New senior management at Wheelabrator
Wheelabrator, part of the Norican Group, has strengthened its global leadership team with the appointment of Magdalene Höltke (Magda) as Senior Vice President Global Wheel. As part of a planned succession process, Magda is taking over the role from Heinrich Dropmann. Heinrich, who has been with Wheelabrator for over 30 years, will remain with the company but will focus on sales and business development, utilising his extensive knowledge and experience to support Wheelabrator’s global customer base.
Magda holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry and an MBA, and has spent the majority of her career in surface technology and the automotive coatings sector. She spent almost 15 years at BASF Coatings in strategic management, R&D and technical roles. Most recently, she was Director of Technology at the PETER/LACKE Group with responsibility for Europe.
At the global Wheelblast Technology Centre in Metelen, Germany, Magda will lead the entire global Wheelblast business, from innovation strategy and technology development through to sales and business growth.
Lars Priess, President of Wheelabrator, comments: “Magda is joining the company at a pivotal moment in Wheelabrator’s history, which spans over 100 years. Wheelblasting plays a key role in the manufacture of many products, from cast-iron cookware to vital components for infrastructure and the automotive industry. Since the start of this century, new demands have emerged for the blasting process: increasing automation, improved sustainability and radical efficiency.
“There are also entirely new products to process: 3D-printed parts, battery casings for electric vehicles, and new energy infrastructure. All this means that we must place innovation at the heart of our Wheelblast offering – and do so in new, faster ways. And that is precisely what I have tasked Magda with. I’m delighted that she’s taken up the challenge.”
Magda adds: “Blasting brings me even closer to the surface than my previous roles. It’s an endlessly fascinating process, and Wheelabrator possesses incredibly powerful technology for it. My aim is to take this technology to a whole new level.
“Never before have we had so many tools at our disposal to continuously improve performance. Data analysis, relentless testing, scientific research, new materials – all of this helps to develop better wheels, better processes and to transform the potential of blasting as a high-tech and sustainable process. And we are integrating the latest innovations into our customers’ processes at an ever-faster pace, whether through digital tools, improved wear parts, or upgrades and retrofits. It’s very exciting.”
Magda’s appointment is part of a series of strategic investments in Wheelabrator’s global Wheel Technology Centre. A larger test centre housing 16 machines was established in 2022 in a brand-new building in Metelen, and materials scientist Christian Timmer joined in January 2024 to lead Wheelabrator’s expanded global testing and laboratory capabilities.
Founded in 1994, Gefond represents leading suppliers in the die-casting industry and distributes technologically advanced equipment for light-metal foundries, which primarily serve the automotive industry. In 2016, Tiziana Tronci, daughter of the owner and founder Pierluigi Tronci, took an active role in the company after having closely supported it. With international experience in communications and marketing across other sectors, she took on the role of board member and manager for new product development. In 2018, development began on the Perpetuo predictive maintenance software in collaboration with T4SM – Tools for Smart Minds. In 2020, the company acquired Greenbox’s patent and know-how for temperature control devices and began production under the HPDC by Gefond brand in order to respond more effectively and flexibly to customer needs.