Hermann Ophardt passed away on May 5, 2026. This is his obituary, written by Heiner Ophardt, his son and his successor as CEO of OPHARDT Hygiene.
Hermann Ophardt was born on January 1, 1935, the firstborn of Heinrich and Margareta’s eight children. From the age of six, he lived with two aunts and an uncle. Their small, family-run grocery store stood at the centre of daily work. When not minding the shop, Hermann and his aunts also took care of their brother, who had been paralyzed by the Spanish flu.
Hermann began his schooling in a one-room village school. Science and languages opened the door to a new world for him. He wanted to see that world: as a teenager, he traveled by bicycle with his brother and a friend not only to the Teutoburg Forest, also to Paris and eventually to Scotland.
Village life and the Reformed Church in Hoerstgen shaped him deeply. Three years of confirmation instruction—learning hymns, Bible verses, and the catechism—were just as much a part of his life as the brass band.
After school, Hermann completed an accelerated apprenticeship as a machinist at Krupp in Rheinhausen. This was followed by preparatory studies and, eventually, naval engineering studies in Duisburg, which he completed in 1958. Two years later, he took the step into self-employment—and that same year he married Elisabeth. She was three years older than him, experienced in life, and, as Hermann often said, the one who saved him from many a foolish mistake. Together they mastered the financially difficult years of self-employment and built on each other’s strengths. During this time they also built their family with two sons, Heiner and Thomas. The family has since grown to seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Professionally, his company continued to develop steadily: from designing ventilation systems for barns, to creating an engineering and development office, and, finally, manufacturing their own products. The major breakthrough came with the ingo-man, a sterilizable sanitizer dispenser with a standardized bottle for the healthcare sector—a milestone that gained further significance through collaboration with Professor Daschner from Freiburg and Henkel in Düsseldorf. In the 1980s, an innovative soft bottle and disposable pump for abrasive hand cleaners was developed for the company Stockhausen. This was another breakthrough, one that brought the company into the industrial sector.
The company continued to grow. New locations were established in Berlin, Belgium, Ireland, Canada, and Switzerland. Business expanded into the United States. At the end of the 1980s, another breakthrough in North America was achieved with the introduction of an industrial dispenser series for Zep in Atlanta.
What made Hermann’s success possible was never one single talent, but the rare combination of many strengths working together. From his childhood in the family-run grocery store, he carried with him a natural instinct for commerce. At the same time, he remained, above all, an engineer and problem solver, often more concerned with function, durability, and quality than with outward appearance or price. It was precisely this uncompromising standard that created deep customer loyalty. But Hermann did not build his life’s work alone. Elisabeth was his indispensable partner. She took care of the books, the people, and the needs of the business; he shaped operations, product development, and relationships with customers.
Later, his eldest son, Heiner, carried the torch forward, expanded the business internationally, and continued the spirit of development and innovation. Hermann’s leadership style was direct and detail-oriented, but also marked by compassion. When he trusted someone, he trusted them fully. That trust allowed others to grow.
Hermann lived as he worked: authentically, purposefully, and with his eyes directed forward. His confirmation verse from 1949 suited him well:
“No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
And so his life reminds us that we grow through work, mistakes, and challenges—always looking forward, and with an understanding of the finite nature of our time on this earth.
Perhaps, at the end of Hermann’s life, one image remains especially fitting: the apple tree of which he so often spoke, echoing the words attributed to Martin Luther: “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would end, I would still plant my apple tree today.” Hermann lived out of precisely this forward-looking hope. He built, planted, developed, and invested—not only in products and companies, but in people, family, employees, and generations to come. The “apple tree” he leaves behind is visible in the work that continues, in the family that carries his name and his values, and in the many lives shaped by his trust, his courage, and his perseverance. His earthly life has come to an end, but what he planted will continue to bear fruit.
Kommentieren