1455 days - that's how much time has passed since the last Windhoffest. This is probably one of the reasons why so many company pensioners and long-standing employees accepted Schunk's invitation last Sunday. More than 800 guests spent a pleasant evening in the company restaurant in Heuchelheim with musical accompaniment by the Kinzenbach brass band.
Dr. Arno Roth, CEO of the Schunk Group, took the opportunity to give the guests an overview of the current development of the company. And he had a lot of good things to report: Last year, Schunk generated sales of 1.4 billion euros, and by 2023, that figure will be over 1.5 billion euros. The already completed purchase of SemiMat and Dynavac will also contribute to this. "Schunk is well positioned and we are financially independent. Therefore, we are also in a position to invest heavily in the future of the company," said Dr. Roth. Every year, Schunk invests around 100 million euros in new technologies and production facilities, he added.
Dr. Roth also presented the "Schunk Pension for All" to the guests: With this company pension, Schunk will proactively and voluntarily contribute to the retirement provisions of all employees worldwide starting in 2024. Dr. Roth went on to say that the employees had played a key role in shaping Schunk's success, and that this extraordinary commitment deserved lasting recognition.
Finally, Dr. Roth informed the guests that he will retire from his position as CEO at his own request at the end of October 2023 and will be taken over by Peter R. Manolopoulos, who introduced himself to the guests at the Windhoffest in a speech.
Charity event against cancer
Petra Behle was delighted to receive a donation check for 10,000 euros: the former top biathlete is the patron of the Tour of Hope (“Tour der Hoffnung”), an annual charity bike tour to benefit children and young people with cancer in Germany. Behle expressed her sincere thanks for the donation and introduced the tour, which was first launched in 1983 and has taken place every summer since then.
During the Tour of Hope, participants ride their bicycles through various regions of Germany and collect donations for a good cause. "Over the past decades, the Tour of Hope has become one of the most important charity events in Germany and shows how a lot of good can be achieved through sporting achievements and collective action," says Behle.
The donations collected will be forwarded to various institutions and projects, such as children's clinics, hospices and research institutions, which care for and treat children and young people with cancer.
Great atmosphere with music and dance
The guests were at least as happy about the donation and the good news from the company as they were about the good food, music and dancing. The three oldest guests received special applause: Heinz Schieferstein from Wettenberg (91), Ernst Lohr from Heuchelheim (93) and Erwin Dudenhöfer from Biebertal (94).