Changes in the company's management, global expansion
At the end of 1990, Robert Drosten moves over to the administrative board and Dr. Hans-Jochem Steim assumes the chairmanship of the management board.
A number of other managing directors are appointed: Engineers Dr. Uwe Otzen and, following his retirement, Manfred Krunnies are named technical directors, and business graduate Gert Wagner is named commercial director. Both continue their work with KERN-LIEBERS until their retirement in 2004. Under their leadership, the company expands rapidly around the world, and numerous start-ups and acquisitions make KERN-LIEBERS a globally recognized brand.
Entry into the Asian market
The rapidly growing Asian market in particular is perceived as a great opportunity at an early stage and additional subsidiaries are established in Asia, including for example in Japan (1991), Korea (1992), China (1993), Thailand (1995) and India (1997). Dr. Hans-Jochem Steim becomes the first German entrepreneur to establish a factory without joint venture partners in the Chinese town of Taicang, near Shanghai, paving the way for many other entrepreneurs from our region to set up businesses in Taicang. In 2005, his efforts are rewarded with honorary citizenship of the city Taicang.
Start of construction of manufacturing facilities in Eastern Europe
The acquisition of sinker production at AKRA in the Czech Republic and the establishment of a subsidiary initiates the company's expansion into Eastern Europe.
Other subsidiaries follow in the ensuing years in Estonia (1998), Poland (1999), Romania (2005) and Russia (2013).