Donges is now part of this exhibition
On your marks, get set, go!
Boys and Girls Day: A look behind the scenes at Donges SteelTec
Once again this year, we took part in Future Day 2026 and were delighted to welcome numerous curious young talents starting from 5th grade onwards to our company, Donges SteelTec.
The participants had the opportunity to look over our colleagues’ shoulders to gain initial insights into various areas and were free to ask questions at any time. In addition to learning about the theoretical aspects of work in the technical office and administration, they were also able to gain hands-on experience in our workshop.
A particular highlight was the tour of our production hall. The large cranes, which move steel using magnets, drew looks of amazement.
The students also had the chance to get creative. In the technical office, they designed signs on the computer featuring the first letters of their names, which they then got to spray-paint and decorate in the workshop exactly as they liked.
For those less enthusiastic about hands-on activities, our IT department offered exciting insights—after all, it’s there every day to help us out of a jam. 😉
Of course, we didn’t neglect the hungry bellies: In our cafeteria, everyone could recharge with a quick snack.
We’re thrilled to be part of this important Future Day and to inspire young people early on about the diverse and interesting opportunities at our company!
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- First, a little briefing for the students.
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- In the technical office, you could see components being designed on the computer.
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- Here, the students were also able to get actively involved.
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- A tour of the production facility showed how heavy steel components are welded.
Donges SteelTec honours long-standing employees
‘In our fast-paced world, it has become rare for people to spend their entire working lives in the same job and, what’s more, with the same employer. This makes it all the more important to value the loyalty and reliability of long-standing employees,’ said Dr. Wolf Cornelius, Managing Director of Donges SteelTec GmbH, as he introduced the ceremony honouring six employees celebrating company anniversaries. Three employees have been with the company for 40 years, and three others have been working for Donges for 25 years.
Dr. Wolf Cornelius personally honoured all those celebrating their anniversaries with great appreciation, accompanied by individual laudatory speeches and lovingly selected gifts.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all those celebrating their anniversaries for their loyalty and commitment to our company and wish them all the best for the future!
Donges SteelTec team impresses at the 12th Merck company run
Darmstadt 13 May 2025. Our Donges SteelTec team started the 12th Merck company run with a lot of joy, team spirit and a touch of nervousness. Over 7,000 runners from more than 300 companies joined forces to create an unforgettable event that was bursting with energy and team spirit.
Whether on the short 3.5 km, the medium 5 km or the 10 km challenge – each individual gave their best. The feeling of crossing the finish line together, the cheering spectators and the positive atmosphere in the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor – these are moments that we will remember for a long time to come.
After the run, we celebrated this special day with a cold beer, full of pride and gratitude for our team and our joint achievement.
Dr Peter Schäfer hands over the baton to Dr Aaron von der Heyden
After 35 years of dedicated service to our company, we have bid farewell to our long-standing Production Manager, Dr Peter Schäfer, on his well-deserved retirement. We would like to express our sincere thanks for his extraordinary loyalty, his tireless commitment and his great contribution to the successful development of our production. During his career, Dr Schäfer has made a significant contribution to the technological and organisational development of our company – always with an eye for quality, efficiency and teamwork.
Our Technical Director, Dr Aaron von der Heyden, will take over the management of production in future. By closely combining technical management and production, we are creating optimal conditions for the holistic further development of our production processes and for shaping the future of our company in a sustainable manner.
We wish Dr Schäfer all the very best for his new chapter in his life and would like to thank him once again for over three decades of valuable collaboration. We also wish Dr von der Heyden every success in his new role.
The first containers in the new Donges CI are used on the Mainflingen bridge construction site.
Donges SteelTec welcomes international welding technology experts from the IIW in Darmstadt
As part of the C-XIII Interim Meeting 2025, an international group of experts from the International Institute of Welding (IIW) visited our company in Darmstadt last Thursday.
After a brief presentation of our company and our projects, the welding technology experts were given an insight into our production and processes during a workshop tour. The meeting with colleagues from all over the world provided a welcome opportunity to discuss current challenges and developments in steel construction and welding technology.
Many thanks to the IIW group for their visit and interest – we were delighted to be part of this meeting!
Last Friday, the company premises of Donges SteelTec GmbH in Darmstadt were a hive of activity.
Around 300 current and former employees and their families met in the company’s courtyard in the afternoon to discuss current projects and reminisce about the many successfully completed buildings in recent years. The current projects were presented during a tour of the factory halls and the heavy steel structures for the Pfaffendorf Bridge, the Lufthansa Visitors Centre and the Salzgitter Fireproof Hall were shown up close.
The works council, above all its chairman, Ercan Kaya, who had organised the event and provided the food and drink, was highly praised. After the official opening by the Managing Director, Dr Wolf Cornelius, in the early afternoon, the ‘Donges family’ celebrated carefree and with many personal conversations and memories until late in the evening.
In southern Hesse, countless young people start their apprenticeships in September, including at Donges SteelTec in Darmstadt.
On Tuesday (2 September), 8 trainees in 3 professional fields celebrated the start of their vocational training at Donges SteelTec. For years, training in our traditional company with its own steel construction production has been in great demand.
Four construction mechanics, three technical system planners and one industrial clerk are familiarised with the processes in steel construction production, the use of 3D/2D CAD programmes, the creation of workshop drawings, parts lists and NC data for the production machines as well as the commercial and business management processes of an industrial company during their three and a half years of training. Company training projects and a comprehensive training programme round off the apprenticeship.
We regularly offer trainees permanent employment contracts and are keen to be able to retain young talent within the company in the future.
“We have been building steel bridges and innovative steel structures for over 150 years. Each construction is individual and a small masterpiece. Getting young people excited about it is both a claim and a challenge for us” says Thomas Kloose, head of training in the technical office at Donges SteelTec.