German Delegates Tour Messer Cutting Systems
A delegation from Hessen, Germany recently visited Messer Cutting Systems, Inc. (Menomonee Falls, WI), a North American manufacturer of CNC thermal cutting machines, and toured Messer’s sister company, Castolin Eutectic (Menomonee Falls, WI), which is part of the MEC Group GmbH holding company located in Hessen. The purpose of this visit was to expose the delegates to new aspects of Wisconsin and spur increased connections and collaboration between these groups and Germany.
As recently as 2016, Wisconsin and the German state of Hessen marked 40 years of a sister-state relationship. What began as primarily a cooperative relationship that was focused on education has evolved into an increasingly robust economic relationship between the two states. Wisconsin is proud to acknowledge that the relationship with Hessen is the oldest partnership between a U.S. state and a German federal state, and now covers a broad range of spheres promoting and supporting business, governmental, educational, cultural, scientific and technology exchange.
During the visit by the delegation, Bill Heller, the president and chief executive officer of Messer Cutting Systems, and Carlos Estevez, the chief executive officer of Messer Castolin Eutectic, treated the delegates to short presentations, a walking tour through both facilities, and live plasma cutting machine demonstrations. The dignitaries were impressed with the advanced steel plate cutting and welding technology innovations seen at both facilities.
Dignitary tour members included representatives from the Hessen Wisconsin Society Board, Hessen State Parliament, HA Hessen Agentur GmbH, and an advisor from the European Union in Brussels/Belgium. Also present were representatives of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the Waukesha County Business Alliance, and the German American Chamber.
