KLU talks Business … with Prof. Dr. Ullrich Wegner, Cremer
Sometimes we know the products but not the company behind them. One such company is CREMER, with global activities in industry, trade, and logistics. Among them affiliate Deutsche Tiernahrung Cremer, headquartered in Düsseldorf, is one of the biggest manufacturers of pet food in Germany. And Cremer North America produces oleochemical products for cosmetics and the household. Further focal sectors in Cremer’s portfolio include molasses, steel, minerals and ores, shipping, as well as the production of cereals and meat substitutes. Few companies are this diversified. We talked about this and other points with CEO Prof. Dr. Ullrich Wegner.
Is your broad portfolio more of an opportunity or an obstacle in the current crisis period?
Ullrich Wegner: The markets we move in are dynamic at present and difficult to predict. We benefit greatly from our broad portfolio across global divisions. If one business environment is problematic, the others more than compensate for it. So we’ve always succeeded in staying the course even at rough seas.
You were part of a small delegation this year alongside Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, which visited Singapore and Indonesia to promote your new affiliate Cremer Sustainable Foods in Singapore. What did you get out of the trip?
Wegner: As a delegation member on previous trips, I’ve learned how much our politicians go to bat for the concerns of German firms abroad. With the booming global population, the topic of food security is high on the agenda for politicians of all countries. Dialoguing with top-class interlocutors in Singapore and Indonesia resulted in promising links for our still young division that manufactures and markets high-quality meat substitute products.
How does CREMER organize the issue of sustainability in-house, and what does the KLU Ph.D. candidate you finance contribute to this?
Wegner: At our firm, sustainability considerations and initiatives permeate all organizational levels and all locations worldwide. All activities are coordinated centrally by one of the positions created specifically for this. As with all exciting topics, there are more ideas than resources to expedite their implementation. As if on cue, KLU Ph.D. candidate Tim Schlaich came to support us actively with his enthusiasm, his conceptual skills, and his openness. Besides that, we really value the connection with KLU. Tim embodies the bridge between research and application – a great concept.
For you, what does KLU stand for in three words?
Competence, passion, entrepreneurship
About Cremer Holding: CREMER operates as a global specialist in the trade, processing, and transportation of agricultural, raw, and basic materials as well as oleochemical products. In 2021 the company moved a trading volume of just under six million tons globally. Founded by Peter Cremer in 1946, CREMER is family-owned in the third generation. The international network of industry, trade, and logistics is managed and coordinated from its Hamburg headquarters.
More information:
- Cremer
- Interview series: KLU Talks Business
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