A year full of movement, decisions and new paths. The economic conditions were anything but easy: rising raw material prices, a declining investment climate and the constant balancing act between quality and costs. And yet we look back with a sense of pride because we have continued to think and shape things together.
We have invested: In people, in machines, in the future. We have celebrated – 55 years of Kopp Schleiftechnik with a party that has brought us even closer together as a team. And we have begun to open a new chapter: with our own coating system and the upcoming generational change in management, we are setting the course for tomorrow today.
In this review, we provide insights into our most important milestones, show what 2025 taught us and take a look at what 2026 has in store for us and our customers.
The article at a glance
Milestones 2025: How the Kopp company has evolved
Kopp Schleiftechnik GmbH has had a year full of groundbreaking decisions. A very special highlight: the completion of our internal succession process KOPP2025. After seven years of intensive preparation, the third generation, Tobias Kopp, Fabian Kopp and Luisa Helm, is now taking over responsibility in the company. A change that was shaped with foresight, trust and team spirit.
With the generational change, Kopp’s management is not only fit for the future, but also broadly and competently positioned. Achim Kopp, long-standing Managing Director and the brains behind many of the decisions made in recent decades, will remain with the company as an advisor and sparring partner.
Another milestone was the launch of our in-house coating facility. This means that we can now not only develop, grind and manufacture Kopp tools, but also coat them directly in-house. This is a huge step forward for our customers and for the entire value chain in the field of grinding technology and coatings.
But 2025 was also a year of encounters: We celebrated our 55th company anniversary in style with a big party. Above all, it showed what really makes us special: a strong team that works together and also celebrates together. Special thanks go to our employees, who prepared, accompanied and followed up this event with their full commitment.
A look behind the scenes: The 2025 team at the Kopp company
When we look back on 2025, we don’t just look at the figures, machines and projects, but above all at the people who made it all possible. Because what has always characterized the Kopp company is togetherness: the knowledge that real strength comes from teamwork.
With the launch of the new coating department, the expansion of the machinery and the upcoming generational change, 2025 was a year in which a lot was in motion. And it is precisely in phases like these that you can see how resilient a team really is.
Our anniversary celebration in September was a real highlight. It was emotional proof of how closely our team spirit, appreciation and enjoyment of our work are linked.
Special thanks go to our entire team in production, in the office and in sales. You have thought, worked and actively helped to shape 2025. None of this would have been possible without you. We are proud to be able to work with such great people. Today and in the future.
What 2025 has shown us: Experiences & insights
2025 was a year that challenged us, but also strengthened us. The economic situation, characterized by uncertainty, price explosions and geopolitical tensions, has pushed many companies to their limits. We were not exempt from this either. The price situation for raw materials in particular has kept us very busy: In the space of a year, costs have risen by over 60% in some areas. This is a development that we were unable to influence, but which we countered with a clear stance.
Instead of retreating, we have invested in modern machines, new technologies and people. In doing so, we have once again learned how crucial stability, communication and trust are.
A key learning this year: values count, especially when things get difficult. Reliability, openness, honesty – these are not empty phrases, but principles that we live by. And they are the reason why we master challenging times together. For us, the fact that mistakes are allowed to happen is just as much a part of this as the willingness to learn from each other. This is exactly what has made us even stronger as a team.
Why precision is a status symbol
In a world where speed often counts more than substance, precision remains a real statement for us. As a clear commitment to quality, responsibility and technical standards.
Especially in the highly complex world of grinding technology, precision is the expression of our know-how, our experience and our self-image. Kopp tools stand for long-lasting quality, exact performance and maximum reliability, regardless of whether they are standard solutions or custom-made products.
The investment in two new machines specifically for solid carbide micro milling cutters underlines precisely this claim. When you choose a precise tool, you are also choosing trust. And it is precisely this trust that we earn through clear processes, transparency and an uncompromising commitment to excellence.
Precision is our standard. And that is precisely why it will remain a central element of our DNA at Kopp Schleiftechnik in the future.
Outlook 2026: A new chapter for the Kopp company
At the turn of the year 2025/2026, Kopp is opening a new chapter, both strategically and in terms of personnel. The KOPP2025 succession process, which has been prepared over many years and implemented with foresight, has been completed. After more than 30 years in management, Achim Kopp has consciously retired, with a feeling of deep gratitude and the knowledge that his life’s work is in the best hands.
A new generation takes responsibility
In future, Kopp Schleiftechnik GmbH will be managed by a strong trio: Fabian Kopp, Tobias Kopp and Luisa Helm will jointly take over the management of the company. Each brings their own skills, experience and focus. Together, they stand for modern, value-oriented and future-oriented company management.
- Fabian Kopp is responsible for management, marketing and IT.
- Tobias Kopp is responsible for sales, product and service.
- Luisa Helm is Head of Human Resources and stands for a strong corporate culture.
They all grew up with the company, consciously chose their own paths and returned to the family business with experience, attitude and vision. They represent the third generation and a new form of cooperation.
Achim Kopp hands over with pride and confidence
After more than 30 years as Managing Director, Achim Kopp has officially retired from operational responsibility, not with melancholy, but with the good feeling of being able to let go. In his words:
“I don’t feel melancholy, but deep satisfaction and gratitude. My goal was never to do everything myself, but to support people, accompany them and see them grow. Now is the right moment.”
He will remain with the company as an advisor, mentor and source of inspiration. At the same time, he will support external entrepreneurs, managers and successors in questions of corporate management, succession and corporate culture.
A transition with substance
The generational change at Kopp was not a quick fix, but has been prepared step by step since 2019: with clear roles, open discussions, shared responsibility and genuine teamwork. The entire Kopp team was also involved right from the start, because for us, succession always means cultural work.
The result is a smooth, well-thought-out transition that shows that continuity and change are not mutually exclusive, but rather reinforce each other if they are designed correctly.
New impetus, new roles and clear goals for 2026
But that’s not all: the company is also expanding its structure in 2026. Oliver Wolf, the first pure sales employee, started work on January 1. In future, he will primarily be there to provide technical advice to our customers with the aim of developing solutions together.
Coatings will remain a focal point in the coming months. Our own plant, which went into operation last year, offers enormous potential for responding to customer requirements even faster, more flexibly and with greater process reliability. We see great opportunities here to further strengthen our performance promise in terms of quality, delivery time and sustainability.
2026 will therefore be a year of transition, but also a year of opportunity. With new leadership, a strengthened team and a clear technological direction, we are ready for what lies ahead.
Thank you for a special year and here’s to 2026 together
At the end of this review, we would simply like to say one thing: thank you.
Thank you to all our customers who placed their trust in us in 2025. Thank you to our partners who have supported us with expertise and reliability. And above all, thank you to our great team, without whom this year’s developments would not have been possible.
Today, the Kopp company stands on a strong foundation, built on experience, further development and the courage to take responsibility. With the generation change, new technologies such as our in-house coating plant and the focus on high-precision Kopp tools, we are ready for what lies ahead.
We are looking forward to 2026! To new projects, exciting challenges and personal exchanges with you.
Let’s start the new year together! We look forward to your project. Send request now.