Reinhold Wuerth & family

Reinhold Wuerth entered his father's wholesale screw business in 1949, at age 14, as the company's second employee and first apprentice.

He took the reins in 1954 and honed a competitive advantage by delivering goods directly to customers on construction sites and in mechanical shops.

Today, with annual sales of over $16 billion, the Wuerth Group has more than 400 companies and 83,000 employees around the world.

Reinhold retired in 1994, but he still serves as chairman of the supervisory board of the Wuerth Group's family trusts.

Daughter Bettina Wuerth is chairwoman of the advisory board of Wuerth Group.