LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG celebrated Elmar Mohr's 40th work anniversary with the company at a special ceremony. In the presence of the management team, the executive board, and several honored guests, the long-serving chairman of the works council was recognized for his exceptional commitment and loyalty to the family-owned company.

Elmar Mohr began his career at LAUDA on January 27, 1986, in the refrigeration department. Just one year later, the trained toolmaker moved to the toolmaking and prototype construction department of the development division, where he contributed his expertise for over two decades. He has served as chairman of the works council since March 2010, shaping the collaboration between management and the workforce. In addition to his role as chairman, he was a member of the editorial team of the employee magazine “WIR bei LAUDA” (WE at LAUDA) from 1995 to December 2017.

Dr. Gunther Wobser, President & CEO, praised the honoree's exceptional contributions in his laudatory speech: “Elmar Mohr combines skilled craftsmanship with outstanding business acumen. His creativity and versatility make him a valued partner for management. In negotiations, he impresses with his willingness to find solutions, remaining calm and objective while also demonstrating the necessary decisiveness and backbone. Even after his upcoming retirement, I hope to continue our dialogue.” In recognition of his many years of service, Elmar Mohr received the LAUDA Certificate of Honor.

As Chairman of the Works Council, Mohr guided the company through turbulent times and made a crucial contribution to constructive collaboration. “The tradition of toolmaking has remained important to me,” Mohr emphasized in his acceptance speech. “I have also brought this meticulous craftsmanship to my work as Chairman of the Works Council.”

Dr. Lukas Braun, Mayor of Lauda-Königshofen, conveyed the congratulations of the city and the Minister-President to the honoree. He emphasized that Elmar Mohr embodies social partnership in action and that his constructive work has significantly contributed to the positive working environment at LAUDA. This strengthens not only the company and the Lauda-Königshofen business location, but the entire region. The mayor presented him with a bottle of wine and a certificate from the State of Baden-Württemberg.

Uwe Stastny, Deputy Chairman of the Works Council, spoke on behalf of the workforce and praised the collaborative work within the council. He emphasized that Elmar Mohr had led the Works Council with foresight and a strong sense of responsibility for over 16 years. His continuous professional development and his commitment to the workforce had set a high standard.

Elmar Mohr's phased retirement begins on April 1, 2026. The passionate table tennis player and cyclist will then have more time for his hobbies.

LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG celebrates its 70th anniversary on March 1. The global market leader generates around 100 million euros in annual sales with approximately 570 employees across three locations in Germany and twelve foreign subsidiaries. Renowned customers all over the world rely on the precision of LAUDA – from chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and biotech to medical technology, the semiconductor industry, electromobility, and hydrogen technology.

Exactly seven decades ago, Dr. Rudolf Wobser founded the measuring instrument factory LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER KG in Lauda. With innovations such as novel laboratory thermostats in a modular system and refrigeration thermostats with mechanical cooling, the company established itself on the market in its early years. Wobser laid the foundation for success in 1949 with the development and series production of the world’s first thermostat. For the first time, a compact device could reliably heat and cool using liquid circuits. After fleeing the GDR in 1955, he systematically built up the business. Groundbreaking new developments such as industrial systems (1964), measuring instruments (1967), and the world’s first microprocessor thermostat (1982) shaped the company’s further development.

After the death of the company founder in 1977, his sons Dr. Gerhard Wobser and Karlheinz Wobser took over the management. Karlheinz Wobser retired at the end of 2002. Dr. Gunther Wobser was appointed as the new President & CEO and, together with his father Dr. Gerhard Wobser, remained at the helm of the company until 2010, when his father retired after 39 years.

Under the leadership of Dr. Gunther Wobser, the third generation of the family, the company’s international business activities were significantly expanded. In 2005, LAUDA France is founded as the first foreign subsidiary, followed three years later by branches in Latin America, China, and the USA. With acquisitions in Spain (2011) and the USA (2014) as well as further foreign subsidiaries in Great Britain (2012) and Italy (2014), the world market leader continuously expands its international presence. In 2015, the new subsidiary LAUDA Scientific took over the development, sales, and service activities for LAUDA measuring instruments. In 2016, the subsidiaries LAUDA Ibérica Soluciones Técnicas, S.L.U. in Spain and LAUDA América Latina Tecnologia Ltda. in São Paulo, Brazil, were founded. LAUDA expanded its portfolio in 2019 with the acquisition of the long-established company GFL Gesellschaft für Labortechnik mbH. LAUDA Medical GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 2021, followed in 2025 by the subsidiary Degree LAUDA Precision Pvt. Ltd. in Pune, India.

Parallel to its international expansion, LAUDA continuously invests in the expansion of its infrastructure at its headquarters. In 2013, a new logistics center and a new production hall with a total investment volume of around 6.2 million euros are inaugurated in Lauda-Königshofen. In 2014, LAUDA expanded its management team with Dr. Marc Stricker, followed by Dr. Mario Englert in 2017. In 2022, the company underwent another office expansion, investing approximately 1.1 million euros.

The technical range of services extends from compact laboratory thermostats to customer-specific large-scale systems with a cooling capacity of over 400 kilowatts. LAUDA devices and systems operate in a temperature range from -150 to 550 °C with a consistency of up to one thousandth of a degree Celsius – a level of precision that is indispensable in highly demanding applications.

Since 2015, LAUDA has consistently held the title of “world market leader” in the field of constant temperature equipment and systems for precise temperature control. The latest product developments underscore this position: In 2024, LAUDA launched Mobifreeze, the world’s first actively temperature-controlled, mobile ultra low temperature chest freezer. This was followed in 2025 by the market launch of LAUDA Universa – a modular product line with standard Wi-Fi control. In addition, LAUDA received the EcoVadis Silver Medal for sustainability achievements in 2025, as well as the “Best of AI Award” for its own AI platform LAUDA.GPT. The temperature control specialist is planning sales growth of around 15 percent to approximately 115 million euros for 2026.

“Our 70th anniversary fills us all with extraordinary pride,” explains Dr. Gunther Wobser. “Together we improve the world with precise temperatures – this aspiration drives everything we do. In this anniversary year, we want to be even closer to our customers and devote even more attention to them worldwide. Continuous innovation, excellent processes, and further growth will secure our position as the global market leader in the coming decades.”

LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG is already inviting all interested parties and citizens to an open house on Sunday, September 13, 2026, in Lauda-Königshofen. Details will be announced in good time in the daily press and on the social media channels of LAUDA.

LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG is featured in a four-page portrait in the newly published book “The Secrets of German Family Businesses.” Recently published in Germany, the book highlights 50 German family businesses and their strategies for success. The volume, written in English, is published by the renowned Prestel Verlag, part of the Penguin Random House publishing group, and is aimed specifically at an international audience.

Edited by Uwe Rittmann, Head of Family Businesses and SMEs at PwC Germany, Tobias Rappers, Managing Director of Maschinenraum GmbH, and Olaf Salié, publisher of the “ABOUT Germany” series, the 300-page anthology presents the DNA of German family businesses. The focus is on values such as tradition, innovation, resilience, and long-term entrepreneurial thinking. In well-researched essays and personal portraits, leading experts from academia and practice show why German family businesses stand for reliability, quality, and technical excellence worldwide.

LAUDA was nominated for the book as the global market leader for temperature control devices and systems for precise temperature generation. As a hidden champion, the third-generation family-owned company embodies the key success factors of German SMEs: technological excellence, global market presence, and the ability to combine tradition with innovation. Membership in “Maschinenraum”, the leading innovation ecosystem for German SMEs, underscores the exceptional innovative strength of LAUDA.

“We are extremely pleased that LAUDA is one of the important companies portrayed in this internationally significant work,” explains Dr. Gunther Wobser, President & CEO of LAUDA. “For a company with twelve international subsidiaries in particular, this presence on the global market is of strategic importance. The book gives German SMEs visibility and highlights the particular strengths of family businesses in times of global challenges.”

Dr. Gunther Wobser was present at the book launch on November 28, 2025, in Berlin, where he took part in a panel discussion. The official sales launch in Germany was on December 17, 2025, the international premiere in the UK was on January 20, 2026, and the planned release in the US is scheduled for March 3, 2026. The international reach of the work supports LAUDA in its global business development: The portrait promotes dialogue with international business partners and creates additional visibility for the company's two US subsidiaries and for the sales company “Degree LAUDA Precision” in Pune, India, which was founded last year. The publication also coincides with the company's 70th anniversary, which LAUDA will celebrate on March 1, 2026.

“The Secrets of German Family Businesses” is part of the “ABOUT Germany” series published by Prestel Verlag and is available in bookstores under ISBN 978-3-7913-9190-8.