24.01.2008

New head for Hirschmann

Dr. Wolfgang Babel (50) has taken over as chief executive officer of Hirschmann Automation and Control, the parent company of PAT and Kruger load moment systems and Lumberg Automation, following his recruitment by Hirschmann’s new owners Belden in September.
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Dr. Wolfgang Babel

Babel succeeds Reinhard Sitzmann (59) who will now concentrate on a number of supervisory board appointments in the. Sitzmann was appointed as chief executive of the Hirschmann Group at the end of 2000 and successfully reorganised the company and made a number of acquisitions, including the purchase of PAT.

His most recent achievement has been the incorporation of Hirschmann Automation and Control and Lumberg Automation into the US based American Belden Group.

Babel has been a member of the Hirschmann board since October 2007 and is an electrical Engineer by education,
His career began at Diehl an electronics and munitions company, where he held leading posts in various divisions. After ten years he moved to Endress + Hauser Conducta, where he was responsible initially for development and eventually became chief executive officer.

Hirschmann Automation and Control and Lumberg Automation employ around 1,100 people at its German locations of Neckartenzlingen, Ettlingen, Schalksmühle and Hoyerswerda. In the USA the company moved into a new 10,000 square metres headquarters building in November in Chambersburg Pennsylvania.

In 2006 the two companies achieved total revenues of €243 million. Sales for 2007 are forecast to be in the region of €259 million