How did you end up working at SCHLEIFRING?
I was the first trainee to receive their training in SCHLEIFRING’s Kaufbeuren plant. [Laughs proudly] In 2008 I started work as an unskilled laborer and then in September of that year my training began. Three years later I successfully qualified as a cutting-machine operator. This was followed by periods working in the milling shop before I transferred permanently to the work preparation department. After four years working in this department, I was able to successfully complete an extra-occupational course in mechanical engineering, and then I had a change of scenery and spent 1.5 years at SCHLEIFRING’s headquarters in Fürstenfeldbruck. Due to my interest in combining my technical know-how with an economic background, I went on to do an extra-occupational course of studies in business administration and then returned directly to Kaufbeuren as a team leader.
At SCHLEIFRING you are responsible for: In our plant there are two large fields of activity: assembly and machining. I take care of everything else – soldering, gluing, casting, ring rolling, installation of QUICKSERT thread inserts, and electro-casting. If I have left something out, I am also responsible for that [laughs].
What characterizes your profession?
Being a manager is a life's work, a 100% commitment every day. You are no longer only responsible for yourself, but rather for the welfare of the company and the employees for whom you are responsible. Even in your private life, in one way or another you are still “the boss” and are willing to lend a sympathetic ear.
How is the department in which you work structured?
Due to the diversity of the departments for which I am responsible, they are correspondingly spread out extensively throughout the plant. My team’s qualifications are also extremely varied: machine operator and plant operator are the job titles that traditionally accompany me during my everyday working life. However, also lateral entrants such as brewers, landscape gardeners and even a hotel specialist work in my departments – all professions have their own raison d'être due to the special background knowledge involved and can be of great help when overcoming everyday challenges.
In your opinion, what makes the cooperation successful?
SCHLEIFRING Kaufbeuren lives from good cooperation: We always support each other, even if we are not responsible for the other person’s tasks. If someone needs help, they are not alone. This enables us to make constant progress, no matter which project we are working on, no matter what challenges we face – we are a team.
What has been your personal highlight to date?
My personal highlight was the construction of the factory extension in 2024. For the first time, we were able to organize our departments in line with the latest requirements. The entire machine shop and the employees have grown hand in hand with the customer requirements and the individual projects and thus correspond to the latest technical standards.
Since when have you been working for SCHLEIFRING? What insights have you gained so far?
I have been working for SCHLEIFRING since 2008. The company is constantly growing and adapting to the production methods and technology required, and even develops its own new manufacturing processes. Up to now, our know-how and our specialized knowledge have proven to be solid in every economic situation.
How would you rate SCHLEIFRING as an employer?
I really like being part of the SCHLEIFRING family. Besides having good colleagues, I have also made real friends here. All in all, it is the community that makes us what we are. Anyone who wishes to is able to grow together with the company, further develop their skills and continue their training for as long as their stamina lasts.
And now a personal question to round things off: It is ten thirty on Saturday morning. What would you normally be doing?
In an ideal world I would be somewhere in the mountains, either rock climbing in summer or snowboarding in winter.