The limited liability company W. R. Lang was originally founded by Wilhelm Richard Lang in 1872 in the city of Neuwied, Germany. Having evolved from a tannery, in those days it mostly dealt in leather for the production and repair of shoes.
Follow us on a journey through the more than 140 years of our Company’s History!
The history of the W. R. Lang Company is not only the history of a business, but also the history of several generations,
linking the past to the company today.
1892, the company founder’s son, Hermann Lang, joined the business of his parents and expanded their clientele by means of extensive traveling. 1902 he took over the company and managed it until the year 1954.
During the 1920s a bootleg factory was added to the leather business. The Lang Company at this time employed up to ten employees.
From the year 1954 Richard Lang took over the management of the company and continued expanding the trade with orthopedic products.
Starting with 1997, the W. R. Lang Company was managed by Martin Lang and Rolf Krüger.
In 2000, the company moved to its current premises in the Hafenstraße.
Since 2008, Thomas Niebergall has been providing training within the framework of the curriculum of professional schools and schools for master craftspeople all over Germany.
2009, Laura Lang successfully completed her vocational training as a businesswoman in wholesale and foreign trade at the family business, followed by studies focused on the management of medium-sized businesses that were accompanied by internships and project phases at the parental enterprise.
The years 2010 to 2013 saw the market launch of the EVA spec. Sandwich and EVA spec. Sandwich Triplex products. Since the successful launch, new variants of the Sandwich-series are regularly introduced to the market.
The manufacturing of insoles was annexed to W. R. Lang’s wholesale business in 2015.
In May 2018, W. R. Lang introduced their first dedicated catalog of orthopedic technology / engineering products.
Since the withdrawal of Rolf Krüger from the management in June 2019, Laura and Martin Lang have conjointly taken over the management of the company.
From January 2024, Julian Lang has taken on the role of additional managing director for W. R. Lang GmbH. Following in the footsteps of his sister, Laura Lang, they will jointly continue the tradition of our family business into the fifth generation.
This move goes beyond a mere personnel change; it signifies the transition to a new generation that builds upon established values while simultaneously infusing fresh energy into our company.
Thanks to the consistent advancement of our company brands and the constant development of new products, we can offer our customers a wide range of high-quality products.
Obligated by our tradition of 145 years, we always put our customers at the center of our attention.