latest developments within the industry.