The appointment of Magdalene Höltke, who holds a doctorate in chemistry, as Senior Vice President Global Wheel is part of a succession process. Her predecessor Heinrich Dropmann will take on responsibilities in sales and business development. Magdalene Höltke has spent the majority of her career in the surface technology and automotive coatings sectors, including 15 years at BASF Coatings in strategic management roles, research & development and technical functions. Most recently, she was Technology Director with European responsibility at the Peter/Lacke Group.
100 years of Wheelaborator
Based at the global Wheelabrator Technology Center in Metelen, Höltke will lead the entire Wheelabrator business with responsibility for innovation strategy and technology development, as well as sales and business growth. "Magda joins Wheelabrator at a pivotal time in our more than century-long history," says Lars Priess, President Wheelabrator. Since the beginning of this century, the demands on the blasting process have increased. Automation and the demand for sustainability have come to the fore.
Blasting processes for new workpieces
New workpieces such as 3D-printed components or battery housings for e-mobility also need to be blasted. "All of this means that we need to put innovation at the heart of our wheel blast offering, in new, more agile ways. And that is precisely Magda's mission," says Priess. Digital data, extensive testing, scientific collaborations, new materials all contribute to developing better blast wheels and better blasting processes. "We can completely redefine wheel blasting: as a sustainable high-tech process," says Magdalene Höltke.
Investing in a test center
In addition to Höltke's appointment to the management role at Wheelabrator, a number of strategic investments were made in the global "Wheel" technology center. For example, a larger test center with 16 test facilities was set up in Metelen and in January 2024, materials scientist Christian Timmer was brought into the team to take over the management of the expanded test and laboratory capacities at Wheelabrator.