The Chairman of Erich NETZSCH GmbH & Co. Holding KG, Dr. Otto Max Schaefer, resigns as Chairman as of December 31, 2012 on his own request and on the very best terms. The Netzsch and Schaefer shareholder families would like to thank Dr. Schaefer for his excellent work and outstanding results, particularly with regards to the sustained profitable growth of the last few years and the strategic alignment of the company.

Dr. Otto Max Schaefer has led the NETZSCH Group with great success as a Managing Director and President since 2004 and as the company’s Chairman since 2010. Thereby, he has made a decisive contribution to the positive business development of the globally active technology company. Drawing on his extensive experience, Dr. Schaefer was particularly responsible for the successfully implemented restructuring program of the NETZSCH Group, the strategic development and the M&A transactions. After the passing of Thomas Netzsch, Dr. Schaefer continued to run the family company in his tradition, steadying it during transition and securing the company’s path for the future. Dr. Schaefer played a decisive role in the development of the company strategy, setting clear growth targets for the coming years and making the corresponding personnel decisions. Today, NETZSCH Group is in excellent shape, outstandingly positioned strategically and is able to look back on the best financial year in its history with turnover of almost € 400 million. Dr. Schaefer is now looking for a new professional challenge.

Dr. Schaefer remains connected to the company as a shareholder and will continue to use his strategic expertise in future for the benefit and success of the NETZSCH Group. An expert and experienced manager is to be appointed as the new Chairman. The company plans to finalize this appointment in the coming weeks. The shareholders remain clearly committed to maintaining the NETZSCH Group’s future as a family company and the shareholders will continue to closely support the Company Management.
The NETZSCH Group has succeeded in boosting its turnover from € 266 million to almost € 400 million over the last two years, with all regions and all three business units of the company contributing to this development. For the years ahead, the NETZSCH Group is planning to systematically continue its profitable growth based on new products, new customer groups and the further expansion of the company’s international business. The implementation of this growth strategy has already begun with an investment fund of € 45 million earmarked for this year alone – three times the previous highest annual investment volume.