Lothar Horn, managing director of tooling supplier Paul Horn GmbH has died

Lothar Horn

The entrepreneur Lothar Horn died on February 5, 2023 at the age of 66 after a long, serious illness.

Lothar Horn was the managing director of Paul Horn GmbH in Tübingen, Germany. He shaped the Horn Group into an internationally successful manufacturer of precision tools with production sites in England, Italy, the Czech Republic, and the U.S. Additional subsidiaries exist in France, Hungary, China, Mexico, Turkey, and Thailand.

Industry Spokesperson

As chairman of the VDMA Precision Tools Assoc., Horn was the spokesperson of his industry from 2009 to 2019. He is regarded by many in the sector as a pioneer and visionary. His son Markus, managing director of Paul Horn GmbH since 2018, will continue to run the company, now in its third generation of family ownership, together with Matthias Rommel, also a managing director.

Lothar Horn, a technology enthusiast and business economist, joined his parents' company in 1991. Before that, he gained experience in the IT industry and in management consultancies. He became managing director on January 1, 1995. In 1999, he created new production and administration facilities as well as a demonstration and R&D centre at the company's Tübingen headquarters. The new building combined all business processes in one location for the first time, including a coating centre.

To further expand its position on the world market, another factory was constructed next to the Tübingen headquarters, doubling the production area.

Trust In People

It all depends on the right people in the company, was Lothar Horn's conviction. He relied on freedom, trust, and a culture that allows mistakes as well as the opportunity to learn from them. People were just as important to Lothar Horn as technology or modern processes.

"His appreciation was for our customers as well as our employees," said Markus Horn, describing his father.

In 2021, a jury of experts awarded Lothar Horn the "Tool and Mould Making Medal of Honour" at the Moulding Expo trade fair in Stuttgart. It honours personalities who, as pioneers and visionaries, have set groundbreaking benchmarks and are role models. The jury said of Lothar Horn: "Even though he directs and manages a really big company in the industry, he has remained true to himself over all these years, close and approachable for everyone. A human being."

The internationally active company leader Lothar Horn remained loyal to the Tübingen location. The Horn Group offers jobs and apprenticeships for 950 employees at the headquarters and 1,500 worldwide. This makes Paul Horn GmbH the largest industrial employer in Tübingen. Lothar Horn was also loyal to the people of the city. Paul Horn GmbH supports social institutions as well as the youth and youth development work of sports clubs, for example. A visible sign of this is the Paul Horn Arena for competitive, amateur and school sports in Tübingen.

The entire Horn Group mourns with the family.