ROWE celebrates its 30th anniversary with a grand gala
Worms/Mainz, September 2025 – A breathtaking evening filled with emotion, passion, responsibility and strong partnerships: On Friday 12th September, ROWE MINERALÖLWERK GmbH celebrated its 30th anniversary with a festive gala under the motto: ‘30 years united in progress’. Over 200 business partners from all over the world, long-standing friends and high-profile guests from the worlds of culture, politics, sport and business accepted the invitation to Hall 45 in Mainz. They were greeted by an impressive setting in the largest industrial location in the Rhine-Main area, whose old wagon factory with its 13-metre-high ceilings had been elaborately and spectacularly staged.
The celebrations, networking and shop talk took place across almost 5,000 square metres. The varied stage programme not only offered emotional reflections on and outlooks for the history and future of ROWE, but also focused on togetherness, as is customary for the Worms-based lubricant manufacturer. ‘Without you, your trust and many years of good cooperation, we would not be here today,’ said company founder Michael Zehe, expressing his gratitude to all those present.
His daughter and successor, Dr Alexandra Kohlmann, who took over the management of the ROWE Group in 2024, was delighted with the positive development of the medium-sized company, which has 350 employees worldwide and supplies products to over 80 countries around the world: "With great foresight, diligence and a clear set of values, my father laid the foundations on which we stand today. I am deeply grateful to him for that. Now I have the opportunity to lead this company into the future, leave my mark and make ROWE my life's work as well." Stefan Wermter, co-managing director of ROWE Mineralölwerk GmbH, also looks to the future with confidence: "I am very proud to be part of this journey. Together with Alexandra and our fantastic team, we are excellently positioned and ready for the next 30 successful years."
Two rounds of discussions on stage dealt with the past, present and future – not only of ROWE, but of the entire industry. In the first part, Manuela Gilles (Managing Director of Autoteile Bechtoldt), Marco Spadaro (Managing Director of Petro-Lubricants) and Andreas Rogge (Managing Director of MOGoil), long-standing companions of ROWE founder Michael Zehe, talked about the beginnings, joint development steps and challenges. Afterwards, Dr Alexandra Kohlmann discussed economic challenges, political conditions and entrepreneurial success factors with Rhineland-Palatinate's Minister President Alexander Schweitzer and Carsten Cramer (Managing Director of Borussia Dortmund).
Following the entertaining programme, everyone celebrated together – 30 years of ROWE and an incomparable success story ‘Made in Germany’.
in HallE 45 in Mainz.
and successor Dr Alexandra Kohlmann, and Stefan
Wermter, co-managing director of ROWE
MINERALÖLWERK GmbH, at the ROWE gala reception in
the foyer of Hall 45.
guests from the worlds of politics, sport, associations
and business accepted the invitation from the
Worms-based lubricant manufacturer to visit the state
capital.
(right), Managing Director of the Rheinhessen Chamber
of Industry and Commerce, and Nina Macher (left,
Managing Director of the Worms Chamber of Industry
and Commerce Service Centre) present ROWE Managing
Director Dr Alexandra Kohlmann and ROWE founder
Michael Zehe with the certificate from the
Rheinhessen Chamber of Industry and Commerce marking
ROWE's 30th anniversary.
Spadaro (Managing Director of Petro-Lubricants)
and Manuela Gilles (Managing Director of Autoteile
Bechtoldt) spoke with ROWE founder Michael Zehe and
presenter Phungi (from left) about the beginnings, joint
development steps and challenges of their long-standing
collaboration.
Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate, and
Carsten Cramer, member of Borussia Dortmund's
management board, congratulated ROWE Managing
Director Dr Alexandra Kohlmann on the anniversary
and later in the evening discussed economic challenges,
political conditions and factors for entrepreneurial
success on stage.
the Nürburgring in 2025 was presented by,
among others, a ring acrobat.
at the ROWE summer party at the end of August,
employees of the Worms-based lubricant manufacturer
collaborated with artist Christian Bendull to create
this colourful work of art.