Ulrich Otto Sauer, the longtime owner and CEO of the SAF-HOLLAND Group and great-grandson of the company’s founder, Paul Zill, passed away on September 30, 2026, at the age of 83, surrounded by his family.
In 1974, Ulrich Sauer took over management of the family-owned company SAF (Sauer Achsenfabrik) from his father, Roman. A graduate in mechanical engineering and business administration, he continuously expanded his parents’ business, which was headquartered in Keilberg, Bavaria, near Aschaffenburg.
Sauer was regarded as a visionary innovator: even during his stays abroad as a student, he was already exploring new technologies in commercial vehicle engineering. One groundbreaking innovation was the idea for a new type of the trailing arm for trailer axles – the birth of the SAF INTRA chassis, which has since undergone numerous enhancements and has proven itself millions of times over in the commercial vehicle industry.
Over many decades, Ulrich Sauer shaped the company and its product portfolio and laid the groundwork for sustained success in the international commercial vehicle industry until he stepped down as managing director in 2004. In 2007, Sauer Achsenfabrik merged with the U.S. company HOLLAND, creating a European stock corporation under the name SAF-HOLLAND. Sauer, a born entrepreneur, served as a member of the supervisory board until 2015.
The management and employees of the SAF-HOLLAND Group join Ulrich Sauer’s family and loved ones in mourning his passing. They are committed to carrying on his remarkable life’s work for future generations.
