"Of course, I am and will remain closely associated with Mapal and will be on hand to advise my son," affirms Dr. Dieter Kress.

Dr.-Ing. Jochen Kress, born in 1975, studied mechanical engineering at the TU Dresden. He then went on to study for an MBA at the Leipzig Graduate School of Management and obtained his doctorate in 2007. He has extensive international experience, particularly in America and Asia. He has been a member of the Mapal management team since 2008. In addition to his professional activities, he is involved in teaching, research and associations.

"Of course, it was not easy for me to completely hand over the responsibility for Mapal that I have carried for so long," admits Dieter Kress. However: "I know that the company is in the best hands with my son. He has taken on more and more responsibilities over the past few years and has proven himself as my successor." For example, he is pleased that his son is tackling topics such as digitalization intensively.

"With Mapal, my father has handed over his life's work to me, which he has made into what it is today in almost fifty years of work," says Jochen Kress. And "I am very grateful for his trust. I am approaching my new role with the greatest possible commitment and will continue to run the company in the spirit of my father."

The esteem in which Dieter Kress is held by the employees was also demonstrated during the staff meeting in September last year when he announced his departure. The employees' reaction to this announcement can probably best be described as emotional. After all, Dieter Kress has guided them all through the company's development for almost five decades - and mastered the crisis in 2008 and 2009, for example, with great commitment to his employees. On his 75th birthday, he once again demonstrated how much he values his employees. He invited all Aalen employees and their families to a big family party on the Mapal premises in Aalen to celebrate with them.

During his management, the company grew from a small, regional manufacturer of taps with 100 employees at the time to an international group. Today, more than 5000 people work for Mapal worldwide, around 1800 of them in Aalen. Last year, the KG generated a consolidated turnover of more than 600 million euros. Dr. Dieter Kress receives high recognition for this not only from his employees. For example, he was awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his services and commitment.

During his long time as Managing Partner, Dieter Kress was not only involved in various committees, initiatives and associations, including as Chairman of the VDMA Precision Tools Association, he was also heavily involved in the region. For example, he was a member of the University Council at Aalen University and a founding member of the P.E.G.A.S.U.S association, which supports company founders. kp