He has dedicated one half of his life to the timber industry and the other half to engineering - but that brief summary doesn't do justice to the achievements of Heinrich Wemhöner, affectionately known to everyone as Heiner. Born on 13 August 1950 in Herford, north-west Germany, it may have been destiny shaping his career from the very beginning, because it was his grandfather who, in 1925, founded the company that he himself would later take to international recognition.
After passing his school-leaving exams, in which he specialised in the classics, and completing his military service, he took a degree in economics and then joined the family business in 1979. In 1983 he was appointed authorised representative for the company, followed in 1987 by a promotion to the board of management. In 2007 he became the sole managing partner in Wemhöner Surface Technologies GmbH & Co. KG.
The multi-award-winning company, which has been honoured with accolades from the WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, INSEAD, Wirtschaftswoche, Deloitte and Cathay Pacific, has been run in his own signature style since the 1980s. Heiner Wemhöner had the foresight to build on his father' s early business contacts in eastern Europe, expanding them into the Far East. This culminated in 2007 in the formal inauguration of the production plant in Changzhou, China, where the former Entrepreneur of the Year now holds honorary citizenship.
Other milestones included the establishment of sales and service businesses in Charlotte, North Carolina and around 30 other countries. Over the last 20 years the owner-managed family business has made the most of the flourishing development of the derived timber products industry, growing to become a global market and technology leader in machinery and systems for this industry. The innovativeness of the company is underlined by Wemhöner's other activities, organising high-calibre symposiums and publishing specialist literature.
It was as a young horse rider that Heiner Wemhöner first developed the desire to win and the will to overcome obstacles. His enthusiasm for riding frequently took him to the winner's podium, often to first place, from the German Junior Championships in 1967 to the German University Championships in 1978.
He feels a close affinity with his home region and in his rare free time he serves as a voluntary labour court judge and a member of the LIGNA Exhibitor's Advisory Committee, the Herford Business Development Initiative, the Herford Rotary Club and the board of trustees of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie. Together with his wife Elke, he also devotes time to more 'indulgent' pursuits. Since 1993 their business, in vino, which specialises in Italian wines, has been the focus of much attention in architecture, wine and gourmet magazines and among vintners and connoisseurs themselves, far beyond the borders of East Westphalia.
The father of three also has another passionate interest, which goes beyond a mere hobby: meeting contemporary artists and collecting their works. He also has 200 works to his own credit, and he aims to inspire an enthusiasm for art and culture among a wider audience. In the face of considerable opposition from some quarters, he is energetically devoted to the Marta Museum in Herford as a founding member, partner, sponsor and chairman of the Friends of the Marta Museum. Yes, it's hard to do justice to the achievements of Heiner Wemhöner - even after six decades!
Source: Wemhöner Surface Technologies
After passing his school-leaving exams, in which he specialised in the classics, and completing his military service, he took a degree in economics and then joined the family business in 1979. In 1983 he was appointed authorised representative for the company, followed in 1987 by a promotion to the board of management. In 2007 he became the sole managing partner in Wemhöner Surface Technologies GmbH & Co. KG.
The multi-award-winning company, which has been honoured with accolades from the WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, INSEAD, Wirtschaftswoche, Deloitte and Cathay Pacific, has been run in his own signature style since the 1980s. Heiner Wemhöner had the foresight to build on his father' s early business contacts in eastern Europe, expanding them into the Far East. This culminated in 2007 in the formal inauguration of the production plant in Changzhou, China, where the former Entrepreneur of the Year now holds honorary citizenship.
Other milestones included the establishment of sales and service businesses in Charlotte, North Carolina and around 30 other countries. Over the last 20 years the owner-managed family business has made the most of the flourishing development of the derived timber products industry, growing to become a global market and technology leader in machinery and systems for this industry. The innovativeness of the company is underlined by Wemhöner's other activities, organising high-calibre symposiums and publishing specialist literature.
It was as a young horse rider that Heiner Wemhöner first developed the desire to win and the will to overcome obstacles. His enthusiasm for riding frequently took him to the winner's podium, often to first place, from the German Junior Championships in 1967 to the German University Championships in 1978.
He feels a close affinity with his home region and in his rare free time he serves as a voluntary labour court judge and a member of the LIGNA Exhibitor's Advisory Committee, the Herford Business Development Initiative, the Herford Rotary Club and the board of trustees of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie. Together with his wife Elke, he also devotes time to more 'indulgent' pursuits. Since 1993 their business, in vino, which specialises in Italian wines, has been the focus of much attention in architecture, wine and gourmet magazines and among vintners and connoisseurs themselves, far beyond the borders of East Westphalia.
The father of three also has another passionate interest, which goes beyond a mere hobby: meeting contemporary artists and collecting their works. He also has 200 works to his own credit, and he aims to inspire an enthusiasm for art and culture among a wider audience. In the face of considerable opposition from some quarters, he is energetically devoted to the Marta Museum in Herford as a founding member, partner, sponsor and chairman of the Friends of the Marta Museum. Yes, it's hard to do justice to the achievements of Heiner Wemhöner - even after six decades!
Source: Wemhöner Surface Technologies
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