AME’s Man Behind the Sawing Machine

Meet the man who built AME’s legacy. Founder Willy Goellner shares his remarkable journey—from fleeing wartime Germany, immigrating to the U.S., and authoring his autobiography  Against All Odds: From There to Here—to growing a global sawing and engineering firm and giving back through ALS research in honor of his late wife.

2 min read

Goellner sat down with WTVO’s, Christie Nicks, to share his story of courage, strength, and determination—from the young boy who lost his family to the havocs of war; to the man who immigrated to the U.S. with his family and started a business that grew into a worldwide enterprise by 2017. 

Stateline Strong: Willy Goellner's Life 'Against All Odds' Inspires Book and Family
Stateline Strong: Willy Goellner's Life 'Against All Odds' Inspires Book and Family
3:20

Goellner’s daughter, Marika, wanted to know more about the man behind the machine, so she convinced her father to start writing his story in 1996. After 20 years of writing, Goellner finally published his autobiography, “Against All Odds: From There to Here,” this past fall.

His book helps raise money and awareness for ALS (Lou Gherig’s disease) research -- a disease in which Goellner’s wife, Irmgard, lost her life to in 2016.

“Against All Odds: From There to Here” is currently available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the book’s website. Hardcover, soft cover, and ebook versions are all available. In memory of Willy's wife Irmgard, donations can be made on the ALS website: www.alsachicago.org.

“It has been said that behind every successful man is a good wife. This is very true in my case. I truly can say that without her support, we would not have survived and stayed in business.”

Willy Goellner, Founder and Chairman of AME, Against All Odds: From There to Here