Company

The Königswinter rolling mill has been operating as an independent company since 2010 and has been on a growth trajectory ever since. Originally, it was part of the Lemmerzwerke, founded in 1919, and produced wide flat steel and blanks for wheel manufacturing.

The rolling mill was established in the 1950s. After the end of World War II, the procurement of raw materials became challenging, leading Paul Lemmerz, who ran the Lemmerzwerke in its second generation, to build a new rolling mill adjacent to the Lemmerzwerke. To sustain wheel production, he constructed Europe’s smallest and most modern rolling line on the site of the heavily damaged Longenburg at the foot of the Drachenfels. This marked the foundation of today’s WW-K.

Over the following decades, the Lemmerzwerke changed ownership several times. The market evolved, demanding a focus on the core business of wheel production, rendering the in-house rolling mill unprofitable. The rolling mill was written off, and jobs were at risk. But it emancipated itself and reinvented its operations: since the spinning off of its production division in the summer of 2010, the rolling mill has operated under the name WW-K, steadily expanding its offerings as an independent company.

From an internal production division to an independent company – the journey of the Königswinter rolling mill has been long and eventful since its inception. Despite all the changes, one constant remains: the idea of a rolling mill that grows with the demands of its customers. A mill that gives its all for the independence of its clients. A mill that fosters a spirit of partnership with its employees and customers as a guiding business principle.

This idea is as modern today as it was on day one. And just like back then, it requires full commitment to bring it to life – every day, at every single workplace.

The ability to reinvent oneself is no fleeting trend. For us, sustainable business practices are not just empty words but the foundation of our success. We firmly believe that profitability, social responsibility, and environmental protection form an inseparable unity. To preserve the livelihoods of future generations, we make all business decisions with these three factors in mind. For us, this means valuing the expertise and longstanding experience of our employees while avoiding wasteful use of resources.

As a medium-sized company, we cannot and do not want to engage in pure short-term profit thinking. Decades of business experience have repeatedly shown that a prudent approach to employees and resources pays off.

The guiding principles of our actions are:

• Securing jobs and training young people
• Recycling and reintegrating by-products (such as slag) into the economic cycle
• Reducing emissions