“A Desire for Change”

Figure: Langendorf

Julia Herholz Siems: A desire for change. I worked for more than 23 years at market leader Schmitz Cargobull in a wide range of positions and took on various responsibilities. Now I was drawn to a new company and a new challenge. Langendorf is a strong, traditional brand in the premium segment, but it also needs transformation – so both sides found a great match here.

Were you already familiar with Langendorf?

Julia Herholz Siems: Langendorf, as part of the Wielton Group, is a well-known name in the industry. Especially in the tipper segment, which I’m very familiar with, I’ve known Langendorf for its quality. That reputation, combined with the development potential, was very appealing to me.

Most recently, you were CEO of Schmitz Cargobull Michalovce in Slovakia, responsible for the Intermodal product family. What insights and experiences do you bring from that time?

Julia Herholz Siems: There are several. It starts with the experience of being in a leadership role, founding and building up a new company with a focus in Eastern Europe. I had global responsibility for the entire “Intermodal” product group, which included production in Michalovce, manufacturing of container chassis in Turkey, and business with our cooperation partners. I gained deep insights into all areas of the operations network—from production and logistics to quality and processes. This cross-functional experience not only helped me in building up the Slovak site but also showed me how vital it is to optimize interfaces and streamline processes across the entire value chain—from first contact to delivery and handover. I will now bring these experiences to my new role at Langendorf.

Langendorf serves selected target groups in the commercial trailer market with its specialized portfolio under the motto “High Tech on Wheels.” Will you stick to this strategy?

Julia Herholz Siems: The core strategy remains: Langendorf continues to pursue premium quality in our trailers, and we want to serve our specialized customer groups accordingly—focused on our core markets with tailored high-tech products.

A unique strength of Langendorf lies in the inloaders—offered as the “Flatliner” for transporting precast concrete components, the “Floatliner” for flat glass transport, and the double-deck inloader “Flexliner.” What potential do you see in this area?

Julia Herholz Siems: We see further growth potential in this area. Langendorf possesses strong development expertise and decades of experience with this special inloader concept. Flatliner and Floatliner are specialists for concrete and glass. The Flexliner is different—it is primarily a supply chain solution. Looking ahead, we expect to sell 400 inloaders or more annually, across all three product lines.

Regarding the construction sector: Langendorf's latest innovation is the extendable platform semi-trailer. What opportunities does this trailer offer in light of the many upcoming infrastructure projects in Germany?

Julia Herholz Siems: Many of our customers who use concrete inloaders also need these platform trailers. To offer suitable packages, we’ve specifically expanded our product range in this area, so we can provide customers with everything from a single source. Additionally, it’s an excellent complement to Langendorf low loaders. With this combination, we are very well positioned for new infrastructure projects.

Tippers and low loaders are Langendorf’s largest segment, and the company enjoys an excellent reputation here. How do you plan to maintain and even enhance the high quality while also coping with the intense pricing pressure in the market?

Julia Herholz Siems: The market has been under a lot of pressure over the past three years, but where there’s pressure, there are also opportunities. We need to reduce costs and make our processes more efficient. Through the capabilities of the Wielton Group, which Langendorf has been part of since 2017, we’ve established a site in Poland that allows us to manufacture core components at optimal cost while maintaining consistent quality.

Service is another key focus for Langendorf. Langendorf Service GmbH handles maintenance, repairs, modifications, and refurbishments. Langendorf Trading focuses on the rental and pan-European trade of used vehicles. Will more service components be added in the future?

Julia Herholz Siems: What’s new at Langendorf is our restructuring at the management level to prepare for the future. We will be placing more emphasis on service, as we see significant growth potential there. With Tobias Schlüter as Managing Director, we’ve gained a new colleague for Langendorf Service at the beginning of the year to pursue this goal. Our shared approach is to support customers professionally throughout the entire lifecycle of their vehicle—even after delivery. This is a key part of our premium brand promise. Additionally, service offers opportunities for further value creation. Langendorf’s strategy is to comprehensively support customers of all Wielton brands—whether they are Fruehauf, Wielton, or Langendorf clients. We will pursue this consistently and drive the necessary steps forward.

Langendorf is active in many markets, including outside Europe. Will there be new initiatives in sales and marketing?

Julia Herholz Siems: Our clear focus is on expanding and growing our sales team to improve our current market position. Initially, we’re concentrating on our core markets in Western Europe. However, we also see opportunities in Southern and Eastern Europe and in the UK, where we can further strengthen our presence. All of this will be part of a new sales strategy.

Can you already reveal which priorities you will set and what your first steps will be?

Julia Herholz Siems: There are three core areas: strengthening sales in the short term, achieving the necessary cost efficiency in operations, and redefining the strategy for the Langendorf Group. We are in a tense market environment. Our company must adapt to this situation, and the establishment of the site in Poland was already a step in the right direction. We will closely monitor how the market develops and determine whether and how we expand our product portfolio accordingly. We will always pursue this with the goal of delivering premium products at the highest quality and with attractive delivery times.

What challenges and opportunities do you see for women in leadership positions within the Wielton Group? What could help support them, in your view?

Julia Herholz Siems: I am the first female CEO in the Wielton Group. That’s correct. Paweł Szataniak, the Chairman of the Board at Wielton S.A., has been very committed to this, and I’m convinced that the strategy of positioning more women in leadership roles has great potential in our industry. A work environment where men and women collaborate in teams leads to better results—because entirely new ideas and approaches emerge. That’s why I’m excited to take on this new generation role at Langendorf and to continue developing the potential of this company together with my colleagues.

CONTACT

Langendorf GmbH

Bahnhofstraße 115

45731 Waltrop

Deutschland

+49 2309 938-0

www.langendorf.de