Igus Founders Margret and Günter Blase Passed Away at the Age of 95
The couple founded Igus in 1964 in a two-car garage in Cologne. Today, the family-owned company employs more than 5,700 people worldwide, including about 2,500 in Germany.
Igus mourns the loss of its founders, Margret and Günter Blase. Margret Blase passed away on August 11, 2026, and Günter Blase on October 21. Both were 95 years old. Together, they founded the company on October 15, 1964, in Cologne. The company got its start in a two-car garage in Cologne-Mülheim. Günter Blase, a trained carpenter and engineer, worked with injection-molded parts made of engineering plastics. One of the first customers was the automotive supplier Pierburg. In the mid-1960s, Blase developed a valve cone for automotive carburetors for Pierburg, a component that had previously been made of metal.
As a tax consultant, Margret Blase was primarily responsible for the business side of the young company. She handled administration and finances, managed client relationships, and was involved in investment decisions. In the early 1990s, the two of them established the company’s current location in Cologne-Lind. Starting in 1983, their sons Frank and Carsten Blase also joined the family business. Over the following decades, Igus expanded its product portfolio to several thousand items and grew internationally.
Today, according to the company, it employs more than 5,700 people worldwide, including approximately 2,500 in Germany. Since October 2025, Igus has operated under the name SE & Co. KG. Operations are managed by four managing directors, while Frank Blase oversees strategic development as chairman of the board of directors.
With the passing of Margret and Günter Blase, Igus has lost both of its founders within a few months—founders who shaped the company for more than six decades.
