Ursula Ida Lapp, founder of LAPP, died last Sunday at the age of 90. "Our mother was the soul of the company. We will miss her very much - as a mother and as a wise advisor," says Andreas Lapp, CEO of Lapp Holding AG.

Together with her husband Oskar Lapp (1921-1987), she built up the company that is now the global market leader for integrated connection solutions. The success story began at the end of the 1950s, when Oskar Lapp developed the first rectangular connector for industry and the first industrially manufactured connection and control cable. The invention revolutionized connection technology worldwide. This would not have been possible without Ursula Ida Lapp. In 1959, the Lapps founded their company, U.I. Lapp KG, where U.I. stood for Ursula Ida. Initially, the business was run from the garage of their home in Stuttgart-Vaihingen. Oskar Lapp took over the field service, while Ursula Ida Lapp took care of the bookkeeping, advertising and the young children at home. She often took the handcart to the goods station to receive the freshly delivered cables, which the entrepreneurial couple initially had made to order, or to send them on straight away.

When Oskar Lapp died in 1987, Ursula Ida Lapp and her sons Siegbert and Andreas took over the management of the company. Internationalization was continued. Today LAPP, based in Stuttgart, is one of the leading providers of integrated solutions and branded products in the field of cable and connection technology.

But political, social and cultural commitment were also always a matter close to her heart. In addition to generous donations to institutions in and around Stuttgart, but also in India, she initiated the Oskar Lapp Foundation together with her sons in 1992. Ursula Ida Lapp was also a member of the regional parliament for four years. Ursula Ida Lapp has received numerous awards for her achievements as an entrepreneur and for her social commitment, including the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Business Medal of the State of Baden-Württemberg.

In 2018, the entrepreneur was awarded the handling award honorary prize for lifetime achievement.

LAPP is still entirely family-owned today. Ursula Ida Lapp is survived by three sons, two of whom are active in the company. Two of the founder's grandchildren are also already active at LAPP. Matthias Lapp
(38) is CEO for the Europe region including South America, Africa and the Middle East and Alexander Lapp (36) is responsible for digitalization and e-business. "That was our mother's greatest wish: to see her grandchildren take on responsibility in the company. It's great that she was able to experience this. We will continue to run our company in her spirit," says Siegbert Lapp, Chairman of the Supervisory Board.