SECURELY POSITIONED FOR THE FUTURE
TRACTO is, and always will be, a family business, a fact to which the company's founder, Paul Schmidt, attached great importance. But what happens to a family business if the owner dies suddenly and there are no direct heirs? Wolfgang Schmidt († October 2020) also considered this question before his death. In his will, he stipulated that a foundation should be his sole heir.
A FOUNDATION AS A LOGICAL CONSEQUENCE
As early as 1989, company founder Paul Schmidt told his son Wolfgang that he was putting TRACTO in his hands to expand the company internationally and make it big. Wolfgang has always felt committed to this task as managing owner. In order to promote the development of his group of companies worldwide and, in particular, to secure the future of TRACTO in the long term, the establishment of a foundation was the logical consequence for him. After all, Wolfgang Schmidt himself had no children to whom he could entrust the fate of TRACTO. It was therefore important to him to make long-term provisions and to regulate his succession.
He achieved this by setting up the Paul and Wolfgang Schmidt Foundation.
LIVING THE VALUES OF A FAMILY BUSINESS
Through the foundation, the lived values of the family business will be preserved and passed on in the future. Its purpose is also to support social projects in the region, helping charities and people in need.
ON A SAFE TRACK FOR THE FUTURE
The involvement of Paul and Wolfgang Schmidt's family and Timotheus Hofmeister in the foundation ensures that all decisions are made in the best interests of both owners. It was important to Wolfgang Schmidt that the responsibility for the operational business of TRACTO remains in the hands of the entrepreneurial successor Timotheus Hofmeister in order to keep TRACTO on a stable course.
This succession arrangement ensures that TRACTO can continue to expand its position as an innovation and technology leader and secures the future of the company for the long term.