BENTELER Celebrates Major Family Festival in East Westphalia-Lippe

Paderborn, June 1, 2026. Celebrating together, reflecting together, looking ahead together: BENTELER marked its 150th anniversary on Sunday with a large family festival for employees and their families at the Schloss and Auen Park in Schloß Neuhaus, Paderborn. Despite the changeable weather, around 6,500 guests from company’s East Westphalia locations in Paderborn, Steinhagen and Bielefeld came together to enjoy a special day under the anniversary theme “150 Years of Pioneering Spirit in Motion”. In addition to the celebration in East Westphalia-Lippe, further anniversary events and activities are taking place at numerous BENTELER locations worldwide throughout the anniversary year.

Connection and loyalty across generations

The family festival was opened by Managing Directors Thomas Michels and Matthias Siemer. In their joint remarks, they placed particular emphasis on the people behind BENTELER’s 150-year success story.

“150 years of BENTELER stands for far more than products or technologies. Behind it all are people: teamwork, commitment, know-how, and experience. That’s exactly what has shaped our company across generations,” said Thomas Michels, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the BENTELER Steel/Tube division.

Matthias Siemer, President of the BENTELER Automotive Components division for Europe, Middle East, and North Africa, highlighted the strong bond many employees have with the company: “For many people in East Westphalia, BENTELER is far more than just an employer. This special sense of connection and shared spirit is what defines us. Today’s celebration is our way of saying thank you to all employees and their families.”

A celebration for the whole family

Visitors enjoyed a varied program for the whole family, including live music, stage performances, numerous interactive activities, and games and experiences for children. Highlights included performances by the band Goodbeats, a children’s rally, photo booths, a children’s forklift license activity, and play equipment developed by the company’s own training and further education center. An exhibition featuring a range of BENTELER exhibits also offered exciting insights into the company’s innovative strength.

The anniversary theme of “150 years of Pioneering Spirit in Motion” was also brought to life in a variety of ways. Visitors were invited to record personal thoughts and memories about BENTELER on colored ribbons, which were then assembled into a shared installation at the center of the event grounds.

Another popular attraction was a donation target wall built by BENTELER retraining participants: for every successful shot, the company will donate €1.50 to a charitable cause.

Anniversary year with a focus on the future

The family festival was one of the highlights of the anniversary year for the international company, whose story began in 1876 as a small trading business in Bielefeld. Today, BENTELER operates globally and is actively helping shape the transformation of the automotive and steel tube industries, as well as the future of autonomous mobility.

With the East Westphalia-Lippe family festival, BENTELER made a strong statement about unity, connection, and a shared focus on the future – fully in keeping with the anniversary theme “150 Years of Pioneering Spirit in Motion.”