F rank Blase is a German billionaire and the CEO of Igus, a major global manufacturer of high-performance polymer products. He is the son of the company's founders, Günter and Margret Blase, who started the business in a garage in Cologne, Germany, in 1964. Frank took over the leadership of the family business and has been the driving force behind its growth into an international powerhouse.

Igus specializes in producing what it calls "motion plastics," including plastic plain bearings, energy chains, and flexible cables, which are used in a wide range of industrial automation and mechanical engineering applications. Frank Blase has built the company with a strong focus on engineering, innovation, and a unique direct-marketing approach that includes a massive online catalog and a commitment to rapid delivery. The company remains privately held by the Blase family and is a prime example of Germany's highly successful, family-owned "Mittelstand" industrial companies.