Employee small talk

Tim Klühspies is an expert in automation and the warehouse logistics of the future. He joined our team in April 2019.

HÖRMANN Intralogistics (HI): Dear Mr. Klühspies, I'm glad we got to talk. What particularly excites you about your work?

Tim Klühspies (TK): First of all, it's the variety. Our customers come from very different industries, and it's exciting to see what kind of requirements each field has. Of course, it's always a challenge to tailor the right solution to the individual case. But we have a lot of experience. Ultimately, we make everything possible. We also have a great team that you can always rely on.

HI: What motivates you every day?

TK: There's a quote: "The price of success is dedication, hard work and ceaseless commitment to what you want to achieve." That may sound a bit pompous, but it's just true.

HI: What do you think is the most important thing at HÖRMANN Intralogistics? What makes us special?

TK: We offer our customers innovative intralogistics concepts and thus contribute to their growth. We always think first about what is best for the customer's well-being and how we can best relieve the burden. Everything we take care of is ultimately one less worry on the other side. To do that, we're happy to go a few extra feet than is expected.

HI: What do your customers say about us?

TK: We often get positive feedback... I think what stands out most is that we work in a very solution-oriented way with the customer in mind. Projects are handled with the utmost care, and that includes always keeping the customer's interests in focus. Ultimately, their success is always our success. Then everyone is satisfied.

HI: What would you tell a new colleague, who starts to work at HÖRMANN Intralogistics?

TK: First of all, this is a great working environment. I really mean it. The whole team, exciting projects that you grow with, and the varied projects and customers - all of this gives me the feeling that I enjoy what I do. And that's simply important if the result is to be right in the end.

Nicole Hahn heads of our IT department. She has been with HÖRMANN Intralogistics for 30 years now and is therefore an integral part of our team.

HÖRMANN Intralogistics (HI): Dear Ms. Hahn, thank you very much for your time. What particularly inspires you about your work?

Nicole Hahn (NH): It is very varied. There are constantly new challenges, because we also stand for a certain intralogistic standard. Of course, none of this happens by itself. We design software strategies at the very highest level.

HI: You've been with us for a long time. In your opinion, what makes HÖRMANN Intralogistics special?

NH: We have an extremely high technical level. We don't sell anything off the shelf, but exactly what the customer needs. We solve every challenge, but really every challenge. This requires a lot of passion for logistics and sometimes also the ability to suffer. In addition, we have everything from a single source: customer service from the draft to the   to after-sales service by more or less the same people- little fluctuation creates this.

HI: What words would you use to convince new customers to choose HI?

NH: 33 years of experience in the realization of sometimes very complex projects and with the most demanding customers. Add to that the latest technical standards, single point of contact throughout the project and afterwards. In addition, our employees are also authentic and highly competent in what they do. All projects have been successfully completed in 33 years of the company's history. No comments needed.

HI: How would you inspire the new employees to join HI?

NH: Where should I start? We have spoken about the varied tasks. In addition, there is a customized induction and training, a young team with a high level of social competence. "No one left alone/behind" is what they say there today. The department management is always reachable for everything. There are bonuses, pension plan, HÖRMANN Benefit, the HÖRMANN training academy. And there is no secrecy here. We are transparent and open in our dealings with each other. You can see that, for example, at the Weißwurst breakfast we have together.

HI: Thank you very much, Ms. Hahn.

Matthis König has been "the right hand" of the management for 6 years in the planning and monitoring of the company's figures.

HÖRMANN Intralogistics (HI): Dear Mr. König, thank you very much for your time. What excites you most about your work?

Matthis König (MK):First of all, I am motivated by the good development opportunities and the daily challenges in a changing environment.

HI: In your opinion, what is the main feature of HÖRMANN Intralogistics? What distinguishes HÖRMANN Intralogistics from its competitors?

MK: I think that with our team we have the right mix of young and experienced employees to convince in an agile and at the same time professional way on the market and to present our customers with the best possible results.    

HI: What arguments would you use to convince new customers for HÖRMANN Intralogistics?

MK: With the financially strong supporter the HÖRMANN holding company, we can offer the necessary security to every partner who decides to cooperate with us.

HI: How would you inspire new employees for HÖRMANN Intralogistics?

MK: We have a wonderfully open corporate culture and new employees become very quickly part of our team. Every employee can further develop his or her specific knowledge with us in depth and at the same time the flat hierarchy offers a good insight and transparency into the processes of the various functions of the company. 

HI: Thank you! all the best!

Robert Heinz has been our Autostore department manager for 6 years and in our interview he talks about his job at HÖRMANN Intralogistics, future projects and his enthusiasm for his work.

HÖRMANN Intralogistics (HI): Dear Mr. Heinz, thank you for your time and we start with out traditional first question: what excites you about your work?

Robert Heinz (RH): What excites me is the variety offered by ever-changing industries, the challenging projects, clear evaluation systems, and tangible goals within the company.

Before joining HI, I worked for many years as an independent management consultant and sales manager. Above all, I learned to act on my own responsibility, and that is what I and my entire HI Autostore® team practice.

HI: In your opinion, what is the main feature of HI that convinces customers?

RH: First and foremost, our motivated team with an unconditional drive to succeed. Thanks to short response times in customer communication and the competence of our employees, HI is a reliable partner and has been for more than 30 years.

HI: What makes the Autostore® solution so successful?

RH: AutoStore® is an innovative system for automatic storage and picking of small parts in plastic containers. Tailored precisely to the customer, it is above all time-saving, in that the employee is deployed efficiently, space-efficient, because no travel routes are required, and highly available, because attention is paid to redundancy in the system design.

And let's not forget that the system is also ecological. When containers are lowered or braked, energy is generated, which is fed to the batteries.

HI: How would you inspire new employees to join HI?

RH: We can inspire new employees through our strong team spirit. Successes are achieved together at HI and new colleagues are welcomed openly and warmly.

HÖRMANN Logistik is intensifying its AutoStore® activities in Eastern Europe with the establishment of HÖRMANN Logistik Polska Sp.zoo. Paweł Łusiak Sales Menager in Poland and tells us how you came to HÖRMANN Logistik and what motivates you to conquer the new market.

HÖRMANN Logistik (HL): Pawel, thank you very much for your time. You have many years of industry experience in automation technology, how did you get into the logistics industry and now also to HL?

Paweł Łusiak (PL): Thank you for asking, I remember my childhood, when all the other children dreamed of becoming a firefighter or pilot, I knew that I wanted to become an engineer. I've always been interested in civil engineering and architecture until I found out what control engineering is all about. So I worked hard to get to a good university, graduate from it and get my first job. I have been working for a company for over 8 years where I have learned a lot. First as an engineer, then as a team leader, and finally as a project manager. My dream came true, I worked for the biggest players in the automotive industry right from the start. When I decided to change my job 2 years ago, I switched to BDZ-Automation, where I was able to gather my first experiences in sales. In BDZ I realized that not only automotive industry has a lot to offer on the market but there is also a big market of intralogistics companies. As a sales manager, I discovered AutoStore and I wanted to market it. Together with Agata, we contacted various AutoStore partners and chose HÖRMANN Logistik GmbH as a solid partner with 30 years of experience.

HL: What do you particularly like about your work?

PL: In addition to traveling, I enjoy attracting new customers and understanding their needs. Every single customer is different and has his own ideas. It is a great feeling to sit down to the challenges and to meet the high demands. In this regard we agree with the HÖRMANN Logistig. It is an honour for us to be one of HÖRMANN Logistik's first partners on the Eastern European market.

HL: In your opinion, what makes HÖRMANN Logistik so important and how do you see the future of HÖRMANN Logistik Polska?

PL: My first impression is that the Hoermann Logistics team consists of the passionate and experienced employees and a large number of projects and references speak for themselves. I am looking forward to working with a helpful and open team, as I got to know at HÖRMANN Logistik. The Polish market is a growing market with a lot of potential for intralogistics solutions. Foreign companies invest in Poland due to its strategic location, well-trained menagers and hard-working people. I am sure that we have the potential to inspire and overwhelm Polish customers for the future of automatic warehouses.

HL: What arguments would you use to attract new customers in Poland?

PL: We are a team of experienced employees and we know how to attract customers. In our daily task, we are more solution-oriented than problem-focused. We not only sell products, but with the support of HÖRMANN Logistik and BDZ-Automation we are able to support Polish customers.

HL: In which industries do you see the potential in Poland?

PL: I would put e-commerce first. The Polish e-commerce market is still quite young and in many cases not as automated as in Germany. Intralogistics reports clearly show that Poland is one of the fastest growing markets in Europe. Every year we have new companies on the market as well as existing companies looking for modern solutions for their storage systems. E-commerce is rapidly replacing traditional shopping, which is also leading to a growing new sector in Poland based on fulfillment centers. For the reasons already mentioned, Poland is also interesting for companies if they want to start their business in Europe or be more cost-effective.

HL: Thank you very much and good luck!

Janina Fricke has been working as a team assistant at HÖRMANN Intralogistics for 2.5 years and reveals in our interview how she combines her job with being a mom, manages her numerous tasks and keeps everything under control.

HÖRMANN Intralogistics (HI): Dear Ms. Fricke, nice of you to come to our interview. What excites you most about your work at HI?

JANINA FRICKE (JF): I think it's great that HÖRMANN Intralogistics is not only responsive to its customers, but also to its employees and their individual needs. If you have the confidence to do something, are open-minded and contribute, then you can create your own job, that's unique!

When I started at HI 2.5 years ago, I was hired as a full-time employee in the office. I drove almost an hour sometimes longer to and from work every day. At the time, I didn't mind. A good job and living in the country were worth it! Then I got pregnant and didn't want to stop working. Long commutes or dropping off the newborn at daycare- was unthinkable for me. My superiors agreed with the proposal to work part-time in the home office. Thus, despite having a baby, it is possible for me to continue to pursue my profession and thus combine work and family well. Since I've been working at home, I've noticed how much of my life I've wasted through long commutes. HI has made it possible for me to do my work, training, and education online, and has given me time to do it. I can now spend this time raising my child and I don't have to miss out on work. I really enjoy my work and working in a home office is exactly what I like. Many people distract me. I get a lot more done now than I did then! HI has been responsive to my needs, which has resulted in a highly motivated employee! I am very grateful for that!

HI: What do you think is the main feature of HI?

JF: I can only speak for myself and that from the point of view of an office employee: HI has a well-coordinated team and the sovereign management style, that you can get involved so much, I think is great. The employees help each other out, even though they sometimes don't know each other personally. You can rely on each other. And you can see that in the results. Reliance is important to move forward and have motivated employees.

HI: What would customers say about HI?

JF: We are honest and always give our best!

HI: How would you convince new employees to work for HI?

JF: You are immediately accepted into the team and feel part of it. Your needs are taken care of, and you can make your life more livable and combine work with family! We make useful products and have well-known customers - this is confirmed by our numerous projects!

Stefan Obermüller is employed at HÖRMANN Intralogistics as a bachelor student in the project management department and reveals to us in an interview why he applied to HÖRMANN Intralogistics and what his future at the company looks like.

HÖRMANN Intralogistics (HI): Dear Stefan, it's great that you are available for an interview today. As a bachelor student, you are still quite new in the company and have to manage your study as well. What do you study and how did you come to HÖRMANN Intralogistics?

Stefan Obermüller (SO): In addition to my work here at HI, I study business engineering with a focus on logistic management– the connection to HÖRMANN Intralogistics, which implements innovative logistics solutions, is therefore easy to understand. While looking for an internship, I came across the company and I have also decided to write my bachelor thesis here.

HI: Why did you apply to HI?

SO: The job advertisement for the internship was very interesting and sounded extremely promising, as the position offered the opportunity to get a broad insight into the company. That has also come true. As an intern in controlling, I had many interfaces to other departments and colleagues – like the monthly project progress checks with the  project managers or the introduction of a new ERP system within the company.

HI: What does your future at HI look like?

I am now working on my bachelor's thesis in the implementation department of HI. After graduation, I should have many options, both in HI and on the open job market.

HI: Would you recommend HI as part of an internship, working student activity or thesis? And why?

SO: Definitely! I have met many experienced employees here, who is willing to share their knowledge to the younger staff. This creates space for innovative ideas that are also implemented through an open corporate culture. The gained experiences have also a great influence on my professional and personal development.

Fabian Selder is employed by the HÖRMANN Group in the 18-month Junior Management Program. As part of this program, he worked for HÖRMANN Intralogistics in Munich for 6 months.

HÖRMANN Intralogistics (HI): What is your job at the HÖRMANN Group?

Fabian Selder (FS): I am employed by HÖRMANN in the Junior Management Program. Within the 18-month program, I get to know three companies as well as the group's holding company. The insight into these areas takes place through the assumption of strategically important tasks, which I am responsible for.

It is great fun for me to get to know the entire HÖRMANN Group within the Junior Management Program, to take on exciting tasks, to work with many colleagues from different areas and to contribute my skills to the projects in a variety of ways.

HI: What did you study and how did you come to HÖRMANN Intralogistics?

FS: I completed my master's degree in Management & Technology at the Technical University of Munich. After several years of professional experience, I started the Junior Management Program at the HÖRMANN Group at the beginning of 2021.

HÖRMANN Intralogistics in Munich was the first company I was introduced in the Junior Management Program. There, I had the task to carry out a market analysis of a new subject called micro-fulfillment and to develop a marketing strategy for it.

HI: How long did your project take?

FS: As part of the project, I worked for HÖRMANN Intralogistics for 6 months. In the meantime, I have already completed my second project at HÖRMANN Services and am currently working on a project at the Group's holding company. Finally, in my last project, I have the opportunity to get to know the automotive sector and our production site in Gustavsburg.

HI: Would you recommend HÖRMANN Intralogistics as an employer? And why?

FS: Absolutely! I was very well welcomed into the team by my colleagues from the first day, which was not easy due to the corona pandemic situation and the fact that most employees work from home. In addition, the interaction with each other is very open and everyone supports and helps each other, which I like very much.

Peter Gierlich is our IT sales manager and expert for topics related to WMS HiLIS. He has been with HÖRMANN Intralogistics since 2014.

HÖRMANN Intralogistics (HI): How long have you been employed at HI and what is your daily task?

Peter Gierlich (PG): . After several years in project implementation as an IT project manager, my focus has shifted to sales and systems engineering in recent years. Together with colleagues from our sales and service department, I develop concepts and offers for new systems in the high-bay warehouse and AutoStore area. The focus of my work is on process definition and system integration. At the end of the day, we provide solutions for the optimal mapping of our customers' intralogistics processes through our warehouse management system HiLIS, among other things.

In addition, I am actively involved in product development and marketing, hold webinars and participate in our trade fairs. Another exciting area of responsibility is new (digital) business models that need to be found and worked out.

HI: What excites you about your work?

PG: The product of my work is customized software solutions in the form of our HiLIS Warehouse Management System. That makes for satisfied customers. Satisfied, enthusiastic customers are a driver of the joy in my own work.

In addition, the variety of tasks and customer systems I come into contact with on a daily basis is appealing. Interdisciplinary thinking, looking beyond one's own nose, is required in my work and is a key to success.

HI: In your opinion, what is the main characteristic of HI? What distinguishes HI from its competitors?

PG: HÖRMANN Intralogistics customers receive customized intralogistics solutions that precisely meet individual customer requirements. Our solutions are scalable, and offer the flexibility to grow with our customers over time. We stand by our customers and deliver long-term investment security for our systems. This has been our hallmark since 1987.

HI: Why should new employees join HI?

PG: Because we make it easy for new colleagues who are starting their careers or do not yet have industry experience in intralogistics to join the team through mentoring and coaching.

Personal responsibility and the freedom to take your own initiatives are practiced and encouraged.

Mark Schulz has been working in sales at HÖRMANN Intralogistics since September 1998 and, thanks to his long-term experience, he is our expert in the corrugated board industry.

HÖRMANN Intralogistics (HI): What are your tasks at HI?
Mark Schulz (MS):
My responsibilities are:

• Contact person for the customer
• Plant design and preparation of quotations
• Contract negotiations
• Internal support during the implementation phase

HI: What excites you most about your work at HI?
MS: The varied warehouse designs with complex technologies and material flows always provide me with fun and enthusiasm for my work. Of course, our powerful team with flat hierarchies and short decision-making paths is another reason why I like it so much at HI.

HI: What do you think is the main characteristic of HI?
MS: We are a general contractor of complex logistics systems with sophisticated material flows and warehouse management systems.
We also distinguish ourselves by using a wide variety of special mechanical components depending on customer requirements (example: robots on distribution carts).

HI: What arguments would you use to convince new customers (also with regard to the upcoming trade fair) for HI?
MS: We offer broad reference systems with customized logistics solutions for the corrugated industry.
Our 24h/7 days a week service always ensures high customer satisfaction. Customers therefore often realize several logistics projects with HI.
With our references in the field of plant modernization of existing high-bay warehouses with new system control and warehouse management, we also offer great technical expertise.

HI: How would you inspire new employees for HI?
MS: At HÖRMANN Intralogistics, new employees can expect a good working atmosphere, good teamwork with short decision-making paths, and independent work with many degrees of freedom.

Christian Otterbeck has been leading our customer service department for over 20 years. Together with his team, he writes the company's success story every day. In today's interview, he tells us about his work at HÖRMANN Intralogistics and the daily tasks of his employees.

HÖRMANN Intralogistics (HI): What do your customers look for when buying products or services?

Christian Otterbeck (CO): The key criteria for our customers are prices and short delivery times.

HI: What are the main needs of customers?

CO: Most customers want a central contact for all after-sales service issues.

HI: How important are the after-sales services?

CO: The after-sales services are requested/assessed by the customer for all projects even before the order is placed (for the main project) (we provide an individual service concept for each quotation) and are very often a decisive factor for the order.

HI: What after-sales services do you offer and what kind of support do you provide to your customers?

CO: We offer: Hotline (24/7), troubleshooting, maintenance, condition monitoring, spare parts management.  Also: optimization, expansion and retrofit of existing plants.

HI: How do you promote your after-sales services?

CO: Already during the project duration (main projects) and also afterwards, regular exchange and contact with customers is important to us.

HI: Tell us about spare parts distribution (if any) or other after-sales products.

CO: We offer a spare parts package with all relevant parts for each project, which is usually purchased and stocked by the customer.  Stocking this spare parts package ensures high plant availability. After that, it is essentially a matter of re-procuring parts that have been taken from the spare parts package.

HI: What influence does product innovation have on your customers?

CO: For the customer, it is important to have a methodology that is as simple and quick as possible to obtain information in the event of a malfunction or for spare parts procurement. Innovations in this area are very much in demand

HI: Which industries do you think will grow in 2022?

CO: Energy and environment, logistics and e-commerce will see strong growth in 2022, in my view.

HI: What solutions do you bring to these industries?

CO: Our solutions are cross-industry and therefore cover the various sectors.

Since December 2021, Tom Walther has been supporting the HÖRMANN Intralogistics team as Business Development Manager and is in charge of the current topics in the intralogistics industry; his focus is on the development of the Micro Fulfillment offering.

HÖRMANN Intralogistics (HI): Hello Mr. Walther, how do you experience the development of intralogistics in recent years?

Tom Walther (TW): Intralogistics has gained a great deal of importance in recent years. Many logistics services are currently experiencing strong growth. Due to this increase and the associated need for employees, the labor market is currently very covered, i.e. companies are finding it very difficult to find new employees. As a result, they are forced to retain existing employees on the one hand and to optimize the use of employees for expansions and to question "simple / standardized" work processes and to automate them if necessary.

HI: Where do you see the current topics and trends in the market? 

TW:  Personally, I see that the topics such as fast delivery of goods (same-day / tomorrow), high availability of goods and innovative user guidance in online retail (topic IT and user experience) have gained a lot of importance!

HI: What is the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on the market and on our business?

TW: With Covid-19 and the accompanying contact restrictions and lockdowns, people are buying more online than brick-and-mortar. Online retail is currently receiving extreme growth. Above all, driven by the big players such as Amazon, customer expectations for delivery times have been raised further and further (same-day delivery / next-day delivery).

Many people work from their home offices and no longer travel to the cities. As a result, traditional brick-and-mortar business in cities is suffering, among other things. Home deliveries have increased extremely due to contact restrictions, among other things, as can be seen in the enormous growth of delivery services such as Lieferando, Gorilla, Knuspr der der Flaschenpost.

If, with the end of the restrictions, more people have to drive back to the offices and this at the same or even increased business of the delivery services, there will again be traffic chaos in the big cities. This will further complicate the delivery of orders and thus also put a strain on the business case of the delivery companies.

HI: What solutions and innovations are you driving forward? What are customers particularly encouraged to do?

TW: Innovation through automation adapted to customer needs is an important part of our offer. We are not a manufacturer, but a partner and expert for the needs of our customers. We offer innovative automation solutions from small warehouses to highly complex high-bay racking systems.

Our core competence lies not only in the selection of the right technology and optimal material flow, but also in our innovative in-house software "HiLIS", which can be customized to meet individual customer requirements.

HÖRMANN Intralogistics has significant references in a wide range of sectors / industries and very important partnerships with market leaders in their field, including: AutoStore®, Strongpoint, Robominds, Safelog, Actindo. Thus we have strong partners at hand, with whom I would like to create the best micro-fulfillment concept, in order to achieve a significant optimization for our customers.

HI: What do you have to say about sustainability?

TW: Sustainability has a very high priority throughout the HÖRMANN Group. The first sustainability report will be published for 2021 this year together with the Annual Report 2021. Our systems are also planned to be efficient and energy-efficient, e.g. AutoStore®. Ten robots here consume as much electricity as a conventional vacuum cleaner.

HI:  What do you think are the USPS of the HI?

TW: HÖRMANN has been a partner to our customers for 35 years and is competent in the field of automation of intralogistics. We have customers from a wide range of industries, and thus a very broad know-how and understanding of our customers' needs. Most important for me are our unique combination of partnerships and the innovative drive in all areas to be close to innovations, but not to leave out proven experience from working systems.

HI: What are your plans for 2022?

TW:  The expansion of our market position in the European MFC market - but in general we are open for projects everywhere. Also the further development of our solutions with the partners, but also with the customers is an important goal! In addition, the market launch of the Moving Racks is scheduled for 2022.