HOERBIGER ::

“Clear signal of preservation of locations“

Ten young people start their careers with HOERBIGER

On Thursday, July 9, 2009, after completing their apprenticeships in the HOERBIGER Learning Center and their examinations before the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, ten young people will begin their careers at the HOERBIGER companies in Schongau and Altenstadt, Germany. “By giving our apprentices positions in their professions, we set a clear signal here in Schongau and Altenstadt of the preservation of the locations,“ said Dr. Siegmar Schlagau, Member of the Executive Board and CEO of the Strategic Business Unit Drive Technology.

A total of five industrial management assistants, two draftsmen, two machine and equipment operators, and one machine tool technician, stamping and metal forming technology, will switch from apprenticeships to their professions in the coming days. To begin with, HOERBIGER has given all a fixed-term contract, and two industrial management assistants will work in Production for some time before they will start in their actual career fields in administration.

“In the past few years, HOERBIGER was economically very successful, virtually without interruption,” said Dr. Schlagau in the press briefing. “As a company that is majority-owned by a foundation, which considers the preservation of the company and jobs as its primary duty, we do not invest our profits in Swiss accounts, but continuously expand the company. Because we take this duty very seriously, we have also invested significant funds here in the Weilheim-Schongau district: for example, since 1998 in the creation of approximately 600 new jobs and in excellent educational opportunities for our young people.“

During the press briefing, Dr. Siegmar Schlagau also addressed the impact of the economic crisis: “We cannot influence the demand in our markets. As a result, we had to seek shorter working hours in the past few weeks almost across the board. In addition, the current situation clarifies that we are no longer internationally competitive in some regions in Germany. This is something where we must take steps.”

The measures required for securing the locations are associated in particular with approximately 230 terminations for operational reasons in the Weilheim-Schongau district. “Unfortunately, these also represent individual personal fates. This painful process, however, is absolutely essential so that our young people have a professional future here in Schongau.”

Renewal through a healthy cost structure

It is only with a healthy cost structure in the existing businesses that HOERBIGER can tackle the absolutely essential renewal of structures and processes imposed by the crisis. “We anticipate that, as in the past, we can develop new products with new ideas. These new products will then allow us to continue the expansion of the Schongau site after the crisis—as successfully as in the past ten years.”

Rescue package should not be prevented

In this context, Dr. Schlagau again expressed criticism regarding the inflexible stance of the IG Metall metalworkers union in Weilheim: “During these very days, we strive to put together a rescue package for HOERBIGER Automotive Komfortsysteme GmbH (HAKS) in cooperation with the Works Councils.” An integral part of this package is the transfer of some of the production operation to Poland. These are jobs in which the labor costs are no longer covered by the prices that the customers of HOERBIGER pay.

“When the First Representative of IG Metall Weilheim, Günther Schachner, announces in the paper even before the start of the next round before the board of conciliation that he was hoping that the HOERBIGER Group had to dig so deep in its pockets for potential severance payments, and that the social compensation plan would become so expensive, that this partial transfer to Poland would end up costing the company money, then our discussions are doomed to failure even before they have begun.” This is something that both the staff and a good portion of our Works Councils have no interest in.

Fighting for the HOERBIGER family

The draftswoman Bettina Deschler found her first job at HOERBIGER Automotive Komfortsysteme GmbH in the area of research and development, which is to remain in Schongau for the long term.

After studying and a subsequent apprenticeship, David Schmoldt began his career, like his sister before him, as an industrial management assistant at HOERBIGER Automatisierungstechnik GmbH in Altenstadt.

His mother, Ulrike Schmoldt, has been working for HOERBIGER for many years now—as her mother did before her. The 27-year old is representative of many young people, whose parents, and in some cases grandparents, were employed by HOERBIGER. The same applies to the industrial management assistants Kathrin Kleiber, Susanne Lindner, and Stefanie Stadler, who recently completed their apprenticeships. They too are the second or third generation to work for HOERBIGER.

“In the current situation, it is extremely important for our companies that we consider the family-like character of HOERBIGER,” emphasized Dr. Schlagau. “Together, we now must search for solutions for our company. However, this will not be possible if external union functionaries attempt to pressure the company to retain the ailing areas for political principles or personal interests. With this, they take from us the opportunity to create new and healthy structures.“

In the coming days, the following apprentices will start their careers:

HOERBIGER Antriebstechnik GmbH
Bastian Höldrich, machine and equipment operator
Kathrin Kleiber, industrial management assistant
Susanne Lindner, industrial management assistant
Andrä Matthias, machine tool technician, stamping and metal forming technology
Felix Mayr, machine and equipment operator
Christoph Pfeiffer, draftsman

HOERBIGER Automotive Komfortsysteme GmbH
Bettina Deschler, draftswoman

HOERBIGER Kompressortechnik Schongau GmbH
Tobias Auhorn, industrial management assistant
Stefanie Stadler, industrial management assistant

HOERBIGER Automatisierungstechnik GmbH
David Schmoldt, industrial management assistant

 

About HOERBIGER

The HOERBIGER Group is a global leader in the fields of compression technology, automation technology, and drive technology. 6,400 employees achieved sales of around 1 billion Euros. In Schongau, the Group has presently approximately 1,700 employees, including over 100 apprentices.

Your contact

Ludwig Schönefeld

Phone +49 8861 221 1381
Fax      +49 8861 221 1570

E-Mail: ludwig.schoenefeldhoerbigercom
www.hoerbiger.com