WEMO founders cede management to HAHN Group

The founders of WEMO Automation – Sven, Olof and Bengt Ståhl – are handing over the management of the company to Johannes Kjellgren (CEO) and Håkan Larsson (COO). As part of this, WEMO will move to the Robotics Division within the HAHN Group in order to offer its customers an even broader portfolio of solutions and products with mobile and collaborative robotics. This complements the focus on the plastics market with technological competencies.

After more than 30 years of building, developing and managing WEMO Automation, the Ståhl brothers are handing over the management of the company to new hands. Already in 2015, the HAHN Group took over the majority of the company’s shares, and finally all of them. Now also the leadership will be handed over to Johannes Kjellgren, who took over management of the company in October 2021.

Johannes Kjellgren has many years of experience in customer-centric sales and general management. With his deep knowledge of international markets, he will continue to expand the sales network and customer service for WEMO in order to be even closer to the customers.

At his side, Håkan Larsson will be responsible for operational management as COO, starting in Spring 2022. As a proven expert in technical development and the plastics industry and with his many years of experience, he stands for the continuity with regard to the reliability and technological excellence of the WEMO products.

“It is not easy to successfully shape a succession situation in which the founders have built and managed their company with so much dedication and passion. Therefore we are very happy that in Johannes and Håkan we have found two very experienced entrepreneurs who can not only preserve what has been achieved, but also want to add new things at the same time,” says Philipp Unterhalt, CEO of the HAHN Group.

“Our thanks go to Sven, Olof and Bengt. For the trusting cooperation of the last few years, the friendly interaction and also for the fact that they continue to support us in an advisory capacity – also beyond WEMO within the HAHN Group.”

The previous CEO, Sven Ståhl, adds: “With the takeover by the HAHN Group, we were able to set the course for a stable and secure future for WEMO as early as 2015. With Johannes and Håkan, the HAHN Group remains true to its culture of continuing to run the business with highly professional and very value-based people.“

“I am looking forward to the new task of further positioning the team and the potential of WEMO in the plastics market and also inspiring existing and new customers with further automation and robotics solutions from the HAHN Group”, comments Johannes Kjellgren.

“I have spent most of my career in the plastics industry and got to know WEMO as a very professional and innovative company,” adds Håkan Larsson, new COO of WEMO. “Therefore I am delighted to further develop the technology according to our customers’ requirements and needs.”

As part of the succession, WEMO Automation will strengthen the Robotics division within the HAHN Group in the future. This bundles the know-how in the areas of linear, collaborative and mobile robotics and makes it even easier for customers to access. In addition, own sales and partner networks complement each other very well in order to further increase customer proximity. Through the HAHN Group network, WEMO is also to be developed even more strongly as a regional hub in Scandinavia in the future.

Pictured (left to right): Bengt Ståhl, Founder of WEMO Automation; Philipp Unterhalt, CEO of HAHN Group; Martin Schmitz, Division Director Robotics in HAHN Group; Håkan Larsson, New Vice President of WEMO Automation; Johannes Kjellgren, New CEO of WEMO Automation; Olof Ståhl, Founder of WEMO Automation; Sven Ståhl, Founder of WEMO Automation