Alexander Welte has been familiar with the company since he was a child, and his mechanical engineering studies leading to a Master of Science degree, as well as further training as a welding engineer, have optimally prepared him for the new challenges. He expresses his delight at the opportunity to continue the Welte Group's tradition as a family-run company: "I am very much looking forward to growing into this role and working with my father Egon and my uncle Alfred Welte to help the drive shaft division adapt to future requirements. They will certainly accompany me for a few more years and gradually hand over responsibility - this was already the case with the previous generation change."
In terms of drive shafts, the company is already excellently and comprehensively positioned. Ulf KΓΌck, Managing Director of Welte Cardan-Service GmbH, explains: "Drive shafts are used as a central connecting element in many areas of application in vehicle and machine construction. As a full-range supplier, we hold a special market position thanks to our expertise and general manufacturing capacities. This enables us to offer solutions for almost all applications. We therefore anticipate continued growth in the drive shaft business in the future. The arrival of Alexander Welte therefore comes at exactly the right time."
Alexander Welte has a special passion for drive shaft technology, and for two reasons: "When you talk about cardan shafts, many people immediately think of passenger cars and the trend towards electric mobility, which has really taken off in recent years - at least in Europe. But for us, the drive shaft is anything but a discontinued model. As a globally active company, we benefit from emerging markets in which conventional drives dominate and electric drives do not yet play a role. Moreover, such developments do not affect us as spare parts specialists directly, but only after a certain delay, when repairs are due depending on the application scenario and mileage. That is why we are clearly in a growth phase here; there is no question of stagnation or reduction. Our goal for the future and our positioning in the market is clear: we want to be the first address when it comes to cardan shafts - and for every manufacturer and every model."
Beyond the vehicle sector, however, Alexander Welte sees great potential in other areas. "The cardan shaft has always had a firm place in mechanical engineering because it is used wherever power has to be transmitted over a distance and an angle. That is why we have already expanded our product range with our own assemblies and their components and are constantly expanding it in the industrial sector. In this way, we have become an important partner for mechanical and plant engineering as well as vehicle construction - a perfect complement to our existing cardan shaft portfolio for heavy industry." The newly created Business Development department benefits customers from all sectors, as their requirements can be met in full, whether for familiar or completely new applications.