Klaus Hoppe †
Klaus Hoppe, who took a leading role at Wienerberger Deutschland from 1986 to 2009, stewarding and supporting Wienerberger AG’s international expansion with the takeover of the German company Oldmanns, died unexpectedly on 27 July 2020.
Klaus Hoppe laid the foundation and, as long-serving managing director at Wienerberger Deutschland GmbH, played a key part in the company’s successful development on the German market.
With his view to and constant efforts towards long-term success, he used challenges such as Germany’s reunification and the resulting structural changes in society and in the construction material industry to further expand Wienerberger’s position on the market. During this time, he also oversaw Wienerberger‘s first steps in the direction of East Europe and always worked to support this. With selective acquisitions and successful cooperation with Schlagmann Poroton GmbH, Wienerberger became the market leader for backing bricks in Germany. This was followed by expansion in the façades, roofing and surfacing branches – i.a. with growth following the acquisition of the plant for clay pavers in Bramsche in 2006 or in the roofing tile segment with the integration of the Straubing and Bogen sites in 2006, to position Wienerberger as an even more competent partner for clay building materials on the Germany-wide market.
Klaus Hoppe always placed the interest of the company above his personal interests. Cooperation with customers and with important stakeholders within the entire industry was his focus. Accordingly, he not only had a formative influence on Wienerberger, but also on the entire clay brick and tile industry.
Besides his daily professional work, Klaus Hoppe was also engaged in various brick associations, holding various honorary offices. Amongst other things, for many years, he sat on the board of the Federal German Association of the Brick and Tile Industry, the German Society for Masonry and Housing Construction, and the discussion forum for the construction materials industry in the Federal Association of German Construction Material Trade.
