Daniel Hager receives the Saarland Order of Merit

The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Hager Group, Daniel Hager, was awarded the Saarland Order of Merit on Friday. Saarland’s Minister-President Anke Rehlinger honoured Daniel Hager for his entrepreneurial achievements and for his commitment to Franco-German cooperation. 

‘Daniel Hager has rendered outstanding services to Franco-German relations and the Saarland as a business location. As a successful, community-minded businessman and a staunch European, he is an important ambassador for our federal state and thus a worthy recipient of the Saarland Order of Merit.’  with these words, Minister-President Anke Rehlinger paid tribute to Daniel Hager’s entrepreneurial and social contribution. The family entrepreneur led Hager as CEO from 2008 to 2023, successfully growing the company to a turnover of more than €3 billion, and now serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. As CEO, Daniel Hager set key strategic directions for the international development of the independent family business and strengthened its long-term focus on innovation and sustainability. 

During the ceremony, the Minister-President emphasised Hager’s importance as a stable economic and innovation pillar for Saarland and as a bridge builder between Germany and France. For almost 70 years, the family-owned company has been firmly rooted in Saarland and Alsace and has been repeatedly recognised as a top employer in both Germany and France. The company supplies customers in more than 100 countries with electrical products and solutions for safe, intelligent and sustainable energy use. Together with partners from industry and the electrical trade, Hager drives a meaningful contribution to the energy transition. 

Daniel Hager said: “This award is a great honour and at the same time a commitment for the future. I accept it on behalf of our more than 13,000 employees worldwide, who shape Hager every day with their expertise and team spirit. Our roots are in Saarland and Alsace. From here, we are shaping the electrical world of tomorrow together, with responsibility for our regions, our customers and our employees.” 

A role model for Franco-German cooperation 

Hager has been present on both sides of the border since 1959, shortly after Saarland joined the Federal Republic of Germany. What the founding fathers Peter, Dr. Oswald and Hermann Hager set in motion was further developed by Daniel Hager at a time of evolving global requirements. He reinforced the company’s Franco-German identity through concrete measures such as binational management structures and project teams, as well as equal investments across both sites in Blieskastel and in Obernai. 

Thanks to Daniel Hager’s engagement in both countries, Hager is a strong model for Franco-German cooperation, said Minister-President Rehlinger, who has also served as Saarland’s Commissioner for Franco-German cultural relations since 2023. 

Beyond his entrepreneurial role, Daniel Hager remains intricately connected to his Saarland home region as a Saarland Ambassador. He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peter and Luise Hager Foundation, which supports education, research and culture. In addition, he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Franco-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK France) and holds leading positions in electrical engineering associations in both Germany and France.