The 89-year-old had already left day-to-day business in 1994, but subsequently chaired the foundation’s supervisory board, among other things. The control committee monitors the family foundations that own the Würth Group and is involved in important strategic decisions. To this day, the word “old Würth” still has a lot of weight in Künzelsau. Benjamin Würth has been deputy chairman of the committee since the beginning of 2023 and was already considered a potential successor to his grandfather.
The company patriarch sees the group, which is considered the world market leader in the field of fastening and assembly technology, as well prepared for the future.
He said he was coming to the end of his life. “But I am sure that the company today, in its current state, has the strength to grow into a successful future that goes far beyond its current dimensions.”
Federal Chancellor pays tribute to Würth at ceremony
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) gave the ceremonial speech at Würth. Among other things, he praised him as an “innovative traditionalist and tradition-conscious innovator”. In addition to Würth’s commitment to art and culture, the Chancellor particularly emphasized the role of his family – because “without this family, the company would not exist.”
The Chancellor also thanked Würth for his political statements in the past. “For you, dear Mr. Würth, to clearly and clearly contradict the divisive and fear-mongering people is part of a democratic culture.”
It was only in the spring that the 89-year-old warned against the AfD in a five-page letter and advised his employees in this country not to vote for the party. He also had a dig in store on Tuesday: “I already know how I’ll vote next time. But I’m not saying that. In any case, I won’t vote for one party – definitely not.”
From a small business to a billion-dollar company
In 1949, when he was 14 years old at the time, Würth began an apprenticeship in his father’s screw wholesaler. After his death five years later, he took over the small business at the age of 19. Under his leadership, the company expanded on a large scale in the following decades. Today the range includes more than a million products – including for craft and industrial businesses. In addition to screws and dowels, this also includes tools and occupational safety items. The group produces some of it itself.
The former two-man business has made Würth a billionaire – he is now one of the richest Germans. More than 88,500 people around the world recently worked for the retail group – a good 27,400 of them in Germany. In 2023, the Würth Group achieved sales of more than 20 billion euros and an annual net profit of 1.13 billion euros.
Formative figure for his homeland
But Würth is also a patron of the arts – and has continued to expand his collection in recent years. Most recently, it included more than 20,000 works, which are exhibited in several museums in his homeland and at company locations abroad. Künzelsau and the region are already considered Würth-Land: The name is given to, among other things, a nearby airport, a university, a symphony orchestra and a culture and congress center.
