Dr Dieter Kress is turning 80

Dr Dieter Kress will celebrate his 80th birthday on 18 May. The passionate entrepreneur was at the helm of MAPAL for almost five decades. In 2018, he retired from active management, but still takes a lively interest in developments at the company. “MAPAL is my baby, and I will never lose sight of it completely,” he said once.

In 1969, at the age of 27, Dr Dieter Kress joined MAPAL Präzisionswerkzeuge Dr. Kress KG in Aalen, the company his father, Dr Georg Kress, had founded. In 1974, after obtaining a doctorate in engineering, he took over as president of the company, which was still fairly new and had 100 employees. With great foresight and personal commitment, Dr Dieter Kress managed the family-run business for 49 years. Under his guidance, the company evolved from a regional tap drill manufacturer into an international company group in the precision tools industry. Today, MAPAL is represented in 44 countries and has more than 5,000 employees worldwide, roughly 1,700 of whom work at the headquarters in Aalen. In 2018, Dr Dieter Kress handed over responsibility to his son Dr Jochen Kress, who is now the third generation to lead the precision tool manufacturer.

Aside from his activity as an entrepreneur, Dr Dieter Kress also held a number of honorary posts. He was involved in committees, initiatives and associations, including as chairman of the trade association for precision tools in the VDMA, as a member of the university council of Aalen University and as a founding member of the P.E.G.A.S.U.S. association that supports company founders. 

The entrepreneur received many awards for his achievements, for example the Cross of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Staufer Medal of the state of Baden-Württemberg in gold. Aalen University appointed him honorary senator.