Emil Siepmann

Siepmann was born in Hagen, Kingdom of Prussia. His parents Heinrich-Wilhelm Siepmann and Luise (née Siepmann) operated a wood wholesale company. He grew-up with a bourgeois background and was confronted with drop forging technologies from an early age as there was a small drop forge operation nearby his parents' house. He was a technophilic personality. After completing his schooling he completed a commercial apprenticeship as the only formal education he'd ever receive.

It was in 1892 when he was offered a position by his brother-in-law Louis Peters who had taken over the former manufacturing plant of Hüsing & Company in Warstein. They were known for producing spades, shovels, hay and manure forks forged from steel and iron. From this period the company was named Peters & Co, however the two initiators and entrepreneurs behind it were Emil and Hugo Siepmann. He was the commercial and technical director while his brother, also a partner, was mainly active in the distribution of the products. Around 1895 they employed already about 90 people and became very influential local industrialists.

Over time, the company was completely converted to drop forging. In 1916 a new hammer was built with an 85 ton anvil. That was the heaviest hammer that existed in a production plant in Germany at the time. All bridges from Soest to Warstein had to be reinforced for its transport to Siepmann's works. The company had been an important supplier to the bicycle and later to the automobile and railroad industries since the turn of the century. Siepmann was also active as a patron in his workforce and the place. In 1921, the Siepmann brothers donated 250,000 marks (equal to about 1m$ today's currency) for the construction of a children's home on the island of Norderney. He also put his skills at the service of the public when he was elected to the district council of Arnsberg in November 1904 in the regular supplementary election from the electoral association of larger landowners. He campaigned for new railway connections and a power station. He was a member of the relevant commissions. From 1909 to 1929 he was also a board member of the Warstein Savings Bank.