28 | Focus on Germany: Wemhöner
WEMHÖNER REACHES LANDMARK
Market leader in mechanical and plant engineering for wood-based material finishing, Wemhöner provides solutions and technologies for the surface finishing industry. Stephen Powney visited the company’s Herford HQ in Germany
W
emhöner is a name synonymous with the surface finishing industry, with
its range of technologies used widely in the furniture and panels sectors.
This year has been a landmark one for
the company, passing its 100-year mark, commemorated by a series of events involving customers and employees in Herford, Germany. WBPI dropped into the factory during our
Focus on Germany tour to ask about current developments, projects and its assessment on the market situation. The factory and offices are an impressive
sight, with owner Heiner Wemhöner’s equally impressive art collection adorning the halls. Wemhöner’s main facility employees 300 employees and is fully occupied with production until the end of 2026. The first production hall was established in 1971, and extended in 1972, with further factory hall extensions in 1993 and 2000. There is a dedicated area in the factory
where young people are learning skills. Kathleen Wemhoner, member of the management board and daughter of Mr Wemhöner, said the 100-year anniversary had been a major milestone in the company’s history – with the history commemorated in a special book produced for the occasion.
She said up to 1,300 employees and their families attended the May 1 event – which was also the company founding day. An extensive array of hospitality and fun characterised the day and among the historic features were elements from the past – an anvil representing the original horseshoe production, plus a display of some of the original tools from the era.
It was not all looking back at the past, there was also an emphasis on looking forward to the future. “There was a really great atmosphere,” said Ms Wemhoner. The second event later in May was designed to coincide with LIGNA and
Interzum, with about 120 attending from countries including Turkey, China, Australia and the US. Wemhöner is of course well-known for its short-cycle press lines, used widely in the wood-based panels manufacturing and furniture industries, with furniture panels and laminate flooring being key applications. Many manufacturers of particleboard, MDF, plywood, and glued laminated panels have Wemhöner solutions in their production facilities. Other technologies produced in Herford include 3D presslines for laminating of 3-dimensional with wood-based surfaces combined with the subsequent pressing of thermoplastic foils or veneers designed to provide the ideal foundation for a high level of design freedom in 3D furniture fronts and other applications. The company also produces lacquering lines, calednor lines, troughfeed press lines and press lines for special applications.
MARKET ASSESSMENT Mr Heiner Wemhöner and Kathleen Wemhöner reflected on the company’s performance in 2025 and shared their opinion on what they see up ahead. “I think we are in a very strange time in the
world in our industry,” said Mr Wemhöner. “I think we had a fantastic time during
Above: Heiner Wemhöner at the Herford factory with his daughter Kathleen WBPI | December 2025/January 2026 |
www.wbpionline.com
Covid. People invested in the furniture industries. But the industry is not in the condition it was two years ago. We are happy we are global and have an export share of 90%. But it is quiet. This doesn’t mean nothing happening, but activity levels are low. A lot of promising projects have been put on the waiting list again. Ms Wemhöner agreed about the market changes. “We came from crazy times in Covid. It started with uncertainty but then there was such a peak time when people were at home and could not travel, so they started renovating. Our delivery time hit 2.5 years. “This year has been OK. Compared to 2024 it was a little bit quieter. We see for the next years things start to get a little bit better. There are a lot of discussions. When
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