Second generation takes over – ‘Hidden Champion’ remains 100% in German family ownership
Igenhausen, 31st of July 2026 – On August 1, 2026, the HAIMER Group will complete the generational change in its ownership structure. The company shares will be transferred to the second generation so that siblings Andreas and Kathrin Haimer now assume responsibility as Managing Directors and Shareholders. This puts the internationally active family-owned company’s long-term, owner-managed orientation on a clear path for the future.
haimer.com
Within the HAIMER Group – a globally leading manufacturer of shrink fit and balancing technology, tool holders and presetting machines, as well as a complete system provider for tool management solutions around the machine tool – the generational transition will be completed as of August 1, 2026. As part of a succession plan that has been prepared over many years, the shares of the HAIMER Group will be transferred to the founders’ children, Andreas and Kathrin Haimer.
Claudia and Franz Haimer, who founded the company in 1977 and built it up over the past decades to a hidden champion and global player, will remain operationally active in the management team until December 31, 2027. During this period, they will oversee the handover process to ensure a smooth and carefully prepared transition to the second generation. In addition, they will continue to support the company in the long term with their experience and network as members of a newly established Advisory Board.
"For us, this step is a very emotional moment as we place our life’s work in the hands of our children. At the same time, the handover is an important milestone in the development of our family business," explains Claudia Haimer. "Andreas and Kathrin are closely connected to HAIMER for many years and have already successfully assumed responsibility in the management team. This ensures the continuity of our values, our technological expertise and our long-term strategy."
By transferring the shares to Andreas and Kathrin Haimer, HAIMER strengthens its position as an independent, owner-managed family business that offers its customers the “Tool Room of the Future” as a holistic tool room concept providing greater efficiency, digitization and automation.
With this approach, HAIMER addresses the challenges faced by manufacturing companies which are increasingly under cost pressure while confronted with a shortage of skilled workers as well as the need to digitize and automate. HAIMER enables customers worldwide to machine more precisely, reliably and productively.
With HAIMER solutions, the shop floor can be digitized, and the tool assembly area can be automated. The generational change is therefore also a clear commitment to further strengthening this system expertise which is in line with the company philosophy of ‘Quality Wins’.
Despite rapidly changing and turbulent times in the metal working industry, this hidden champion remains 100% in German family ownership. This allows customers, partners and employees to continue to rely on long-term, sustainable decision-making.
Andreas and Kathrin Haimer have been working in various management positions in the company for many years and today form the management team of the HAIMER Group together with the founding couple. In their new role as Managing Partners, they will continue the established growth course while setting new innovations in the areas of digitization, automation and sustainability – for example, through the further expansion of digital products, networked tool room solutions and automated cells for shrinking, presetting and balancing.
In view of the many challenges in global markets, Kathrin Haimer particularly emphasizes the company’s responsibility towards people and employees:
“As a family-owned company, we bear responsibility – for the future of our business, for our employees, for the education of young people as apprentices, and for our local communities. Our task is to combine the values that HAIMER has stood for over decades with innovative strength and cutting-edge technology. In this way, we aim to actively shape the future of our company – as a reliable partner for our customers and an attractive employer.”
Andreas Haimer adds that from a technological and strategic perspective: "We are a manufacturing company ourselves, with more than 200 machine tools and an annual metal-cutting volume of around 5,000 tons – so we know from our own experience just how crucial stable, productive processes and well-thought-out tool management are. That is precisely why we are consistently investing in digitization and automation: from AI-capable shrink fit, balancing and presetting machines through our ‘Tool Room of the Future’ concept to global cooperation with machine tool builders where our networked solutions are deployed in their plants worldwide. The generational change gives us the entrepreneurial freedom to further expand this long-term strategy and to strengthen our role as a technology leader in the periphery around the machine tool and in the networking of the shop floor."
Looking back on the joint achievements of the past decades, Franz Haimer states: “The success of HAIMER is inseparably linked to the commitment of our team around the world. The fact that we can now place our Group in the hands of our children and at the same time see a strong team carrying the company is, for us, the best foundation for a successful future for HAIMER. As a family-owned company that can act independently of corporate groups and in a sustainable manner for the benefit of our customers, we are currently seeing very strong demand from the semi-conductor, aerospace, space, defense and energy industries for our integrated tool room solutions. With these solutions, companies that want – and need – to prepare for the future can turn a previously unorganized tool assembly as a black box into a transparent, data-driven tool setup and presetting process, enabling production to run 24/7 at the highest levels of automation.”
Generational change and transfer of company shares to Andreas and Kathrin Haimer
The founders Claudia and Franz Haimer have transferred the company shares to the second generation, so that the siblings Andreas and Kathrin Haimer now assume responsibility as Managing Directors and Shareholders.
From left to right: Andreas Haimer, Kathrin Haimer, Claudia Haimer, Franz Haimer.
Challenges of modern manufacturing
HAIMER responds to the challenges faced by many manufacturing companies, which are increasingly under cost pressure while suffering from a shortage of skilled workers and the need for digitization and automation. HAIMER enables their customers worldwide to machine more precisely, reliably and productively. With HAIMER, the shop floor can be digitized and the tool assembly automated.
Tool Room of the Future – End-to-end continuity throughout the entire process
With the “Tool Room of the Future”, HAIMER provides its customers worldwide with a holistic tool room concept for greater efficiency, digitization, and automation.
B04_Digitization and transparency with impact all the way into production
With the HAIMER Tool Room solutions, a previously unorganized tool assembly as a black box can be turned into a transparent, data-driven tool setup and presetting process, enabling production to run 24/7 at the highest levels of automation
