WEPA

⚽️ From the Football Pitch to Career Success: A Friendship That Stands the Test of Time Some encounters change everything – even if they seem ordinary at first. 📍 Netherlands, 1970s: Two seven-year-old boys meet on a football pitch. Both full of energy, both passionate about the game – and soon, about their friendship. This is how the story of Luc van Keeken and Leon Doezen began.  What started as childhood friendship turned into a lifelong bond – through ups and downs, personal adventures, and professional challenges. Today, Luc and Leon work at WEPA: Luc as Head of Accounting, Leon Doezen as Project Manager in Mechanical Maintenance. 💡 Their story proves that shared values, trust, and genuine connections don’t just enrich our lives but also shape our workplaces. Friendships can influence careers, open new perspectives, and bring companies to life. 👉 Discover this and more inspiring stories about the people behind WEPA – now on our blog! Link below in the comments 👇 #WeareWEPA #CareerPaths #TeamSpirit #SuccessStories 

WEPA and WWF Deutschland extend partnership: New goals for more sustainability! 🌍 Since 2017, WEPA and WWF Deutschland have been working together towards a more sustainable future – in supply chains and through local nature conservation projects. Now, we’re extending our partnership until 2030 – with new priorities, pursuing the clear goal: to make hygiene paper made from recycled fibre a standard in Europe! Our partnership builds upon three areas of action: 👉 Raising awareness & changing consumer habits: As hygiene paper made from recycled fibre is no longer a compromise, but a soft, comfortable, and eco-friendly choice, WEPA and WWF Deutschland aim to educate consumers about these benefits and motivate them to make mindful purchasing decisions with a behavioural change campaign. 👉 Conserving resources & strengthening circular economy: We aim to set up a pilot project that contributes to the sustainable production of alternative, non-wood-based virgin fiber, expand our commitment to deforestation-free supply chains and work together to promote a systemic circular economy within the hygiene paper industry and at a political level. 👉 Nature conservation as a constant in our partnership: The "Mittlere Elbe" project remains at the heart of our efforts. It focuses on reforestation and habitat preservation to safeguard biodiversity and ensure flood protection. At WEPA we are delighted to be partnering with WWF Deutschland to drive forward the transformation of our industry. Together for a better life! 🌱🌍 #WeareWepa #TogetherForABetterLife #Sustainability #WWF Heike Vesper

🎙️ Tissue Talk – Stories from the WEPA team  MODESTA FERREIRA: "Leadership is about adapting and thriving in the face of new challenges." What does it take to become a leader in the dynamic world of hygiene paper manufacturing? In the second episode of WEPA’s Tissue Talk, we’re joined by the inspiring MODESTA FERREIRA, Head of Converting at our WEPA mill in Bridgend, UK. MODESTA FERREIRA shares her remarkable journey to leadership, offering insights into her role in shaping WEPA’s future through innovation, sustainability and team spirit.  💡 How does leadership evolve in the hygiene paper industry? 🌱 What strategies does Modesta use to drive sustainability and foster innovation? 👩💼 What lessons has she learned on her path to becoming a leader? Get ready for an insightful conversation that highlights the strength and vision of an industry leader. Don’t miss Episode 2 of Tissue Talk! 🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/d7vavpcF 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/d83URqXC    #TissueTalk #WeareWEPA #Leadership #Sustainability #Entrepreneurship  #TogetherForABetterLife #Videocast 

Behind the Tissue: Britt Bazelmans-Joosten, Assistant logistics      If you had told me a few years ago that I’d be spending my weekends dressed in medieval gowns while my husband fought with steel swords in a castle courtyard, I might have laughed. But life has a way of surprising us, doesn’t it? My life is a tapestry of roles: I’m a logistics professional at WEPA, but also a budding safety engineer, a wife, a mother, a medieval volunteer, and even, as a hobby, a social media manager. My journey has been anything but ordinary, and that’s just how I like it. Each thread weaves together to create something unique and fulfilling. I began my career at WEPA in the logistics department, and from that time I’ve been the only female at the Swalmen plant who can drive a forklift. It was a bold choice, considering logistics isn’t exactly teeming with women. Yet, I embraced the challenge wholeheartedly. Today I split my time between the office, where I manage orders, and the warehouse floor, where I still jump on the forklift when needed. That combination keeps me active and connected to the pulse of operations. But I wanted more. Driven by the desire to expand my skills, I decided to pursue training as a safety engineer. Balancing full-time work, studies, volunteering and family life isn’t easy, but I see the long-term value. In the future, I will be stepping into a new role as the only female safety manager at WEPA – and it’s a role I take pride in, not just for myself but for the representation it brings. Outside of work, my weekends take me to the enchanting world of Castle Hoensbroek. My husband, our son and I volunteer as part of a medieval reenactment group. While he takes on the role of a knight in staged sword fights, I slip into the character of a castle lady. It’s a vibrant, historical escape where we entertain up to 1,500 visitors. For me it’s more than a hobby; it’s a chance to connect with the community and support the castle. I even manage their social media pages voluntarily. These activities offer a creative outlet, a stark contrast to the precision-driven logistics world that I’m surrounded by during the week. At WEPA, I’ve learned that diversity isn’t just a policy – it’s a culture. It’s about embracing who we are, finding our passions, and being supported to follow them. Whether I’m managing safety plans or donning a medieval gown, I’m living proof that life’s complexities make it all the richer. After all, who says a knight’s tale can’t include a forklift? 📷 Photo taken by Paul Tolenaar

A visit that left a lasting impression: British Deputy Ambassador visits WEPA in Müschede 🤝 A very special guest visited our WEPA site in Müschede on 9 January: British Deputy Ambassador Kieran Drake. He was accompanied by local representatives from the Sauerland region. Kieran Drake was very interested in the history of our company and our sites in the UK. He was particularly impressed by the fact that our company founder, Paul Krengel, once worked in the UK. 🌍 We were talking about WEPA’s significant investments in the growth market UK, along with our commitment to further growth in the future – an important step for strengthening the relationship between WEPA and the UK. Ambassador Kieran Drake also showed great interest in our sustainability transformation. He was impressed by our commitment to a sustainable future and the diversity of our family business.  The visit underlined: we are all looking forward to an intensified relationship in the future. 🙌 #WEPAGroup #Sustainability #Innovation From left: Christoph Hilverling, Rainer Schäferhoff, Benjamin Fahl, Bernd Schmidt-Nagel, Boris Pfeiffer, Kieran Drake, Andreas Krengel, Martin Krengel, Klaus Kaiser, Christian Staat, Marcel Tillmann, Peter Blume

🚀 We're excited to introduce our brand new series: Tissue Talk! 🎤🎬 Our new videocast series brings you closer to the heart of WEPA - our people. Sharing personal stories, showcasing their successes, and exploring the topics that matter most to them. In our very first episode, we talked to Martin Krengel, CEO of the WEPA Group. He talks openly about the values that define WEPA, the culture we’ve built, and what it really means to be an entrepreneur and family man. 💡 Why are sustainability and bold decisions so crucial to WEPA’s journey? 🌱 How does Martin bring our company culture to life every day? 🔮 And what vision does he have for WEPA’s future? Don't miss this chance to hear directly from our CEO about what drives us forward. Tune in now and be part of the conversation! Watch Episode 1 on YouTube or listen on Spotify and get inspired. 🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dhQ5nU-V 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/d8gHY_yr #TissueTalk #WeareWEPA #Leadership #Sustainability #Entrepreneurship #TogetherForABetterLife

Behind the Tissue: Carlo Cuypers, shift leader in paper making   As a shift leader in paper making at WEPA in Swalmen, my day-to-day work has a lot to do with machines and paper of course. My true passion though is in putting a smile on people’s faces. For me it’s important that my colleagues laugh when they come to work and that, later on, they also go home with a smile. I think this care is very important, and especially in my free time when I try to achieve something positive through my hobby: and that’s hiking!   What started with a pair of hiking boots has turned into a passion that really changed my family and myself. The decisive turning point came when we experienced a serious loss in the family: my father-in-law died of cancer. That hit us deeply and also opened our eyes. My wife and I decided not just to mourn silently but to become active, so we started getting involved with cancer funds and combining our walks with fundraising.   Another defining experience was the illness of one of our children. During that difficult period we got to know CliniClowns – it’s an organisation that sends clowns to sick children to bring a smile to their faces. We were moved so much by that, so we decided to actively support them as well.   So in 2024, with my wonderful wife and my cousin I set myself a special challenge: to go up the Col du Galibier – it’s one of the highest asphalted passes in the Alps at 2,645 metres! To take part, everyone had to collect at least 450 euros in donations – and we easily beat that thanks to support from WEPA and the generous donations from many people in our collection boxes, including at the local supermarket and bakery. Together with 300 participants, we raised an incredible 350,000 euros for CliniClowns!   Hiking isn’t just a hobby for me but a credo for life. It teaches me to appreciate the beauty of nature and to challenge my mind and body – and now I can achieve some good with it as well. I want to pass on these values to my children, which is why we go on a short hike together each and every week. Also, despite my full-time job and large family I’m training and educating myself further, so I show my children that people should never stop learning. #WeareWEPA #together #career

⭐ Happy New Year 2025⭐ WEPA wishes you a year full of health, success and inspiring moments to remember! 💚 We’re excited to continue our journey: shaping the future together - for a better life! Here's to a great start! 🥂 #WeareWEPA #togetherforabetterlife 

🎄 Happy Holidays from WEPA! 🎄 WEPA wishes you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season! 🎁   We wish you health, happiness, success and all the best for the future!  May this festive season be filled with joy and peace, and may you be surrounded by your loved ones and start the New Year with energy and confidence. 💚 #WeareWEPA #togetherforabetterlife 

🎄 Our WEPA Seasonal Greetings Film 2024 - A Tradition Close to Our Hearts 🙏🏼  🎉 It’s here at last! Our seasonal greetings film has finally arrived! Each year, this special seasonal greetings film is created with immense passion and dedication - a true highlight that the corporate family creates for our entire European workforce. A tradition filled of warmth and solidarity, bringing us together and inspires us year after year! 🎄✨ And while the entire film exclusively dedicated to our WEPA colleagues, we invite all of you with this special feature, to take a look behind the scenes of the film. ⭐ This year we celebrate the unique stories and traditions of our 4,200 employees from over 50 nations.  A huge thank you to everyone who took part - you bring our special WEPA family business culture to life! ✨   #WeareWEPA #togetherforabetterlife Andreas Krengel