With great gratitude and sadness, igus says goodbye to its founders Margret and Günter Blase. Margret Blase passed away on 11th August 2026, Günter Blase on 21st October 2026, both at the age of 95. The couple founded igus GmbH together in a double garage in Cologne-Mülheim in 1964, laying the foundation for what is now a successful global company.

With the death of Margret and Günter Blase, igus is losing not only its founders, but two personalities who shaped the company over decades. “My parents not only built up igus, but also showed us what courage, responsibility and solidarity mean,” says Frank Blase, son of the founding couple and Chairman of the Board of Directors of igus. “My father was a tireless tinkerer, who searched for ever better solutions with passion and inventive spirit. My mother used her commercial expertise and foresight to create the foundation on which these ideas could grow. Their shared legacy lives on in our corporate culture.”

1964 marked the start for igus: “Go ahead and do it”

After completing an apprenticeship as a carpenter and graduating as an engineer, Günter Blase discovered the potential of technical plastics. At the same time, the desire to become self-employed grew. When he told his wife Margret about it in the kitchen, she simply said: “Go ahead and do it”. It was the starting signal for igus GmbH, which was founded on 15th October 1964 to manufacture injection-moulding components. Günter Blase’s motto was: “Give me your most difficult part and I will find a solution.” The first order came from the automotive supplier Pierburg. Their most complicated component was a valve plug for a car carburettor. In 1965, no one could have produced this small metal part out of plastic because the production would have been too complicated. However, Günter Blase succeeded. He went into his double garage and experimented until the first perfect plastic valve plug emerged from the injection-moulding machine.

Margret Blase, meanwhile, laid the economic foundation. The tax consultant contributed her commercial know-how to the young company from the very beginning. While Günter Blase drove the technical development forward, she organised the administration and finances, looked after customers and was involved in all important investment decisions. As a co-founder, she played a decisive role in ensuring that an idea could become a successful company. With the development of the current site in Cologne-Lind, Margret and Günter Blase realised their vision of a modern factory at the beginning of the 1990s, which still forms the heart of igus today. From 1983 onwards, their sons Frank and Carsten Blase also actively shaped this path and brought new momentum to the family business. Together, they consistently advanced igus as a motion plastics specialist, expanded the product portfolio to include thousands of products and drove the company’s international growth.

“You yourself have to make your life fun”

Margret and Günter Blase shaped the development of igus together over decades. Right up to a ripe old age, Günter Blase was in the company every day. “My father’s passion for technology remained unbroken. He continued to work on optimising production processes and remained curious about new ideas until the very end,” says Frank Blase. “One of his guiding principles will also stay with us forever: you yourself have to make your life fun.” Günter and Margret Blase also knew that their life’s work was in good hands. igus has been operating as an SE & Co. KG since October 2025 and is operationally headed by four managing directors. Frank Blase supports the strategic development as Chairman of the Board of Directors. With new business areas and more than 5,700 employees worldwide, around 2,500 of whom are in Germany, igus is continuing to thrive and prosper. A principle of Günter Blase still has an effect today: you have to be prepared for plus 50 per cent as well as minus 50 per cent at all times. This statement was based on the conviction that it was essential to face growth and uncertainty with foresight and to direct a company towards financial stability, flexibility and resilience in times of crisis. However, what Günter and Margret Blase left behind extends far beyond economic figures. This is also reflected in the long-standing relationships with customers and partners that they have built up over decades. Their entrepreneurial spirit, their values and their trust in people still shape igus today and will continue to be a part of the company in future.