Jodi Breisler visits Zeulenroda
US Consul General comes to Bauerfeind
An international visit to the headquarters: Jodi Breisler, the US Consul General for Central Germany, was our special guest on August 27.
What does a Consul General actually do and what brings her to Zeulenroda?
Jodi Breisler has been the head of the US Consulate General in Leipzig since October 2025. This is the diplomatic mission of the USA for Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Her responsibilities include maintaining and fostering the German-American relationship in the region – for areas such as economy, culture and education. In order to achieve this, Jodi Breisler travels a great deal, engages in personal dialog and gets to know companies and institutions directly on site.
Jodi Breisler has three stops on her agenda in Zeulenroda: the Friedrich-Schiller-Gymnasium, the Bio-Seehotel and Bauerfeind AG. CEO Rainer Berthan welcomed her at the main office. On her tour, the Consul General received an impression of our company – from its founding in Zeulenroda in 1929 all the way to the current production facilities. Here, she was able to learn how a GenuTrain is delivered directly from the knitting machine and how compression stockings are tested on the blade. The tour also included a glimpse into the future. Her conversation with Rainer Berthan addressed the future development of Bauerfeind and investments at the main site, which are currently visible in many places.
Why visit Bauerfeind?
Bauerfeind is one of the largest employers in East Thuringia and one of the leading manufacturers of medical aids worldwide. The economic connections with the USA also go way back: Bauerfeind has been represented with its own subsidiary there since 1985. Her visit reinforces international networks in the region, both today and in the future. And what was Jodi Breisler’s impression of us?
“It is fantastic to see how Bauerfeind has developed here in Zeulenroda – from its beginnings and the rebirth in the 1990s to an internationally successful company that continues to invest in this location and, by extension, the region itself. What stands out to me is the focus on quality and the role that sports and movement play. I am particularly happy to see the long-standing relationship with the United States and the work of the subsidiary Bauerfeind USA. It’s great business, it creates prosperity, but it also changes people’s lives.”