Traismauer, October 29, 2024 – The Bekum Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of extrusion blow moulding machines with 300 employees across Germany, Austria, and the USA, announces an important change in its leadership structure. Dipl.-Ing. Mr. Michael Mehnert, Managing Partner and Owner, will concentrate more on the strategic development of the Bekum Group and will strengthen the company’s operational leadership in Europe by appointing Mr. Thomas Aigner as COO. Alongside Mr. Aigner, Mr. Martin Hobl and Mr. Oliver Griesing have been appointed to the new management team in Europe, forming an experienced and highly qualified leadership group.
Mr. Thomas Aigner, MBA, joined Bekum’s management team in May 2021 as Chief Financial Officer. In his new role as COO, Mr. Aigner will expand his responsibilities to include operations, covering both manufacturing and assembly. He holds degrees in Law, an MBA, and has completed advanced studies in Accounting and Controlling. Mr. Aigner has over 20 years of experience in leadership roles in finance, controlling, and management at top-tier industrial companies in international settings.
Mr. Martin Hobl, also a member of the management team, has been appointed as a Company Officer. In his new role, he will expand his current responsibilities to include the areas of sales, marketing, and engineering. Since joining Bekum in January 2016, Mr. Hobl has been responsible for technical sales and project management. He holds a degree from a technical college with a focus on automation. His professional career began with planning, management, and sales of major international projects in the fields of paper, pulp, and biomass power plants. He later took on operational management at an international company before joining Bekum.
Company Officer Oliver Griesing, a longstanding member of the management team, will continue in his role overseeing service and supply chain management. He joined Bekum Maschinenfabrik Traismauer GesmbH in October 2020 as Director of Global Service. Mr. Griesing holds a degree in technical business administration and an international certification as a Certified Service Manager. With extensive experience and a proven track record as an international manager in service, logistics, and production, he has further developed Bekum’s digital service offerings and aligned its service portfolio to enhance customer benefits.
With this restructuring, Bekum strengthens its position in the global market and establishes the foundation to flexibly react to future market demands. Mr. Michael Mehnert’s focus on strategic leadership will allow the family-owned manufacturer of extrusion blow moulding machines to ensure long-term success and continue fostering the company’s innovation capabilities.
Commitment to Employee Involvement
One of Mr. Aigner’s first official acts was to hold a two-day strategy workshop with managers and key employees. As part of this workshop, management presented the company’s vision and mission, which will serve as guidelines for the strategic direction. This was followed by an improvement workshop in which the participants were actively invited to identify potential for improvement and help shape the company’s strategic path.
The positive feedback from the workshop, along with the high motivation and dedication of the participants, led to the development of a clear roadmap to implement the company’s mission and vision. These actions underscore the new operational leadership’s focus on sustainable growth and operational excellence.
The Bekum Group thanks all partners, customers, and employees for their trust and cooperation and looks forward to a promising future.
