In Memoriam: Hedwig Doppstadt

Velbert, Germany-based recycling equipment maker says Hedwig Doppstadt has died at age 83. The death follows that of her husband, co-founder, and long-time CEO Werner Doppstadt two months ago.

Together with her husband and Werner’s brother Josef, Hedwig Doppstadt co-founded the family business in 1965. “Thanks to her cool head and her keen sense of the company’s economic development, she was a driving force behind the success of Doppstadt,” writes the company in a news release announcing the death of Hedwig.

“From the very beginning, the staff was like a family to Hedwig Doppstadt because she understood that the well-being of the company could only be achieved with a committed team,” adds the company. “As a trusted person she always lent an ear to her employees and supported them both in job-related and in personal and family matters. With her respectful attitude she created a strong team spirit among the staff so that the employees could feel comfortable and develop.”

Doppstadt Group describes the company she helped build as a group of enterprises with around 700 employees that is “one of the global leaders in the industry in the field of recycling, environmental technology and resource recovery.”

Hedwig Doppstadt is survived by her son Ferdinand and his family.