NGR welcomes new CEO

Wolfgang Steinwender has been announced as the new CEO of Austria-based plastics recycling machinery manufacturer NGR, effective May 1. His predecessor Josef Hochreiter says he will devote more time to the further development of parent firm Next Generation Holding.

NGR describes itself as offering a full range of postconsumer, postindustrial and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling equipment. Despite uncertainties pertaining to the COVID-19 virus, NGR says it is “convinced it can continue [its] successful course supporting the plastics industry during its transition to the circular economy.”

Since joining the company in 2014, Steinwender has been serving as managing director of NGR’s North American office in Atlanta, where he spearheaded market penetration and customer support in the Americas.

“Together with Chief Technology Officer Thomas Pichler and Chief Operating Officer Gerold Barth, Wolfgang Steinwender will focus on the further development of the circular economy,” states NGR.

“About 400 million tons of plastics are being produced per year worldwide; it is key to put an emphasis on end-of-life plastics,” Steinwender says. “Mechanical plastics recycling conserves resources, protects the environment and improves the CO₂ balance. It is the key to sustainability. Therefore, it is crucial to achieve the highest possible quality of recycled materials by using innovative technologies and thus continuously increase the amount of recycled material in end products.”

Josef Hochreiter had been heading NGR for 12 years. He says his work with Next Generation Holding will involve continuing to develop the firm “to support the transformation from a linear to a circular economy in plastics.”

NGR is a €47 million ($51 million) company that employs 140 people at its headquarters in Feldkirchen, Austria, and at three sales and service locations in the United States, China and Malaysia.