2 March 2023

Nordzucker factory in Klein Wanzleben: New factory manager starts thick juice campaign in early March

Meike Kelz takes over as manager at the Nordzucker factory in Klein Wanzleben (Germany) on March 1. At the same time, processing of the thick juice starts at the site – the first campaign under her responsibility. Her predecessor Udo Harten moves to strategic project management at Nordzucker.

Meike Kelz is the first female plant factory manager to join Nordzucker in Germany at the beginning of March. She joined Nordzucker in 2020 and was Head of Operations, Projects, Safety & Health at the Nordstemmen and Clauen factory (both Germany). A graduate brewer with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, she has worked as a production manager at SABMiller in Nigeria and from 2012 managed production at Hofbrauhaus Wolters in Braunschweig. “Meike Kelz has many years of experience as a production manager in food production – also abroad. Her commitment to Nordzucker over the past three years has impressed us greatly. We wish her every success in fulfilling her new role,” says Sven Buhrmann, Head of Operations.

Udo Harten began his more than 35-year Nordzucker career in 1986 as a factory assistant at the Uelzen factory. In 1991, he moved to Guestrow (Germany), initially managed the conversion of the sugar factory there as a project engineer, he took over as factory manager in 1994 and became factory director in October 1998. In 2006, he additionally took over the management of the factory in Klein Wanzleben and in 2008, after the closure of the Guestrow factory, moved completely to Klein Wanzleben. With the handover of responsibility to Kelz, Harten will contribute his technical expertise to group-wide projects. “Udo Harten is a dedicated and very experienced factory manager who has successfully implemented many major projects in the course of his work for Nordzucker. On behalf of the Executive Board, I would like to thank him very much for his commitment,” emphasizes COO Alexander Godow.