Stef Wertheimer
Encyclopedia
Stef Wertheimer is a German-born Israeli entrepreneur
and industrialist, a former Member of the Knesset
, and is well known for founding industrial parks in Israel and neighboring countries.
, Germany. His family fled to Palestine in 1937 and settled in Tel Aviv
.
He studied in the Tel-Nordau School but dropped out of school at age 16 and started working in a camera repair store. At the same time, he began studying optics
with Professor Emanuel Goldberg
, a researcher and inventor who contributed significantly to different aspects of imaging technology in the first half of the twentieth century.
In 1943, during World War II
, Wertheimer joined the British Royal Air Force
. Wertheimer served as an optical equipment technician. He was sent to Bahrain
where he repaired optical equipment installed in Britain's military aircraft.
In 1945 he joined the Palmach
, where he served as a technical officer in the German Unit – a special guerilla force trained with British cooperation to participate in combat operations against the German army, should it reach Palestine. In 1947, he joined the Haganah
and worked in the development and improvement of cannons. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
, he served as a technical officer in the Yiftach Brigade
.
After the war, Wertheimer started working at RAFAEL
, only to be dismissed shortly thereafter because of his lack of formal education.
, Israel
a small metal tool cutting factory called ISCAR
. The factory quickly became a success and attracted the interest of Discount Investments
, who later became a minority investor in the company. Today, ISCAR is one of the world's largest (by sales) manufacturers of carbide industrial-cutting tools, which are used by carmakers like General Motors
and Ford. ISCAR branches exist in over 50 countries worldwide and the company employs nearly 6,000 people.
In 1969, as part of Israeli efforts to overcome the French weapons embargo after the Six-Day War
, Wertheimer founded ISCAR Blades which later became Blades Technology Ltd. – one of the largest manufacturers of blades and vanes for jet engines and industrial gas turbines. Today, Blades Technology's customers include Pratt & Whitney
, Rolls-Royce
, Snecma
, General Electric, MTU Aero Engines
, Techspace Aero, Solar Turbines, and others.
In May 2006, Berkshire Hathaway
, billionaire investor Warren Buffett
's conglomerate holding company, bought 80% of ISCAR Metalworking Company for $5 billion (the Wertheimers paid $1 billion in taxes to the Israeli government). The Wertheimer family is left with Blades Technology, which was not included in the Buffett deal, and is worth an estimated $1 billion.
Wertheimer's model park is the Tefen Industrial Park. Built in 1982, it encompasses everything from transportation to cultural and educational facilities. Tefen is one of four such parks in Israel that generate some $1 billion in combined revenue. Wertheimer is especially proud of the industrial park currently being constructed in the Arab-Israeli city of Nazareth
, where Jews and Arabs will work side by side. "Coexistence in the industrial park in Arab Nazareth is a good example of coexistence. When people work together, they have no time for nonsense. They're too tired at night to commit terrorist acts. They're satisfied, they engage in producing. They work together, not against each other," elaborates Wertheimer on the success of his model.
In the 1990s, he drew up plans for an industrial park in Rafah
, in the Gaza Strip
. The Palestinian and the Israeli governments both offered support, but one week before the groundbreaking ceremony, the Second Intifada broke out and that plan was indefinitely shelved.
In 2002, he testified before the United States House of Representatives
about a "new Marshall Plan" that advocates U.S. funding to revitalize the Middle East through a sustained effort to promote commerce, jobs, and a free economy in the region .
Wertheimer's vision includes building an additional 100 industrial parks that will employ Israelis and Palestinians. Wertheimer isn't confining his idea to Israel though, and has plans underway in Turkey and Jordan.
"My Marshall Plan is based on aid from Western countries for strengthening the Middle East, in order to achieve peace and tranquillity. The parks will serve as a five-year incubator for manufacturing and export companies. If aid is obtained, the parks can usher in an era in which production, exports, education, and an advanced quality of life can replace terrorism and poverty," elaborated Wertheimer on his vision.
Palestinians, however, are more cautious. They are concerned that the trust which briefly characterised Israeli-Palestinian relations before October 2000 has been irrevocably severed.
, a new centrist political party. The party was highly successful, winning 15 seats in the 1977 elections
, with Wertheimer taking one of the seats. When the party split up in 1978, he joined Shinui
. In 1982 following an accident, he resigned from the Knesset (was replaced by Stella Levy
) and returned to his business ventures. During his term in the Knesset, he was a member of the Economics Committee.
for his special contribution to society and the State of Israel.
In 2005, he was voted the 39th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
In 2008 he received the Buber-Rosenzweig-Medal
.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and industrialist, a former Member of the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
, and is well known for founding industrial parks in Israel and neighboring countries.
Early life
Wertheimer was born in KippenheimKippenheim
Kippenheim is a town in the district of Ortenau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.Kippenheim has restored its pre-war synagogue.-Notable residents:*Stef Wertheimer , German-born Israeli entrepreneur and industrialist and politician...
, Germany. His family fled to Palestine in 1937 and settled in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
.
He studied in the Tel-Nordau School but dropped out of school at age 16 and started working in a camera repair store. At the same time, he began studying optics
Optics
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
with Professor Emanuel Goldberg
Emanuel Goldberg
Emanuel Goldberg was born in Moscow and moved first to Germany and later to Israel...
, a researcher and inventor who contributed significantly to different aspects of imaging technology in the first half of the twentieth century.
In 1943, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Wertheimer joined the British Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Wertheimer served as an optical equipment technician. He was sent to Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
where he repaired optical equipment installed in Britain's military aircraft.
In 1945 he joined the Palmach
Palmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
, where he served as a technical officer in the German Unit – a special guerilla force trained with British cooperation to participate in combat operations against the German army, should it reach Palestine. In 1947, he joined the Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
and worked in the development and improvement of cannons. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, he served as a technical officer in the Yiftach Brigade
Yiftach Brigade
The Yiftach Brigade was an Israeli infantry brigade...
.
After the war, Wertheimer started working at RAFAEL
RAFAEL Armament Development Authority
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. , known as RAFAEL or Rafael, is an Israeli defense technology company...
, only to be dismissed shortly thereafter because of his lack of formal education.
Business ventures
In 1952, Wertheimer started in the backyard of his home in NahariyaNahariya
Nahariya is the northernmost coastal city in Israel, with an estimated population of 51,200.-History:Nahariya was founded by German Jewish immigrants from the Fifth Aliyah in the 1930s...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
a small metal tool cutting factory called ISCAR
ISCAR Metalworking
Iscar Metalworking is the largest company of IMC and one of the largest toolmaking companies in the world. The company was founded in 1952 in a wooden garage behind the home of Stef Wertheimer in Israel...
. The factory quickly became a success and attracted the interest of Discount Investments
Israel Discount Bank
Israel Discount Bank Ltd. , I.D.B., is one of Israel's three largest banks, with 260 branches, and assets of 171 billion NIS .-History:...
, who later became a minority investor in the company. Today, ISCAR is one of the world's largest (by sales) manufacturers of carbide industrial-cutting tools, which are used by carmakers like General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
and Ford. ISCAR branches exist in over 50 countries worldwide and the company employs nearly 6,000 people.
In 1969, as part of Israeli efforts to overcome the French weapons embargo after the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
, Wertheimer founded ISCAR Blades which later became Blades Technology Ltd. – one of the largest manufacturers of blades and vanes for jet engines and industrial gas turbines. Today, Blades Technology's customers include Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
, Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce plc
Rolls-Royce Group plc is a global power systems company headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines , and also has major businesses in the marine propulsion and energy sectors. Through its defence-related activities...
, Snecma
Snecma
Snecma is a major French manufacturer of engines for commercial and military aircraft, and for space vehicles. The name is an acronym for Société Nationale d'Étude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation .In 2005, the Snecma group, which included Snecma ,...
, General Electric, MTU Aero Engines
MTU Aero Engines
MTU Aero Engines GmbH is Germany's leading aircraft engine manufacturer. MTU develops, manufactures and provides service support for military and civil aircraft engines...
, Techspace Aero, Solar Turbines, and others.
In May 2006, Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies. The company averaged an annual growth in book value of 20.3% to its shareholders for the last 44 years,...
, billionaire investor Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett
Warren Edward Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. Often introduced as "legendary investor, Warren Buffett", he is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is...
's conglomerate holding company, bought 80% of ISCAR Metalworking Company for $5 billion (the Wertheimers paid $1 billion in taxes to the Israeli government). The Wertheimer family is left with Blades Technology, which was not included in the Buffett deal, and is worth an estimated $1 billion.
Industrial parks
Wertheimer founded four industrial parks in Israel, with the goal of fostering economic growth and job creation to help create stability in the region. "The idea of industrial parks in the Middle East and on the borders between Israel and its neighbors is that the parks will bring industry and provide jobs, which will keep people busy working, instead of engaging in terrorism," explains Wertheimer.Wertheimer's model park is the Tefen Industrial Park. Built in 1982, it encompasses everything from transportation to cultural and educational facilities. Tefen is one of four such parks in Israel that generate some $1 billion in combined revenue. Wertheimer is especially proud of the industrial park currently being constructed in the Arab-Israeli city of Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
, where Jews and Arabs will work side by side. "Coexistence in the industrial park in Arab Nazareth is a good example of coexistence. When people work together, they have no time for nonsense. They're too tired at night to commit terrorist acts. They're satisfied, they engage in producing. They work together, not against each other," elaborates Wertheimer on the success of his model.
Marshall Plan for the Middle East
Wertheimer promotes the idea of a "Marshall Plan for the Middle East" – his concept for using industry to provide training, create jobs, alleviate poverty and raise the per capita income of those living in the Middle East.In the 1990s, he drew up plans for an industrial park in Rafah
Rafah
Rafah , also known as Rafiah, is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. Located south of Gaza, Rafah's population of 71,003 is overwhelmingly made up of Palestinian refugees. Rafah camp and Tall as-Sultan form separate localities. Rafah is the district capital of the Rafah Governorate...
, in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. The Palestinian and the Israeli governments both offered support, but one week before the groundbreaking ceremony, the Second Intifada broke out and that plan was indefinitely shelved.
In 2002, he testified before the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
about a "new Marshall Plan" that advocates U.S. funding to revitalize the Middle East through a sustained effort to promote commerce, jobs, and a free economy in the region .
Wertheimer's vision includes building an additional 100 industrial parks that will employ Israelis and Palestinians. Wertheimer isn't confining his idea to Israel though, and has plans underway in Turkey and Jordan.
"My Marshall Plan is based on aid from Western countries for strengthening the Middle East, in order to achieve peace and tranquillity. The parks will serve as a five-year incubator for manufacturing and export companies. If aid is obtained, the parks can usher in an era in which production, exports, education, and an advanced quality of life can replace terrorism and poverty," elaborated Wertheimer on his vision.
Palestinians, however, are more cautious. They are concerned that the trust which briefly characterised Israeli-Palestinian relations before October 2000 has been irrevocably severed.
Political career
In 1977 Wertheimer was amongst the founding members of DashDemocratic Movement for Change
The Democratic Movement for Change , commonly known by its Hebrew acronym Dash was a short-lived and initially highly-successful centrist political party in Israel...
, a new centrist political party. The party was highly successful, winning 15 seats in the 1977 elections
Israeli legislative election, 1977
The Elections for the ninth Knesset were held on 17 May 1977. For the first time in Israeli political history, the right-wing, led by Likud, won the election, ending almost 30 years of rule by the left-wing Alignment and its predecessor, Mapai...
, with Wertheimer taking one of the seats. When the party split up in 1978, he joined Shinui
Shinui
Shinui is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical free market liberal party and political movement in Israel. The party twice became the third largest in the Knesset, but both occasions were followed by a split and collapse; in 1977 the party won 15 seats as part of the Democratic Movement for...
. In 1982 following an accident, he resigned from the Knesset (was replaced by Stella Levy
Stella Levy
-Biography:Born in Syria in 1924, Levy made aliyah to Mandate Palestine in 1929. She attended the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa, and later studied psychology at the University of Haifa and political science and art at Tel Aviv University....
) and returned to his business ventures. During his term in the Knesset, he was a member of the Economics Committee.
Awards
In 1991, Wertheimer was awarded the Israel PrizeIsrael Prize
The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
for his special contribution to society and the State of Israel.
In 2005, he was voted the 39th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
Ynet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
In 2008 he received the Buber-Rosenzweig-Medal
Buber-Rosenzweig-Medal
The Buber-Rosenzweig-Medaille is an annual prize awarded since 1968 by the Deutscher Koordinierungsrat der Gesellschaften für Christlich-Jüdische Zusammenarbeit...
.
Family
Wertheimer has four children, eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren (as of July 2002).External links
- Stef Wertheimer on the official Knesset website (in English)
- Iscar Israel Cutting Tools Ltd.
- Iscar Metal, Inc.
See also
- List of Israel Prize recipients