Goepel electronic Initiates Transition to the Next Generation

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At the turn of the year 2017, Goepel electronic has changed its management. Manfred Schneider, co-founder of the company, long-standing managing director and head of the Automotive Test Solutions department, handed over the office to his son Jörg Schneider on January 1, 2017. This is the first step in the transfer of the family business to the next generation.

Along with CEO Holger Göpel and managing director Thomas Wenzel, Schneider will be steering the company's fortunes. In the past financial year 2016, Goepel electronic celebrated its 25th anniversary, which was crowned by a new sales record of more than €35 million. This is just the right moment for Manfred Schneider to hand over the management.

"In a privately-run family enterprise, a generational change in the leadership is inevitable," Schneider says. "During my 25 years in the company, young people have grown up who are no less competent, no less responsible, and no less committed than I am myself. This also permeates all levels of Goepel electronic. In these young people, I see the future of the company." However, he does not want to retire from the workplace completely; until further notice, he will have a consultancy role.

Jörg Schneider has been working in the company since 2001 and has also completed a bachelor’s and master’s degree in industrial engineering and management. Most recently, he worked as an application engineer in the automotive sector, developing functional testers for car seats. From this point, he takes over the responsibility for the largest business unit of Goepel electronic.

Goepel electronic was founded in 1991 by Holger Göpel, Thomas Wenzel and Manfred Schneider. The Jena-based company has around 240 employees worldwide, with branch offices in the USA, Great Britain, India and China. GOEPEL electronic develops and manufactures inspection systems and test solutions for various industrial sectors, mainly in the electronics and automotive industries. The products, all developed and manufactured at the main location in Jena, serve the quality assurance of individual assemblies up to the functional test of complete systems.