On May 1, 2026, Ina Henze-Ludwig took over the sole management of COLANDIS GmbH. With founder Joachim Ludwig stepping down from his role as Managing Director, the next generation has now fully taken over the leadership of the family-run company. For customers and partners, COLANDIS will remain a reliable partner despite the change in leadership.
The handover is finalizing a process prepared over many years. Ina Henze-Ludwig has been part of the management team since 2016 and has played a key role in shaping COLANDIS’ development in core areas. Initially, she assumed responsibility for major HR topics and established structural and process-related foundations to improve planning reliability, efficiency, and further growth within the company.
With the expansion at the Kahla site, COLANDIS is consistently continuing this path. The company is nearly doubling its available space for production and services, from approximately 2,000 to around 3,300 square meters.
“Our goal is to significantly expand the service segment over the coming years - from around 20 percent today to approximately 50 percent in the future - while continuing to develop our other business areas in a stable manner. For me it is important that COLANDIS continues to grow in a healthy way and that we systematically strengthen our human resources to support the company’s future,” explains Ina Henze-Ludwig.
The leadership transition coincides with a special year: in 2026 COLANDIS celebrates 30 years of successful company history. Joachim Ludwig founded COLANDIS in 1996 as a civil-law partnership (GbR), starting in a garage. Ever since the company has continuously evolved and currently employs 35+ people.
Today COLANDIS operates in a market where contamination control and cleanroom technology are becoming increasingly important issues across industries. At the same time the demand for customized solutions is growing, particularly where standard solutions reach their limits. This is precisely where COLANDIS excels: precision, reliability, and a clear understanding of customer requirements.
Joachim Ludwig terminated his work for COLANDIS on April 30 and looks into the future with confidence: “I am convinced that Ina will continue leading COLANDIS successfully. She has got the experience, clarity, and judgment needed to make the right decisions and secure the company’s future,” he says.
With the certainty that COLANDIS is well positioned, he is now starting a new chapter:
“I look forward to taking on new challenges,” says Joachim Ludwig. In the future, he will work as an independent consultant, making his many years of industry experience available to clients.
For Ina Henze-Ludwig the transition represents both responsibility and perspective for the years ahead. With a touch of humor, she describes COLANDIS as her father’s “fourth child,” which she will now accompany as the “big sister.” “I am very grateful to my father for the trust he has placed in me. I truly believe that our team is well equipped and prepared to meet the challenges ahead and to continue the success story of COLANDIS,” she says.