Ernst Prost had been a part of Liqui Moly since 1990

After more than three decades of serving the people and the company, Liqui Moly Managing Director Ernst Prost has retired.
“The field has been tilled. But over the past 31 years, we have plowed the company and the industry vigorously,” Ernst said.
When Ernst says “we”, that is Ernst Prost and Günter Hiermaier. On October 1, 1990, they moved together from a car care product manufacturer to what was then still a small company in Ulm. Ernst began as Head of Sales and Marketing and Günter was employed as Retail Sales Manager, Germany.
“More than 30 years ago, he was my apprentice, which was the name of given to trainees at the time. We were always together,” Ernst said.
Now the two are taking separate career paths. Günter Hiermaier, who has been the second Managing Director since 2018, will now lead the fortunes of Liqui Moly on his own.
“We still celebrated our pearl 30th wedding anniversary. But now it’s definitely over for me. The past 30 years have been strung together like pearls on a necklace. Each of them is a treasure trove of my life,” Ernst said.
Ernst Prost and his team turned Liqui Moly around and transformed the small additives company into Germany’s most popular motor oil brand, which is active in 150 countries. In 1990, the company posted a turnover of around 15 million euros with 118 employees. At the end of 2021, this amounted to 733 million euros and 1008 employees.
By 1998, the trained mechanic gradually bought company shares from the founding family and became managing partner. In this way, he saved the company from going out of business and secured dozens of jobs. The entry into the engine oil business provided the decisive boost to growth.
In 2006, the Meguin mineral oil plants in Saarlouis became a wholly owned subsidiary. This marked the final step towards becoming an independent engine oil manufacturer. In 2017, Ernst Prost sold his shares to the Würth Group, but remained as Managing Director.
Until the end, he remained true to his line, foregoing state subsidies and short-time work even during the hard Corona period. He even hired people and countered the crisis with investments worth millions – from on-board funds, as he says.
“They were tough but fulfilling years. Work is my lifeblood and Liqui Moly my life’s work. I know that I am in the best hands with my friend Günter Hiermaier and his team. Life is finite. And that’s why I’m finally looking forward to a phase of life that is no longer meticulously timed and determined externally, but offers freedom,” Ernst said.

For more from Liqui Moly, visit www.liqui-moly.com.au