YELLOW #3
75 years of trust
Krückemeyer and Klingspor jointly advance the world of grinding
In our fast-paced world, reliability, trust and fair partnerships are highly valued. It is therefore all the more gratifying when these qualities are not only maintained over decades, but also consistently developed further. This is the case with Klingspor and Krückemeyer GmbH, which have been connected both professionally and personally for more than 75 years.
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Klingspor's oldest trading partner
Krückemeyer was founded in 1950. The son of the company's founder made the first deliveries by bicycle in the Siegerland region. Today, the company employs more than 100 people and generates annual sales of around £30 million as a supplier and converter. However, the shared history of Klingspor and Krückemeyer goes back much further. Before founding his own company, Reinhard Krückemeyer Senior was a highly valued Klingspor employee. In order to achieve his ambitious goals, he decided – in close consultation with Carl Klingspor – to set up his own business to distribute abrasives in the region. Together with his wife and son, he thus became Klingspor's oldest trading partner.
In the early years, his son Reinhard Krückemeyer Junior delivered the abrasives by bicycle in the Siegerland region.
Joint anniversary
Krückemeyer's 75th anniversary is therefore also an anniversary of close and cooperative partnership. Looking back on the company's origins, Jan Krückemeyer, grandson of the company founder and one of the two current managing directors, notes: "Without Klingspor, Krückemeyer would not exist." On the other hand, Klingspor has also developed over the past decades through this trusting cooperation. Both companies are thus writing a joint success story and have every reason to celebrate this appropriately.
Michael Lohmiller, Sales Manager Germany, and Manuela Behner express their gratitude for the exceptional partnership.
Always ahead in the world of abrasives
In addition to the personal connection between company founders Reinhard Krückemeyer and Carl Klingspor, high quality standards and absolute commitment are key factors that unite the two companies. "It is important to us that we continue to develop together with Klingspor in the future. Like my grandfather before us, we want to break new ground and always be one step ahead in the world of abrasives," explains Jan Krückemeyer. Against this backdrop, his company also began to engage in converting in the early 2000s and to develop its own products based on Klingspor technology. With outstanding success – today, converting accounts for more than half of the company's turnover and has contributed significantly to tripling its turnover in recent years.
Niche markets and industry diversity
As a partner for abrasives and adhesive tapes, the family-owned company, now based in Wilnsdorf, has long been an established player in many markets and offers a broad portfolio of commercial products and converting solutions. It supplies customers from a wide range of industries and sectors. These range from mechanical engineering and the automotive sector to the electrical industry and from medical technology to the chemical industry. In addition, there are special products and special applications, for example in the cosmetics industry or in craft supplies. In these niche markets in particular, the aim is to meet customer requirements with very special products and special dimensions in very small, small and medium batch sizes.
Krückemeyer GmbH
Founded in 1950
100 employees
Headquarters in Wilnsdorf
3 branches in Europe
€30 million annual turnover
Managing Directors:
Jan Krückemeyer and Leif Otto
Special solutions as the norm
Krückemeyer develops its own products in the converting sector, making it one of the leading specialists in Europe. These are based on standard abrasives from Klingspor and are tailored precisely to customer requirements. This often begins with intensive testing to check and ensure the quality and performance of the solution. The proximity to Klingspor has proven to be an advantage in this regard. "The short official channels and direct line to the specialists at Klingspor are important to us. This enables us to achieve the best possible results in the fastest way," explains Jan Krückemeyer. This cooperation is also beneficial for Klingspor. The highly specialised requirements that Krückemeyer brings to the table on behalf of his customers provide Klingspor with new ideas and feedback directly from the markets.
Developing committed employees
Another thing Klingspor and Krückemeyer have in common is their consistent promotion of employees and high level of training. In 2025, Krückemeyer was once again delighted to have the best trainee in Germany from within its own ranks. Solid and comprehensive training is fundamental for Jan Krückemeyer: "We train our skilled workers ourselves in order to meet our high standards. This also means that all new employees are required to attend the Klingspor Training Academy. There, they can acquire all the basic knowledge they need about the world of abrasives in a compact and competent manner."
Three generations – and counting
The long-standing partnership between the two companies has many facets. One of these is the story of Manuela Behner. She has been working in various roles at Klingspor for 19 years and has been supporting Krückemeyer for around ten years. What she particularly appreciates about the collaboration is the open and personal contact – whether with product specialists, sales or management. For her, this is also the ideal basis for testing new developments from Klingspor on the market. "When we introduce a new product, we regularly visit Krückemeyer's customers together with their sales representatives to carry out test applications on site." Customers can then immediately see what the product can do, Krückemeyer knows how it is received, and Klingspor receives direct feedback from end users – a real win-win-win situation.
Three generations of Krückemeyer in one picture: Jan, Reinhard Junior and Reinhard Senior
Anecdotes from 75 years of partnership
Siegerland charm
Managing Director Jan Krückemeyer fondly remembers his internship at Klingspor. When he arrived at work seven minutes late on a snowy January morning in 1993 due to the weather, he was greeted by his supervisor with a stern "Mahlzeit" (good morning). "That 'Mahlzeit' made a lasting impression on me. I still pay close attention to punctuality today."
Surprise for his 60th birthday
On the occasion of Reinhard Krückemeyer Senior's 60th birthday, Carl Klingspor insisted on congratulating him personally at 7:30 in the morning.
His grandson Jan Krückemeyer was just leaving for nursery school. When he returned, he was quite surprised to find both of them in high spirits and still sitting on the sofa.
Quality that only becomes apparent in retrospect
Jan Krückemeyer experienced how high quality can sometimes seem unspectacular during the same internship in quality assurance. Day after day, he checked tapes and discs – and found only two faulty batches in three months. At the time, it seemed monotonous to him, but today he knows that this is precisely where the strength lies. This makes him appreciate Klingspor all the more as a partner that consistently pursues the highest quality standards.
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