On May 10, Heiner Wemhöner and his Managing Director Xufeng He celebrated the grand opening of Plant 2 of Wemhoener (Changzhou) Machinery Manufacturing Co, Ltd in Changzhou, one of China’s leading industrial centers, together with their families, employees and guests from the worlds of politics and business. Following the ceremonial opening of the first site in 2007 in the metropolis of 5 million inhabitants located around 200 kilometers north-east of Shanghai, the Herford-based manufacturer of machines and systems for surface finishing, Wemhöner Surface Technology, is thus further expanding its international commitment.

Founded as a craft business in 1925, Heinrich Wemhöner – father of the current owner Heiner – already geared the continuously growing, medium-sized innovation forge towards the export business. His son not only continued this strategy, but also prioritized China early on as the coming growth engine of the global economy. In 2005, he concluded his first settlement agreement with the Chinese authorities, as a result of which the first plant of the market-leading mechanical engineering company with a focus on the wood and furniture industry began production of the first membrane presses for the Chinese market in the Changzhou Hi-tech District between 2006 and 2008.

The current international business of the Wemhöner companies accounts for over 90 percent of turnover. Of course, the focus remains on the home and core markets in Europe, but the decision at the time to commit to the Middle Kingdom is now seen as extremely forward-looking and sustainable. In addition to the approximately 300 employees at the Herford site, a further 200 employees now work in both plants in China as part of the large “Wemhöner family” and aim to generate sales of around EUR 60 million in the Asia-Pacific region this year.