{"id":10869,"date":"2025-08-04T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wthgmbh.de\/?p=10869"},"modified":"2025-08-26T11:53:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T09:53:12","slug":"if-you-want-success-you-have-to-go-to-the-k","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wthgmbh.de\/en\/if-you-want-success-you-have-to-go-to-the-k\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cIf You Want Success, You Have to Go to the \u2018K\u2019\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

High-Tech Showcase for Plastics in D\u00fcsseldorf:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf You Want Success, You Have to Go to the \u2018K\u2019\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

(mud) \u2013 Since its founding year in 1992, WTH GmbH has regularly presented itself with its own booth at the “K” trade fair, held every three years in D\u00fcsseldorf. This event is regarded as the largest and most prestigious gathering in the industry. Current managing director Gero Thieme, like company founder Walter Thieme, is convinced: “We\u2019ve always been willing to go to great lengths to participate.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In 2022, the K trade fair celebrated its 70th anniversary.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For eight decades, the \u201cK\u201d in North Rhine-Westphalia\u2019s capital has been the undisputed global showcase for the plastics and rubber industry. Since its debut in 1952, it has become the world\u2019s leading trade fair. Gero Thieme states: \u201cIt is now the most important meeting point for industry, research, and innovation in this sector.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What began as a national performance show quickly evolved into an international industry event. In post-war Germany, plastics processing was still in its infancy, yet the demand for new materials for technology, consumer goods, and infrastructure was enormous. The first \u201cMesse K\u201d \u2013 then still called the \u201cKunststoffmesse\u201d (Plastics Fair) \u2013 took place in 1952 and met with immediate interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially held at irregular intervals, the fair adopted a four-year cycle in 1963, switching to a three-year rhythm from 1983 onward \u2013 a response to the industry\u2019s accelerating pace of innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An imaginative exhibition stand by an exhibitor at K in D\u00fcsseldorf.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe K fair is more than just a product show,\u201d company founder Walter Thieme recalls. \u201cIt is a global forum for technological developments, sustainability topics, digitalization, and the circular economy. Innovations shaping the future of plastics processing are presented here \u2013 from bio-based materials to smart production systems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Gero Thieme, today\u2019s WTH CEO, the K is a central marketplace for companies: \u201cNew contacts, global business deals, and insights into market trends make it indispensable.\u201d It also provides a space for discussing the industry\u2019s challenges \u2013 such as environmental compatibility, recycling, and regulatory requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The K fair is internationally regarded as both a mirror and a driver of the global plastics and rubber industry. With its long tradition, innovative power, international reach, and well-timed schedule, it sets industry benchmarks. Gero Thieme is confident: \u201cIf you want to succeed in this industry, you can\u2019t ignore the K \u2013 not now, not in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An extruder from the 1970s evoked nostalgic memories for many visitors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The presence of the rubber industry at the K has declined quantitatively in recent decades compared to the plastics sector. Today, plastics dominate and have gained significant importance worldwide across almost all industries \u2013 from automotive and packaging to medical technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founder Walter Thieme has closely observed this development: \u201cThe rubber industry is smaller, more specialized, and more consolidated. Many traditional rubber processors have been integrated into large corporate structures or have focused on niche markets. As a result, there are fewer small and medium-sized exhibitors at the K fair, leading to a smaller overall presence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The photo is misleading. This meeting didn\u2019t take place in a marketplace but was captured at the WTH exhibition stand.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Modern material developments often result in hybrids of plastics and elastomers, reducing the share of rubber in traditional applications. At the same time, rubber-related topics are being increasingly shifted to other, more specialized trade fairs, while the K is positioning itself more and more as a high-tech showcase for plastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WTH Managing Director Gero Thieme notes: \u201cThe plastics industry is actively using the \u2018K\u2019 as a stage for topics like the circular economy, digitalization, and sustainability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rubber industry, which is less visible in these areas, has lost some of its public presence. This is also reflected in the exhibitor and visitor structure. However, the quantitative decline of rubber at the K is not a sign of weakness, but rather a reflection of strategic specialization and market development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Talks and agreements during K are later followed by actual deliveries of goods, usually intercontinental by sea freight.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While the plastics industry dominates and grows, the rubber sector remains more present than often assumed \u2013 though in a more compact form. Gero Thieme: \u201cFor our company, which serves both material groups, this means that focus and flexibility are crucial to remain successful in an evolving trade fair environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, the K trade fair will take place from October 8 to 15, 2025 in D\u00fcsseldorf \u2013 WTH GmbH will once again be exhibiting in Hall 8B, Stand F46.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(mud) \u2013 Since its founding year in 1992, WTH GmbH has regularly presented itself with its own booth at the “K” trade fair, held every three years in D\u00fcsseldorf. This event is regarded as the largest and most prestigious gathering in the industry. Current managing director Gero Thieme, like company founder Walter Thieme, is convinced: “We\u2019ve always been willing to go to great lengths to participate.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":10851,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[162],"tags":[217,240,367,253,366,368],"class_list":["post-10869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hauptbeitraege-2","tag-additives","tag-compounding-3","tag-dusseldorf","tag-fair","tag-k-2025","tag-plastic-show"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wthgmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wthgmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wthgmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wthgmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wthgmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10869"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wthgmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11176,"href":"https:\/\/wthgmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10869\/revisions\/11176"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wthgmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wthgmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wthgmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wthgmbh.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}