Our Managing Partners
BWF Group: A family business

The BWF Group is a family business now in its fifth generation - it's something we are proud of. For us, consistency and renewal, as well as tradition and modernity go hand in hand. Using pioneering technologies and entrepreneurial dynamism we have achieved a leading position worldwide.

This has been made possible first and foremost thanks to our employees, as well as a corporate culture in which trust, responsibility and mutual support are lived values. We always act with long-term collaborations in mind.

These values and actions are our definition of 'family business'.

Philipp von Waldenfels - Maximilian Offermann

Fifth generation
2016 to today

Dr. Philipp von Waldenfels, a relative of the Wunnerlich family (see first generation, Hof) succeeded Dr. Wolfgang Schmid in 2016, taking over his function as Managing Partner with personal liability.

Maximilian Offermann, son of Stefan Offermann, became a Managing Director|Partner in February 2018 and took over the function of personally liable partner from his father Stefan Offermann on 13 September 2021.

In addition to strengthening the headquarters in Offingen (Bavaria) with numerous investments to expand production capacity, the BWF Group will continue to pursue its international orientation.

left: Dr. Philipp von Waldenfels (2016 - today)
right: Maximilian Offermann (2018 - today)

Dr. Wolfgang Schmid - Stefan Offermann

Fourth generation
1983 to 2020

In 1983-84, Dr. Wolfgang Schmid and Stefan Offermann joined the company as Managing Partners with personally liability.

Based on a solid foundation and sales of approximately € 24 million, the company developed into an international group with 15 production sites globally, 4 in Germany, 2 in Italy and China, and 1 each in Poland, Turkey, Russia, India, USA, South Africa and Austria.

left: Dr. Wolfgang Schmid (1983 - 2015),
right: Stefan Offermann (1984 - 2020)

Dr. Helmut Offermann - Wolf Dieter Schmid

Third generation
1945 to 1993

A difficult period of reconstruction began following the end of the Second World War. In 1962, Dr. Helmut Offermann, Dr. Hermann Zeiler and Wolf Dieter Schmid merged the felt factories in Hof and Offingen. The headquarters for the new, larger company were founded in Offingen, Swabia.

The "German Economic Miracle" provided favourable market conditions with export to numerous foreign markets accelerating appreciably, in particular the USA.

After the untimely death of his father, Dr. Christian Zeiler became a Managing Partner, overseeing a process of internationalisation with the construction of a manufacturing plant in Northern Ireland.

left: Dr. Helmut Offermann (1945 - 1985), deceased 2008
right: Wolf Dieter Schmid (1951 - 1987), deceased 2004
Dr. Christian Zeiler (1966 - 1993), deceased 2000

bwf-group-management-2nd-generation

Second generation
1912 to 1954

In Hof, Siegfried Schmid was active as a Managing Partner, while in Offingen Dr. August Offermann and his brother-in-law Dr. Hermann Zeiler were responsible.

The period between the First and Second World Wars was marked by fluctuations due to inflation, recovery and the global economic crisis.

from left to right:
Siegfried Schmid (1925 - 1962), deceased 1986
Dr. Hermann Zeiler (1926 - 1966), deceased 1966
Dr. August Offermann (1912 - 1954), deceased 1954

bwf-group-management-1st-generation

First generation
1892 to1926

At almost the same time, felt factories were founded in Hof at the end of the 19th century by Mr. Wunnerlich and Mr. Schmid, and in Offingen by Mr. Silbermann and Mr. Lembert.

Royal councillors of commerce Theodor Wilhelm Schmid and Johann Offermann were the Managing Directors. The latter acquired his stake a few years after the company's foundation.

left: Theodor Wilhelm Schmid (1892 - 1925), deceased 1925
right: Johann Offermann (1912 - 1926), deceased 1926