Turning Points – Wolfgang Grupp Junior, Trigema

It’s difficult to imagine a bigger moment in the life of an entrepreneur than to take over the family business – especially when that business is over 100 years old. Yet this is the turning point that Wolfgang Grupp Junior has just experienced. On January 1, 2024, the 33-year-old became managing director of Trigema, Germany’s largest producer of sports and leisure clothing.

Alongside him is his sister Bonita (35), who has also stepped up to the management board. Together, they represent the fourth generation of the family to run the company. Yet unlike his sister, Wolfgang is a “personally liable partner”, giving him an added layer of responsibility and personal risk. 

“You're thinking about a different level of risk aversion," he says. The consequences of his decisions are now much easier to feel. Wolfgang Junior does not believe this has affected his decision-making so far. “Of course, there are always doubts,” he admits. But while most entrepreneurs cannot easily predict the biggest turning point that will shape their careers, he and Bonita have been preparing for this their whole lives.

How family and business life are woven together at Trigema

"It’s a great luxury that we have that our parents in the company,” Grupp says. “They are very important advisors." Now that he and Bonita have transitioned to leadership roles, everyone has "a different responsibility". But they grew up in an environment based on "bringing about changes as a family". 

"This is what has shaped me: that there was this business family life, this closeness. We were present at company festivals, honours for the anniversary, at farewell parties – and, as children, in the office and production,” Grupp says. “It was always beautiful and we just saw everything. And at some point, you realise: that's what you want to do."

Wolfgang Grupp Senior is a famous entrepreneur in Germany and Wolfgang Junior admits his shoes are “very large" and difficult to fill. Trigema was a success story under his leadership, but there have obviously been "difficult times", such as the Dotcom Crash at the beginning of the Millennium, and more recently Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine. It was his father’s "art" to deal with such turning points, Grupp says.

It will therefore take a few years to assess how well the transition to the new generation has worked. "We have to be honest: we are in the process of transition," Grupp says. The real test will be when the new leadership faces its first negative turning point. "Sometimes you worry," admits the young entrepreneur. But "we're in the same boat here, and we have to control it… It’s motivating."

Why “Made in Germany” matters to Trigema’s past, present and future

The textile industry in Germany is currently facing great challenges. Energy prices are high, production costs in general have risen and there is a shortage of skilled labour. However, Grupp says, responding to such things radically is “not in our philosophy”. There will be no "big bang" change of strategy.

“We believe in continuous innovation based on our values,” he says. And these values are embodied in the phrase “Made in Germany”. The phrase is “a conglomerate of the values we love,” Grupp says. “Quality, reliability, responsibility, innovation." 

Trigema produces its garments exclusively in the Baden-Württemberg region. For Grupp, this is a question of responsibility to his people. Some employees have been at the company for more than 40 years. Are you going to tell them, "We'd rather sew somewhere else now?" he asks. From a sales perspective, by contrast, he is keen to look further afield: to new markets and customer groups. 

One of his father’s great skills was opening the business up to new customers and building new business areas, such as e-commerce, he points out. Yet such changes were always underpinned by consistent values. Today, Trigema wants to be a kind of "neutral space," Grupp says, "where people buy us not just for fashion reasons, but for sustainability and quality."

Wolfgang Grupp Junior’s advice for handling turning points

"Don’t take everything for granted,” he says. “It was a lesson that we learned in childhood that you had to enjoy the good times and carry these with you but know there will always be times that will be more difficult.” 

He continues: "In every company there are challenging times and better times, and companies that survive for decades will continuously experience such periods." So it’s important "that you have this awareness". Only then can you face your negative turning points calmly.