August 9, 2024: Martin Drasch has been announced as the new CEO of Schuler, the German metal-forming group, which is part of international technology firm, Andritz.

The 49-year-old Drasch had been CEO of Manz, the German multinational engineering firm, since October 2018. Drasch built up the mobility and battery solutions division there and initiated a cooperation with firms Dürr and Grob on the development of turnkey battery factories. He has also held various management positions at Eisenmann.

In September 2022 Schuler completed the take over of the entire Sovema Group which covered all Sovema entities including Solith, which provides equipment for lithium ion cell and module production, Sovel — formation systems for lead and lithium storage technologies — and US-based battery testing equipment company Bitrode.

Sovema general manager Massimiliano Ianniello said at the time that the acquisition would ensure the group could “play a major role in the gigafactory challenge”.

“So far, our size allowed us to serve our customers with high quality product sand customization. Now, as part of Schuler, we will finally be able to reach the volumes required by the massive demand for battery manufacturing equipment in Europe and beyond.”

Andritz Group president and CEO, Joachim Schönbeck said: “The market situation in the automotive and supplier industry is challenging, so we are fortunate to have found Martin Drasch who has extensive knowledge and experience as well as in-depth industry expertise in the future topics of electromobility and battery production.

Founded in 1839, Schuler has  production sites in Europe, China, and the US, as well as service companies in more than 40 countries. Its client base includes automotive manufacturers and suppliers and electrical industries.