30 years of SAWIKO: Success stories at their best

“When we founded SAWIKO in 1995 as a small three-man business, we had a vision of where it would lead – today we offer the AL-KO Group’s complete portfolio for installation on motorhomes and caravans,” explains Guido Kovermann, founder of SAWIKO and Senior Vice President Sales Leisure at AL-KO Vehicle Technology:

“At our site in Neuenkirchen-Vörden, we now serve a broad customer group: end customers, retailers, wholesalers and OEMs. Recently, we have been assembling chassis for Tiny Houses and overseeing our online store activities in a purpose-built hall. Thanks to our great team, we not only offer our customers first-class products, but also a premium service – and our continuous growth speaks for itself.”

Harald Hiller, President & CEO AL-KO Vehicle Technology, says: “The acquisition of SAWIKO in 2011 was a key strategic step in strengthening our presence in the European aftermarket. Since then, we have established nine customer centers across Europe, which has considerably strengthened our proximity to customers and partners. I would like to thank Guido Kovermann for his visionary spirit, his creativity and his perseverance.”

Dr. Timo Schwickart, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing, adds: “In his new expanded role as Senior Vice President Sales Leisure, Guido Kovermann now has overall responsibility for operational management, long-term strategic decisions and economic performance. His extensive industry experience and market knowledge make him the perfect person for the job.”

Guido Kovermann reports: “We would like to celebrate our anniversary in style at the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf this summer. At the same time, I am gradually withdrawing from the operational business at SAWIKO due to my new role in the Group of Companies.”

“As one of SAWIKO’s co-founders, our Neuenkirchen-Vörden site is particularly close to my heart – letting it go makes me a little wistful,” Kovermann continues. “This is not easy for me, but I am delighted that the baton is being passed to a motivated, young successor in our anniversary year.”

Sven Böttcher, who has already been managing the SAWIKO business together with Guido Kovermann for 18 months, will now take on overall responsibility for the Neuenkirchen-Vörden site, including the customer centers in Elsdorf near Cologne and Kleinkötz in Bavarian Swabia.

Böttcher, who has been working with the AL-KO VT Group for ten years, started as a master’s student at the Paderborn site, then became head of the assembly department and from 2019 he was production manager, before moving to SAWIKO in 2023.

Read more about SAWIKO’s history here.