Oberberg Business Leader Christoph Schmidt-Krayer Celebrates His 90th Birthday

Lindlar, January 28, 2026. The Oberberg region is the home of the Schmidt-Krayer family: On January 28, 2026, Oberberg entrepreneur Christoph Schmidt-Krayer celebrates his 90th birthday. For more than three decades, he shaped the development of the Schmidt + Clemens (S+C) Group in Lindlar as its Managing Partner. Today, he lives once again in Gummersbach together with his wife, architect Gisela Schmidt-Krayer.

Christoph Schmidt-Krayer was born in Cologne in 1936 and spent his childhood and youth in Gummersbach in the Oberberg region. From 1948 to 1956 he attended the humanistic boarding school Birklehof. He then studied metallurgy at the Technical University of Berlin from 1956 to 1961. In 1962, the graduate engineer joined the family business. In 1966 he became a general partner. Following the death of his father Alfred Schmidt-Krayer, he assumed leadership of the company in 1969 and, after its transformation into a GmbH & Co. KG in 1970, served as Managing Partner until 1998.

During his tenure, Christoph Schmidt-Krayer consistently expanded the company’s centrifugal casting operations, with a particular focus on developing the business for the petrochemical industry. In addition to expanding and modernizing S+C’s traditional production facilities in Kaiserau, he pursued internationalization early on: in 1974 he founded Centracero S.A. in Murieta, Spain—one of the first foreign production sites established by the German stainless steel industry. This step strengthened the foundation for today’s globally active Schmidt + Clemens Group, with multiple production sites, dedicated sales companies, and international representatives. With piping systems for the petrochemical industry, S+C is now a global market leader.

Beyond the company, Christoph Schmidt-Krayer was deeply committed to the industry and the region for decades. He served as a board member of the stainless steel association and represented mid-sized companies on the board of the German Steel Federation. Together with other entrepreneurs from the Oberberg region, he also co-founded the Werksarztzentrum Oberberg (Occupational Health Center Oberberg) in Gummersbach, which has since marked more than five decades of service.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Christoph Schmidt-Krayer played a key role in transforming the company from a traditionally patriarchal organization into a modern, professionally structured industrial enterprise. Group work, organizational development, and a clearly defined divisional structure were introduced and further developed.

Employee qualification and development were always close to his heart. Schmidt + Clemens’ apprenticeship and training programs continue to enjoy an excellent reputation—also thanks to Christoph Schmidt-Krayer’s long-standing commitment to education and professional development within the company.

In 1998, Christoph Schmidt-Krayer stepped down as Managing Partner, joined the Group’s advisory board, and served as its chairman until 2002. Following the entry of his son, graduate engineer Jan J. Schmidt-Krayer, into the company’s management in 2006, he withdrew from all corporate bodies. To this day, he remains closely connected to the company and continues to visit the S+C company archive in Lindlar on a regular basis.

Schmidt + Clemens extends its sincere congratulations to Christoph Schmidt-Krayer on his 90th birthday and honors his life’s work as an entrepreneur, visionary, and leader who has left a lasting impact on both the company and the region.

Photo Dennis Börsch: Christoph Schmidt-Krayer is still a regular visitor to the company's factory archive.