The Association of German Tool and Die Manufacturers (VDWF) is "no small shack", declared VDWF-president Thomas Seul at the Annual Meeting in Ludwigsburg end of April. This casually assessment refers to the ever-growing size of the Association and its likewise increasing significance for the industry. The VDWF has grown rapidly in the past few years, and with the new member companies the concerns the Association has been approached with have also become more numerous. The range of tasks has expanded tremendously: from the industry-wide apprentice training initiative, which now also addresses Punching- and Forming-Tool Manufacturers, to the extended seminar program to the technical and conceptual sponsorship of the Molding Expo, there is a great deal of work to be done if you want to move Tool and Die Manufacturing forward.

With Heiko Semrau and Ralf Dürrwächter the VDWF opted for an executive dual leadership to distribute the tasks across several shoulders in the future. In concrete terms this means: Technical director Heiko Semrau will henceforth be in charge of technical and administrative topics, and commercial manager Ralf Dürrswächter will - as marketing director – supervise all areas that revolve around the external presentation of the Association, as well as training and further education.

The Board of the VDWF expressed their complete confidence in the new powerful duo – after all, Mr. Semrau and Mr. Dürrwächter have been successfully working together within the Association for some time.