BP&R Editor Giulia Daniele sat down with Mr Stefan Engleder, CEO at ENGEL, to look back at his journey in the plastics industry, from his student years in ENGEL facilities around the world to continuing the family’s legacy and leading the company forward. 

[GD] This year marks the 50th anniversary of ENGEL UK. What does achieving this milestone mean to you?

[SE] 50 years is a remarkable milestone. The UK is one of our oldest subsidiaries, and I’m proud we’ve been here so long. It reflects the relationships we’ve built, the trust customers place in us and the strength of the ENGEL Group. For me, it is also a moment of gratitude — to our colleagues in the UK and to the customers who have trusted ENGEL for many years.

[GD] Growing up around ENGEL, what early experiences or values shaped your perspective on the business? 

[SE] What shaped me most were the practical experiences I gained early on. During my student years, I worked in ENGEL facilities around the world, from maintenance and pre-assembly to applications engineering and production. These helped me understand the business from many different perspectives and gave me a deep appreciation for the people who create value every day.

One lesson that stayed with me was the importance of listening closely to our employees on the shop floor. I realised that leadership doesn’t happen only in executive offices, but it happens where value is created: with customers, in operations and within our teams. That belief continues to shape my perspective on leadership and on how we develop the company today.

[GD] If you had to describe your time at ENGEL in one sentence, what would it be and why?

[SE] A period of strong change and significant development — and, above all, a time that showed me what committed teams can achieve. When I joined ENGEL, the company had fallen from a €600 million turnover to €400 million because of the financial crisis. Over the following years, we grew to €1.7 billion. Being responsible for production meant I had to expand production capacity significantly to keep up with demand. Back in 2015, demand was very strong, and we had to adapt our production network accordingly. The market environment today is different.

Many companies are making investment decisions with a stronger focus on cost, efficiency and flexibility because markets remain soft and some sectors have overcapacity. But when markets recover, efficiency, reliability and speed will matter enormously. The companies that can ramp up production quickly and operate efficiently will succeed. That is why ENGEL continues focusing on total cost of ownership, automation, digitalisation and after-sales support. It’s no longer just about selling machines, but helping customers optimise entire production systems.

[GD] What were some of the biggest changes you’ve had to navigate as the sector evolved over the years?

[SE] One of the biggest changes has been the shift in where plastics manufacturing happens globally. Production has increasingly moved away from Western Europe towards Southeast Asia, North Africa and Eastern Europe. This changed our customer base and forced us to adapt by building a global structure. We expanded production and created regional organisations across Europe, the Americas and Asia. Decentralising production enhanced our proximity to customers while maintaining one common ENGEL standard worldwide. We are close to our customers in each region, but we remain one ENGEL globally. The demographic change has also proved challenging. Customers today struggle to find skilled machine operators and maintenance personnel. That means machine manufacturers can no longer simply sell equipment; we must support them throughout the production lifecycle. 

[GD] On a personal level, how do you navigate these changes and high-pressure situations?

[SE] I rely on a great team on every level of the organisation. I know I can trust the people, which fills me with confidence. ENGEL is solidly positioned, which provides reassurance. That said, I am impatient. The market has changed significantly, so I need to ensure our organisation adapts accordingly. I believe we have to actively shape the future. Giving up is not an option, so I try to bring my best to the company every day and help it move forward.

[GD] How is ENGEL transforming current industry challenges into long-term opportunities?

[SE] For us, challenges always become opportunities through innovation and customer proximity. One example is digitalisation and autonomous manufacturing. At the K Show, we presented our autonomous injection moulding machine, which we’ve been developing for over 15 years. Customers responded very positively because labour shortages and efficiency pressures are real issues across the industry. Another important area is supply chain resilience. The pandemic and supply chain crisis taught us the importance of diversification and risk mitigation. Today, we operate with dual and even triple sourcing strategies, and we continue expanding our manufacturing footprint globally, including in India.

[GD] What were some of the most defining moments for ENGEL?

[SE] Historically, I would say the tie-bar-less machine and the two-platen machine were defining technological milestones for ENGEL. Another defining moment was our international expansion. My grandparents expanded the business westward into the Americas, while my uncle Peter Neumann drove ENGEL’s growth into Asia, especially China and Korea. In recent years, the biggest achievement was helping develop WINTEC, our second brand. Back in 2012, we were tasked with creating a more cost-competitive machine platform and establishing the production structure around it. WINTEC has developed into an important second brand for the ENGEL Group. This year, we will build over 1,000 WINTEC machines, and I think ENGEL would look very different today without it.

[GD] What milestones are you proud of in your stewardship of the ENGEL family business?

[SE] I’m proud of the teams we have built and the culture we’ve created. One thing I’m particularly proud of is our lean management and leadership development programme. Since 2013, we’ve trained over 1,000 employees and over 400 team leaders through this system. It’s much more than operational excellence; it’s about mindset and leadership. I’m also proud that we have maintained a very humble company culture. 

[GD] What are some of your personal short and long-term goals? 

[SE] I’d like to see stable growth, fair market conditions and a return to greater predictability in the global economy. I want to continue helping ENGEL grow while ensuring we stay close to customers and employees. I rely heavily on strong teams and delegation. Good organisations empower people at every level. Long term, I want to leave ENGEL stronger than I found it. I’m proud of what we have achieved together, but most importantly, I’m proud of our people.