From left: Herbert Wackenhut from the Hochform Cluster, business promoter Jochen Enke, district administrator Bastian Rosenau, mayor Helge Viehweg and Karoline Schmidt from the job center in conversation with managing director Maximilian Blanck (second from right) and Andreas Bauer, authorized signatory of the Straubenhardt cable manufacturer Sommer cable.
Picture: Enzkreis; Photographer: J. Enke
“It was a great pleasure to give District Administrator Rosenau and Mayor Viehweg a tour of our company and to talk directly about our day-to-day problems and challenges. Policies that take into account the perspective of companies through direct, personal contact will always be of particular importance for the Enzkreis and the entire state. The “Hochform” network also offers an attractive opportunity to open up new markets together with other companies, especially in the current economically challenging times.”
Maximilian Blanck
CEO
On March 12, we were visited by District Administrator Bastian Rosenau, Mayor Helge Viehweg, Herbert Wackenhut, Head of the Hochform Technology Cluster, Jochen Enke, the district's business development officer, and Karoline Schmidt from the Enzkreis Job Center.
The Enzkreis press office has published the following article:
Innovative companies provide insights and discuss current challenges with the district administrator
ENZKREIS. They have one thing in common: their products are limited by cable drums, otherwise they could produce endlessly - even if their products are generally absolutely durable. The two managing directors of the two Straubenhardt-based companies Sommer cable GmbH and Gollmer & Hummel GmbH were convinced of this when they gave District Administrator Bastian Rosenau, Mayor Helge Viehweg, Herbert Wackenhut, head of the Hochform technology cluster, Jochen Enke, the district's business development officer, and Karoline Schmidt from the Enzkreis job center an insight into their production facilities.
Sommer cable GmbH is an internationally active manufacturer of high-quality cables, connectors and connection solutions for the audio, video, multimedia, broadcast and hi-fi sectors. The company recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and just last October, Maximilian Blanck and Marie-Kathrin Huber joined the management team. The two succeed Friedhelm Sommer, who founded the company in 1999 with Managing Director Rainer Blanck. During the tour of the company premises, the guests were particularly impressed by the heart of the company: the fully automated, digitally controlled robot warehouse. It raises the company's logistics processes to a modern and efficient level and enables Sommer cable to have all products available.
Gollmer & Hummel GmbH can look back on over 150 years of tradition. The company is one of the leading manufacturers of pressure hoses for applications in the fire department, agriculture, industry and other specialist areas.
During the visit to both companies, the delegation led by the district administrator was very interested in finding out first-hand how the current trade and customs differences with the USA are affecting the export business of both companies and what other current challenges these local companies are facing with their international trade relations. For precisely this reason, the District Administrator considers contact and exchange with “important medium-sized companies in the region to be essential in order to obtain a realistic picture of the economic situation in the region”. Unfortunately, it came as little surprise to the guests that there are fears of negative effects.
For Mayor Helge Viehweg, however, “the positive development of both companies is generally a benefit for Straubenhardt” and he emphasizes that they are important employers that contribute significantly to the economic strength of the community - even in difficult times.
The two business promoters, Enke and Wackenhut, took away from the discussions that they would be happy to provide both companies with targeted support in developing new business areas. “The areas of medical technology, defense and aerospace are particularly conceivable,” explains Enke, who is pleased that Sommer cable immediately took part in the speed dating event of the Hochform Cluster for Aerospace/Defense at the Center for Precision Technology in order to obtain initial information on new markets. “Every company visit is worthwhile precisely for this direct contact and the resulting closer cooperation and networking,” he is convinced.
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The Straubenhardt-based company Gollmer & Hummel produces pressure hoses for everyday heroes in the fire department, agriculture and industry, and the two managing directors Matthias Rinke and Christoph Schönthaler (third from left and right respectively) were happy to convince District Administrator Bastian Rosenau (center), Economic Development Manager Jochen Enke, Mayor Helge Viehweg, Herbert Wackenhut Hochform Cluster and Karoline Schmidt from the Jobcenter (from right) of their quality.
Picture: Enzkreis; Photographer: B. Amman
During the visit to both companies, the delegation led by the district administrator was very interested in finding out first-hand how the current trade and customs differences with the USA are affecting the export business of both companies and what other current challenges these local companies are facing with their international trade relations. For precisely this reason, the District Administrator considers contact and exchange with “important medium-sized companies in the region to be essential in order to obtain a realistic picture of the economic situation in the region”. Unfortunately, it came as little surprise to the guests that negative effects were feared.
For Mayor Helge Viehweg, however, “the positive development of both companies is generally a benefit for Straubenhardt” and he emphasized that they are important employers that contribute significantly to the economic strength of the municipality - even in difficult times.
The two business promoters Enke and Wackenhut took away from the discussions that they would be happy to support both companies in developing new business areas. “The areas of medical technology, defense and aerospace are particularly conceivable,” explains Enke, who is pleased that Sommer cable immediately took part in the speed dating event of the Hochform Cluster for Aerospace/Defense at the Center for Precision Technology in order to obtain initial information on new markets. “Every company visit is worthwhile precisely for this direct contact and the resulting closer cooperation and networking,” he is convinced.
(enz)