Uhlmann Group Consolidates Group-Wide Coordination Tasks into a New Structure

Laupheim, December 16, 2024. The Uhlmann Group is further strengthening the holding company’s role within the group and is restructuring its executive leadership to this end: As CEO, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Niemeyer will focus on leading the holding company. He will also assume the chairmanship of the newly created Executive Committee. The cross-group decision-making body for synergy-related topics and projects consists of the managing directors of the Group Companies Uhlmann Pac-Systeme, KOCH Pac-Systeme, Wonder Packing, Cremer Special Machines, and Axito. The holding company was founded in 2019 to centralize strategic functions for the benefit of all Group Companies, leverage synergies, and promote the growth of the Group Companies. With packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries as well as for food, consumer goods, and agricultural products, the group ensures the global availability of sensitive products.

Prof. Niemeyer says: “Packaging ecosystems are evolving very dynamically worldwide. Trends such as digitalization, automation, and sustainability, as well as geo-economic fragmentation, are challenging established business models. The Uhlmann Group sees itself as a driver and trendsetter in this transformation process. By further developing our structure, we are laying an important foundation for leveraging additional synergies within the Group and driving innovation in the Group companies.”

Commitment to the Industry’s Future Viability

The Uhlmann Group sees itself as a proactive player in the transformation of the packaging ecosystem in Germany and worldwide. Challenges such as digitalization and sustainability require a holistic approach that focuses on a comprehensive solution comprising machines, software, and services. To this end, Prof. Niemeyer is also actively involved in associations and initiatives: Among other roles, he serves on the Executive Board of the Committee for Research, Innovation, and Technology Policy of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), on the Research and Innovation Committee of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), and on the Board of Trustees of the Impuls Foundation, which sees itself as a “think tank” for the mechanical and plant engineering sector.

In addition to his role as Chairman of the Executive Board of the Uhlmann Group from 2020 to 2024, Prof. Niemeyer also served as CEO of Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH. Following his move to the company’s Supervisory Board, the management of Uhlmann Pac-Systeme is now in the hands of Michael Mrachacz (CSO), Cristian Reiter (CTO), and Alexander Schöllhorn (CFO). Alexander Schöllhorn will also assume this role for the Uhlmann Group. 

Focus on Digitalization and Sustainability

The primary mission of Uhlmann Group Holding is to consolidate and coordinate areas of activity and topics that affect the Group Companies. The current focus is on digitalization and the implementation of the group-wide sustainability strategy. In this way, the Holding supports the Group Companies in implementing the Group’s ambitious sustainability strategy. Uhlmann Group Holding also contributes its experience in these key areas of activity for industrial and commercial enterprises to the Factory X consortium. The consortium, led by Siemens and SAP, is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and the Environment, and includes 47 other well-known companies as members. Together, they are working to establish a comprehensive data ecosystem for German industry based on meaningful common data and digitalization standards. The Uhlmann Group is the only company in the packaging machinery sector involved in Factory X. Participation in Factory X underscores the comprehensive expertise and competence the Uhlmann Group possesses in areas that will be decisive for the competitiveness and innovative strength of the German machinery industry worldwide.

ABOUT THE UHLMANN GROUP

The Uhlmann Group consists of five core companies and their respective subsidiaries: Uhlmann Pac-Systeme (Laupheim), KOCH Pac-Systeme (Pfalzgrafenweiler, Baden-Württemberg), Wonder Packing (Jinzhou, China), Cremer Speciaalmachines (Lisse, Netherlands), and Axito (Wrocław, Poland), all of which are committed to the same goal. They ensure the global availability of sensitive products from the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, food production and agriculture, as well as the cosmetics and lifestyle industries. With their comprehensive, innovative portfolio of machines, software, and services, the companies cover the entire packaging value chain. The Group’s solutions are characterized by their high versatility and flexibility, as well as their sustainability. Under the leadership of Uhlmann Group Holding-GmbH, founded in 2019, the Group is driving the transformation of the packaging ecosystem through joint projects focused on digitalization and sustainability. The Group employs approximately 2,600 people, who work at 21 locations around the world. In 2023/24, Group revenue totaled 462 million euros.