Vollmer's 'Miss Vollmer' celebrates centennial birthday

Sieglinde Vollmer, affectionately known as "Fräulein Vollmer" (“Miss Vollmer”) in Biberach, Germany, celebrated her 100th birthday on November 30, 2024, and  marked the occasion at the Technology and Training Center of the cutting tool specialist VOLLMER in Germany, surrounded by 50 invited guests, including family members, VOLLMER employees, and representatives from the supervisory board, the Sieglinde Vollmer Foundation's board of trustees, as well as the city and district of Biberach.

"Dear Miss Vollmer, it is a great pleasure and honor for me to convey the heartfelt congratulations from the city of Biberach, its associations, and organizations on this very special day," said Norbert Zeidler, the Mayor of Biberach, in his speech. "This day is particularly special because we are celebrating the 100th birthday of an extraordinary person, a woman who we are incredibly proud of here in Biberach and who is also an honorary citizen of our city."

Still involved in the company
Sieglinde Vollmer was born on November 30th, 1924. She was 15 years old when her father Heinrich Vollmer founded the company VOLLMER. Her life, intertwined with the company, which now employs around 800 people, began. 

In 961, a year after her father's death, Sieglinde Vollmer’s language skills became essential for the company’s export department. In 1964, she took over the management of the company alongside her brother Udo Vollmer and, since 1987, has played a key role in steering the medium-sized business. She grew to love and understand the VOLLMER Group, her father's life’s work.

And to this day, 100-year-old Sieglinde Vollmer, affectionately called "Fräulein Vollmer" in Biberach, remains active in the company: she is still a member of the supervisory board of the VOLLMER Group and curator of the Sieglinde Vollmer Foundation, which supports charitable and nonprofit organizations in Biberach. For her entrepreneurial, social, and cultural contributions, she was named an honorary citizen of the city of Biberach in 2022.

Birthday celebration at the Technology and Training Center
For her 100th birthday, over 50 invited guests gathered at the VOLLMER Technology and Training Center in Biberach. It was Sieglinde Vollmer's wish that her birthday not become a grand celebration, but rather a small gathering where guests could toast with her. 

The event featured musical performances by a tuba quartet, songs from the Biberach city band, as well as a salute by the city’s militia. Actors of a local, traditional theater performed a small play, as Fräulein Vollmer had once participated in the theater as a young girl. The laudatory speech was delivered by Martin Kapp, chairman of the supervisory board of the VOLLMER Group, who highlighted not only her achievements for the company but also paid tribute to her as a person.