At the end of June, a highly valued member of the Management Board of KRONEN GmbH, Robert Lankhart, will bow out into well-earned retirement. He has accompanied KRONEN’s growth over many decades and played a significant role in key milestones achieved by the family company.

Robert Lankhart began his career at KRONEN back in 1996. During his 28 years at the company, he made a major contribution to its success, especially regarding the digitalization of many processes. Right at the start of his time at KRONEN, Lankhart accompanied a pioneering milestone in the company’s history when he played a key role in transferring ownership from Georg Kronen to Rudolf Hans Zillgith.

In 2000, he successfully implemented SAP as an ERP system and went on to use his wealth of expertise to manage the system over the next two decades. During this time, he also used the system to map a multitude of IT-based process optimizations, for example capacity planning in production, which are still in use and constantly being further developed in the present day. As a software system, the ERP (enterprise resource planning) supports both automation measures and a wide range of processes and thus makes a decisive contribution to the successful management of the company.

With his comprehensive knowledge in the fields of accounting and controlling, Robert Lankhart successfully managed KRONEN’s Controlling and Financial Accounts department for many years. In September 2001, he was appointed Authorized Signatory in recognition of his outstanding abilities and commitment to the company. He additionally worked as Interim Head of the Purchasing and Warehouse departments and the long-standing Head of the Human Resources department, a role in which he was the first point of contact for many KRONEN employees with their new employer and played a key role in the development  and establishment of the company’s growing team of staff.

Robert Lankhart accompanied the growth of KRONEN GmbH from a small company to a medium-sized enterprise with a rising number of employees over several decades. He was involved in the establishment of various departments and placed high value on passing on his knowledge to his fellow colleagues. His foresight and wealth of experience made a significant contribution to the development of specialized departments, which has put KRONEN GmbH and its staff in the ideal position to master the challenges of an increasingly digital working environment. 

In 2018, Rudolf Hans Zillgith, Stephan Zillgith and Robert Lankhart welcomed two new members to KRONEN’s Management Board. The addition of Eric Lefebvre and Johannes Günther, both of whom had been working at the company for many years, rejuvenated the Management Board and combined the expertise and experience of four managers to put the company in a perfect position for future developments and sustained growth.

At the leaving ceremony held for Robert Lankhart, Stephan Zillgith, Managing Director of KRONEN, honored his commitment to the company: “Both our Management Board and our employees have always highly valued Robert Lankhart’s professionalism, expertise and friendly approach. His contribution to our company will always be anchored in our corporate history. We would like to thank Robert Lankhart for his loyalty, dedication and many years of work for KRONEN. We wish him all the best in this next stage of life and a very happy and fulfilling retirement.”

About KRONEN GmbH

KRONEN is a family-managed globally operating producer and supplier of stand-alone machines, special-purpose machines and high-tech processing facilities for the fresh-cut industry. The product portfolio of KRONEN and its partners covers fruit, vegetable and lettuce processing: from preparing, cutting, washing, drying, dewatering, peeling and sterilizing right through to packaging.
KRONEN additionally offers machines for the processing of meat and fish, special vegan products, baked goods and pet food.
The company, which is based in the German town of Kehl am Rhein and has a second production site in the nearby town of Achern, currently employs more than 130 members of staff, has representatives in over 80 countries worldwide and supplies its products to more than 120 nations all over the globe.
With more than 45 years of experience in food technology, KRONEN prides itself on its quality awareness and constantly strives to achieve the best possible solutions in its day-to-day work. The machine manufacturer focuses on taking a sustainable, holistic approach toward the hygienic, reliable and resource-friendly production of fresh foods. KRONEN considers itself to be a think tank that provides innovative solutions to benefit its customers and meet all their needs. It guarantees top-quality advice and planning expertise in close cooperation with the industry and research establishments.

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Do you require more or other material? We are happy to help! Feel free to contact us here: presse@kronen.eu, T +49 7854 9646-160 / -161.