Familienunternehmen: Winkelmann-Chef Christian Knechtel: „Demokratie kostet etwas, wir nehmen sie als gegeben hin“
Die Winkelmann Group hat sich von der Automobilindustrie in nur wenigen Jahren unabhängig gemacht. Im Interview erklärt der erste familienfremde Firmenchef, warum er auch auf Rüstung setzt.
Christian Knechtel, the first non-family executive of the Winkelmann Group, an 125-year-old family-owned company, discussed the company's structural transformation in an interview with the Handelsblatt. The company's share of auto parts sales has dropped to 15% from over half five years ago, with a growing focus on components for the defense industry.
Knechtel mentioned a US-based factory, expressing satisfaction when President Donald Trump acknowledged the Democratic Party's victory in the recent elections. However, he noted that the company must attentively follow political changes without aligning its strategy with individual election cycles.
The company maintains a production site in Auburn, Alabama, close to its customers and local markets, but remains concerned about tariffs and trade decisions affecting its plans. When rating Germany's potential as a production location, Knechtel gave it a score of three, with a trend toward four, emphasizing the need for advancements in education, reduced bureaucracy, and increased flexibility for investments and workforce management.
Regarding the EU's CSDDD and CSRD regulations, Knechtel criticized these as heavy bureaucratic burdens on medium-sized enterprises, impacting their competitiveness. He called for a stronger industrial policy focusing on critical industries such as Hightech, Pharma, Energy, and Defense. Knechtel emphasized that the company and Germany should actively defend democracy and contribute to its resilience.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
