Pöppelmann mourns the loss of Friedrich Kühling

Pöppelmann mourns the loss of Friedrich Kühling. The former Managing Director of the company died in the morning of June 4 after a long illness at the age of 73, according to a company press release. The Pöppelmann family, together with the management, works council and the entire workforce, would like to thank him for his decades of passionate and successful work for the benefit of the company. “Friedrich Kühling’s contribution to the successful development of the company is invaluable to Pöppelmann,” explains Managing Director Matthias Lesch. “With his personality, he shaped a corporate culture of appreciation, respect and trust.” 

Friedrich Kühling comes from Vechta, where he also retired with his wife near their children. He and his family lived in Visbek for a long time. He joined Pöppelmann in 1977 after completing his degree in business administration at the University of Applied Sciences in Bremen. He supported the management of the company from the very beginning. In 1986, he was given commercial management of the company when he was granted power of attorney. In 1997, together with Alfons Sieverding and Guido Schmidt, he succeeded Gertrud Pöppelmann and Karl-Heinz Diekmann on the management board. He also volunteered on the boards of trustees of several charitable institutions. In his free time, he was intensively involved with historical topics and philosophical issues. As a retiree, he contributed with great dedication to the publications and events in connection with the 1200th anniversary celebrations of the municipality of Visbek in 2018.

Companions describe him as a clever mind, a very devout person and a “doer” with natural authority. His word counted. His speeches at works meetings were eagerly awaited by the workforce. The brilliant speaker knew how to captivate his audience with humor and persuasiveness. In his management style, economic competence, foresight and decisiveness were inseparably combined with a great sense of social responsibility.

He was fair in his dealings and interested in every individual in the company. This was evident in many conversations and encounters in offices or production halls. The trust he placed in his employees created self-confidence and at the same time spurred them on. He often ended meetings about new products or processes with the remark: “You'll do fine!” He was an approachable manager who always emphasized that the focus was on people. He is still a role model for many colleagues in the company today. May Friedrich Kühling rest in peace.