A look back with the management
A challenging and at the same time exciting year lies behind you. Let’s start with the most central topic of this year: the Corona pandemic. How has this crisis gone for you so far? What has changed at EPS since then?
Josef: Although it was already present everywhere in the media, we were surprised when on 13. March 1. lockdown in Austria. In the office, we followed the press conference of the federal government together and created a lockdown plan for our companies over the next few days. Like so many other companies, we had to protect our employees overnight, adapt existing processes and at the same time maintain contact with our customers and partners despite the distance.
What steps did you take then? How did that work exactly?
Stefanie: We consulted internally with our “management board”, which is made up of all supervisors, and took various measures depending on the department and project situation. Most of us were in the home office for a few weeks, a few people on short-time work and the service technicians responsible for maintaining UPS systems, emergency power generators and other critical components were on duty separately with protective equipment most of the time.
Josef: For our customers, it should make no difference whether we work from home or in the office. However, accessibility and constant contact – also internally – had to be guaranteed. I think we did a very good job for this short time – even if the internet connection capitulated every now and then. 😉
After the first relaxation phase, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new operational, warehouse and production building in Dietmanns followed. How important was this date for you? How far has the project progressed so far?
Josef: The groundbreaking ceremony was an important milestone and very significant for us. Especially at this time, it was an enormously motivating occasion for all of us to remain optimistic. We have been planning this construction project for years, with the involvement of all employees, and the new warehouse areas in particular are now more than urgently needed in order to be able to efficiently handle central warehouse and goods management.
At the moment, the warehouse racking system is being set up and the entire building is being sealed before winter. The exterior panels are all already installed.
When you think back on the last few months, what has made you particularly proud?
Stefanie: For me, it was definitely the incredible cohesion of our team. The colleagues motivated each other and often encouraged and supported us through phone calls. Personally, I was really impressed by how much our team stood up for the company, especially during this difficult time.
Josef: I can only agree with that. This enormous cohesion and motivation was also evident in the construction project. Many of us can hardly wait until we can finally move – including me! 😉
For you, Stefanie, this year is certainly unforgettable. You were named as an additional managing director in April and soon changed your last name due to your marriage. How did you experience these events despite the Corona crisis? And what goals have you set yourself as managing director?
Stefanie: It has long been a big goal for me to officially join the management at EPS. After eight years with the company, we agreed that this step should be taken in 2020. We couldn’t really celebrate and so we stayed with a glass of wine, comfortably at home with my husband.
There are quite a few goals for the next few years, but we must always remain flexible in order to be able to react quickly to changes in the market. Above all, it is currently still open how the next few months will go. In any case, the pandemic will keep us busy for a long time to come.
In any case, we would like to make further progress in the field of digitization and already have some ideas for this. Processes must be further developed and optimized so that we become even more efficient. The next big goal, however, is definitely to move to the new building in Dietmanns.
What do you think we can expect in the coming months and next year?
Josef: I think it will take some time before we fully return to the usual “old” normality. As always, we are trying to make the best of the situation and look positively into the future. There is no alternative! It would be nice if the construction in Dietmanns continued according to plan and we could once again be involved in many exciting projects.
Stefanie: There will probably be a few more challenging months ahead of us, but with the right team and an optimistic attitude, we will manage that. The year 2020 has already proven that to us.
Thank you both very much for the interview!
