The successor in the Swabian textile company has now been determined: Wolfgang Grupp senior is retiring after more than 50 years at the helm and handing over to his children.
Trigema boss Wolfgang Grupp is giving up his position as head of his company at the end of the year. The 81-year-old sole managing director and owner is handing over management to his daughter Bonita (34) and his son Wolfgang Grupp junior (32), the manufacturer of sports and leisure clothing in Burladingen announced on Tuesday. Wolfgang Grupp Jr. will become a personally liable partner and managing director on January 1, 2024. Bonita Grupp will become a member of the management at the same time.
Grupp is one of the most prominent and dazzling German medium-sized companies. The sole owner of the textile company Trigema became known through iconic television commercials. In these, a chimpanzee – most recently a digitized animal – advertises its T- and sweatshirts.
Wolfgang Grupp is withdrawing from operational business
“From January 1, 2024, I will withdraw from operational business and hand over responsibility to my daughter and son. I trust their abilities to ensure the continued existence of the company and to lead Trigema into a secure future,” said Grupp. Bonita and Wolfgang Grupp Jr. joined the family business in 2013 and 2014.
Elisabeth Grupp, who is married to Wolfgang Grupp senior, remains active in the company as a partner. She is therefore not part of the management. The company will continue to operate under the name Trigema W. Grupp KG. Until now, Grupp Trigema had operated as “eK” (registered merchant). As a registered merchant, he was liable with his private assets.
The textile entrepreneur was born on April 4, 1942 in Burladingen. After attending the Jesuit college in St. Blasien, he studied economics at the University of Cologne. In 1969 he took over the heavily indebted company founded by his grandfather in 1919 and gave up his doctorate. Grupp led Trigema out of the red and turned the company into Germany’s largest T-shirt and tennis clothing manufacturer. Production sales in 2022 were 127.2 million euros. The number of employees is around 1,160. (dpa)