Umicore sales employee Erich Arnet retires
Erich Arnet, sales employee at Umicore Galvanotechnik GmbH, is retiring at the end of May 2025, but will remain with the electroplating company. Arnet is a sales employee who is valued for his expertise and friendly manner and is a well-known and respected expert in the industry.
Erich Arnet has made a significant contribution to Umicore's success during his impressive career. Despite his retirement, the Swiss-born engineer will remain involved in electroplating, from which Umicore should also benefit - because his continued involvement as Managing Director of the Z.O.G. (Zentrum für Oberflächentechnik Schwäbisch Gmünd e.V.) is also intended to secure the next generation of talent for the industry. The electroplating engineer has been working at the Z.O.G. for 25 years, largely on a voluntary basis. His goal is to establish the Center for Surface Technology as a leading institution in this field and to train the electroplating experts of tomorrow through targeted educational programs and practical training courses.
Erich Arnet: A life for electroplating technology
Erich Arnet's professional career began in 1979 with an apprenticeship as a chemical laboratory technician in Switzerland. Attending the University of Applied Sciences in Schwäbisch Gmünd provided the link to his future workplace. After graduating as a state-certified electroplating technician, his first job took him to Umicore (then Degussa) in 1984. The company recognized Arnet's potential and put him in charge of the technical centre the following year. The commercial diploma he subsequently obtained from the Lucerne School of Commerce and Administration and the Business English Certificate Preliminary from the University of Cambridge enabled Arnet to take over product responsibility in the Electroforming division in 1995, in addition to his professional qualifications.
Leading role in electroforming technology thanks to Erich Arnet
Umicore's leading role in the entire field of decorative precious metal coating is due not least to Erich Arnet, who expanded his activities to include global sales in this segment from 2007. "His expertise and commitment were always a guarantee of the highest quality and customer satisfaction and therefore a key part of our success in decorative applications," confirms Umicore Managing Director Michael Herkommer. In sales, Erich Arnet traveled all over the world for Umicore to inform local dealers about trends.