Wolfgang Meyer
Plastics Business Consultants
Inducted 2024
Wolfgang Meyer (1950 – ) is a German mechanical engineer who spent much of his career as president of North American subsidiaries of three German equipment manufacturers, each recognized as technology leaders in their fields.
Meyer began his career in 1970 at Bayer in Germany, where he developed the polycarbonate structural foam molding process and its applications. In 1975, he joined Schloemann-Siemag and moved to the U.S. to work for Beloit Corporation, Schloemann-Siemag’s licensee for structural foam injection molding machine technology. In 1977, Schloemann-Siemag acquired Battenfeld Maschinenfabriken, and Meyer became Sales Manager for Europe at Battenfeld headquarters. He returned to the U.S. in 1980 and advanced to president of Battenfeld of America Corporation.
Under Meyer’s leadership, Battenfeld became a key supplier of small injection molding machines for precision parts. Battenfeld was also well known for its large machines with automation, including the largest in North America, which had 9,000 tons of clamping force.
Meyer joined SIG Kautex as president in 2000 when the company faced declining demand for industrial blow molding machines and needed to refocus. He successfully introduced 3D suction blow molding for automotive air ducts. Renamed Kautex Machines, Meyer led the company’s shift toward German industrial packaging machines and smaller shuttle machines assembled by Kautex in China. Meyer expanded the sales territory to include Mexico, Central, and South America, establishing a network of sales and service staff to support new business.
W. Müller’s primary business consisted of retrofitting extrusion heads on existing blow molding machines. When Meyer became president of W. Müller USA in 2010, he successfully promoted tri-layer technology for processing recycled content, enhancing the sustainability of plastics in single-use bottle applications.
As principal of Plastics Business Consultants, Meyer shares his half-century of plastics industry experience with companies that need help with extrusion blow molding applications and machinery. He represents blow molding machine manufacturer Bekum America in the Northeastern U.S. and is a member of the company’s board of directors.
Meyer earned the Engineer of the Year Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers. From 2019-2021, he served as president of the Plastics Pioneers Association, which he sees as instrumental in encouraging future generations to enter the plastics industry.
Meyer resides in Tewksbury, New Jersey, and has become a board member of the Tewksbury Historical Society. He oversees the society’s biannual garden and barn tour fundraising events.