Obituary: Werner Doppstadt, founder of the Doppstadt Group

The environmental technology company’s CEO for nearly five decades, Mr Doppstadt is survived by his wife Hedwig and his son Ferdinand.

In a statement published today (26 April), the Doppstadt Group said the company’s employees would remember him as a passionate developer and CEO who always tackled projects with extraordinary courage and completed them with strong support from his wife and his brother Josef.

The statement reads: “Thanks to his courage and entrepreneurial spirit, Werner Doppstadt was held in high esteem by the employees and enjoyed their confidence. His customers and suppliers always valued him as a competent partner.

“With his sense of humour and pragmatism he was a well-liked boss for his employees and provided valuable support to his team.

“The closeness to each single employee, the talk in the workshop and the daily tour through the halls were part of his philosophy and the basis for the company’s success.”

‘A family enterprise’

Born in Homberg, Germany, Mr Doppstadt transformed his parents’ farm into an agricultural contracting business with the help of Hedwig and Josef. The Doppstadt Group, which has headquarters in Velbert, was first established in 1965 and has gone on to international success.

In 1970, Mr Doppstadt developed the PUMA cleaning machine, which the company says helped reposition the family enterprise as a developer of environmental and recycling machinery.

It is said that as a mechanical engineer Mr Doppstadt could be characterised by his curiosity, his innovative spirit and his foresightedness with regard to customers’ needs and the market. Known by his catchphrase “I have an idea!”, Mr Doppstadt focused on possibilities, not problems, and invested all his energies and financial resources in the development of the business.

In 2012 Mr Doppstadt passed on the management of the company to his son Ferdinand. Today, the Doppstadt Group has around 700 employees and provides a full range of services encompassing “every sector” involved in environmental technology and the recovery of reusable materials.