40 Years of Carbon Fiber Production in Heinsberg: An Anniversary That Brings People Together
13. October 2026 | News
Teijin Carbon celebrated the 40th anniversary of production at its Heinsberg-Oberbruch facility with employees, guests from Japan, and representatives from the city of Heinsberg. In addition to the employees, Tetsuya Ito, General Manager of the Teijin Business Unit, also took part in the celebrations.
Forty years ago, the first production line went into operation in Heinsberg-Oberbruch. From its humble beginnings with about 60 employees, it has developed over the decades into a major production site that employs about 400 people in and around the plant today. Production capacity for carbon fibers has grown from an initial 360 metric tons to 5,100 metric tons per year. To this day, Heinsberg is home to Germany’s only industrial carbon fiber production facility.
To mark this special anniversary, employees gathered for a joint celebration. A special guest was Tetsuya Ito, General Manager of the Teijin Carbon Business Unit, who had traveled from Japan specifically to celebrate this milestone together with the staff. In his speech, he looked back on the site’s development and thanked the employees for their dedication and their contribution to Teijin Carbon’s success.
Among the guests was the mayor of Heinsberg, who highlighted the site’s importance to the region and praised the close ties between the company and the city.
Over coffee and cake, the focus was primarily on personal conversations and shared memories. Many employees reflected on defining moments, shared stories from years past, and discussed the site’s development.
A special moment of the celebration was the recognition of five colleagues who were already part of the team when production began in Heinsberg in 1986. They represent the many people who have shaped the site over four decades with their knowledge, experience, and dedication.
The visit from Japan also underscored the long-standing German-Japanese cooperation that has shaped the site since its inception and remains an important part of its success story to this day.
“40 years of carbon fiber production in Heinsberg stand for innovative strength, technological excellence and the dedication of our employees. What began with a single production line has evolved into a major production site for high-performance materials. Today, we can build on this foundation to develop the next generation of solutions for aerospace, industry and other future markets,” says Tetsuya Ito, General Manager of Teijin’s Carbon Business Unit.
Teijin Carbon Europe combines the international focus of a global corporation with the personal touch of a mid-sized company. As a major employer in the region, the company places a strong emphasis on diversity, mutual respect and the individual strengths of its employees. After all, shared success—then as now—stems above all from the people who help shape the company every day.
Tetsuya Ito, General Manager of Teijin's Carbon Business Unit, gave a speech at the anniversary celebration.
Employees and guests celebrated the site's 40th anniversary together.