Farewell to Franz-Josef Pokolm as Managing Director

Franz-Josef Pokolm founded his company in 1994 together with Gerhard Maurus and the late Georg Roth.
For the company founder, being better meant constantly reflecting on the competition and his own products and services, identifying potential for optimization, and above all developing innovations that represented real progress and a competitive edge.

Franz-Josef Pokolm has played a key role in many innovations in tools for cutting processes: indexable insert milling cutters and cutting inserts in metric sizes, embedded insert seats, and the Pokolm Duoplug® system, a perfect screw-shrink connection between tool and holder.

Gerhard Maurus, a Pokolm partner from the very beginning, recalls: "For Franz-Josef, standing still is a step backwards. That's the only way we were able to celebrate our many successes together. We started with the embedded insert seat in 1994. With this development, Franz Josef pursued the idea of a more stable insert seat for higher feed rates. This was followed in 1995 by the development of a monoblock holder for screw-in milling cutters to avoid unnecessary interfaces in the future and reduce the distance to the machine spindle. The following year, he added screw-in holders made of heavy metal to prevent vibrations at high overhangs and slip-on holders with flat contact for extreme working depths. At the same time, Franz-Josef researched V-indexable inserts for aluminum machining and various cutting materials to demonstrate his high workload."

Sascha Leicht, Pokolm partner and son-in-law of the late third company founder Georg Roth, remembers the many tools that Franz-Josef Pokolm helped to develop: “In 1999, Pokolm launched Trigaworx, the first pure high-feed milling cutter with a three-edged indexable insert in Germany. This was followed, for example, by large torus tools and tools with uneven pitch for extreme working depths.”

On behalf of the entire company, Sascha Leicht expresses his gratitude to Franz-Josef Pokolm: “Thank you for the many excellent products and your tireless commitment to the company as managing director!”