Karl-Heinz Arnold GmbH (ARNO Werkzeuge) is bidding farewell to Josef Storf after 37 years in retirement. The family-run medium-sized company is thus leaving the person who has shaped the company over the last few decades. In his role as Managing Director, ARNO Werkzeuge has developed from a sales company for turning tools into a developer, manufacturer and full-service provider for cutting tools with a high level of consulting and solution expertise. In addition to steady growth, clever internationalisation and branch expansion, Storf also helped pave the way for the generational change at an early stage.

‘As much as I wish my father well in his retirement, we will miss him with his down-to-earth and level-headed approach to managing the company and its employees,’ emphasises Simon Storf, one of the Managing Directors at ARNO Werkzeuge and son of Josef Storf. After 37 years with the company, the tool manufacturer has retired its most influential person. Josef Storf joined ARNO Werkzeuge in 1988 from the then Ceratizit predecessor Plansee Tizit. Since 2004, he has headed the company as Managing Director together with majority shareholder Klaus-Michael Arnold. During this time, ARNO Werkzeuge has developed from a predominantly sales company for turning tools into an innovative developer, quality-conscious manufacturer and reliable full-range supplier of cutting tools with a high level of consulting and solution expertise.

Down-to-earth personality with an approachable management style

The company has grown steadily and sustainably. This is reflected not only in two new buildings in 2008 and 2018, but also in consistent internationalisation with branches in the UK (2004), Italy (2005), USA (2009) and Singapore (2014). The basis for this was the restructuring of sales and regular innovations with a product offensive from 2012 with the highlights of the SA parting off and grooving system and the patented ARNO - ACS Cooling System. Necessary capacity adjustments and regular investments in people and machines have also characterised the last few decades.

Generation change paved the way early on

Storf leads the company as a technically skilled manager with a level-headed and calm manner, a sensitive human touch and an approachable management style. Highly regarded both internally and externally, he always thinks about good, high-quality products with the best possible customer benefits. In the spirit of a Swabian family-run medium-sized company, he always focuses on long-term success rather than quarterly reports. It is also fitting that the succession plan has been consistently planned since 2021 and that the next generations of the owner families, Jaqueline Arnold and Simon Storf, have been active as managing directors since 2021.

At a small internal company celebration, the Arnold family and the entire workforce wished him all the best and good health for his ‘retirement’. Klaus-Michael Arnold thanked him personally ‘for decades of great cooperation with loyalty and faithfulness and as a role model for innovation, humanity, fairness, diligence and commitment in the service of the ARNO team.’ Josef Storf will be able to enjoy his well-earned retirement from April - even though many will miss him.