The ambassador project was launched as part of the 150th anniversary of the Handtmann Group. The aim of the project was to spread and share the company spirit internationally. In this function, the 12 ambassadors visited all Handtmann sales subsidiaries and production sites from May to July in order to gather a wide variety of impressions. The location ambassadors took a look behind the scenes. Here you will find insights. Let them inspire you.

Hello from the oldest Handtmann subsidiary!

Our last foreign ambassadorial trip took us to the oldest Handtmann subsidiary in Leighton Buzzard, England. 

All employees gave us a warm welcome and we were first introduced to everyone. Afterwards we received a short presentation from each department to better understand the subsidiary and its organization. Among other things, we were shown how the sales department is structured and which country areas are covered by which employees.  

The offices are open plan. Despite the small space, they have a good concept and everything is super structured and organized.  

We were also given an interesting tour of the warehouse and the hall.  

We ended the evening with some colleagues over dinner - typically English - in a pub. 

On the second day we were able to participate in a test with a customer. Fortunately, we were able to record the trial in videos so that you, dear colleagues, will also gain insights in our ambassador video.  

Afterwards, we conducted more very interesting interviews to get an even better insight into their daily work and life at Handtmann.  

Our second evening was also concluded with a dinner with part of the team.  

Here it became clear once again what a great team they are and how well they get along in private. The subsidiary is characterized by a fantastic team spirit. Everybody helps everybody. Many employees have been with Handtmann for a very long time and it is not uncommon for them to have been with the company for over 20 years. This makes them very connected to each other as well as to Handtmann. 

The Handtmann subsidiary is typically English and built with many bricks. Driving through Leighton Buzzard was also nice. There are many small English cottages. Overall, the area was characterized by small towns with a small town center. However, the proximity to London makes up for this. The only thing we had to get used to was driving on the left.  

We were very pleased to get to know our colleagues in England and to dive even deeper into the international Handtmann world. 

Thank you very much for the warm welcome and the great insights we were able to gain.

Our first ambassador journey takes us to two different locations. Handtmann Maschinenvertrieb (hMV) in Germany has one site in Southern Germany (Biberach), in the same building than the Maschinenfabrik, and another site in Northern Germany. They are one team, nevertheless they are 600 km apart from each other.  

We decided to start our ambassador activities at hMV North. Equipped like influencers with Gimpal, stative and microphones we hope to not only look professional but also successfully fulfil the task at hand. Upon our arrival we are greeted by a beautiful sunset in the landscape of the Teutoburger Forest. Stunning farmer’s houses with brick stones, wide corn fields and horses on the grass fields makes us forget our exhausting journey.  

HMV North is in the industrial parc of Georgsmarienhütte, a small city which counts about 30.000 inhabitants. Jens Klemp, the managing director of hMV North and South, welcomes us in the company and kindly gives us a very interesting company tour. We get to know the offices, the small forum for customer tests, the spare part storage, and the assembly space. In the offices 20 people are working in Georgsmarienhütte. We discover that they have an issue of space resulting with one colleagues’ desk being squeezed in a tiny corner. Nevertheless, the people at hMV North take it with humor. Furthermore, hMV has 50 service employees spread throughout Germany which sometimes can be a challenge because some colleagues see each other only a few times a year.

The people at hMV North and South are happy and proud that they are a part of Handtmann, Ulrich Kleine-Börger even passed the hMV-gene to his son Mirko who is also passionately working for the company. One colleague told us that his wife complains about his habit of checking each sausage package in the supermarkets to see if they were produced by Handtmann machines. Thomas Kiefer, head of internal sales and operations, is working in Biberach and talks about all the opportunities he got at Handtmann throughout his 27 years (!) at Handtmann.  

One of their success factors are customer focus and flexibility which only a smaller subsidiary can manage. This also shows during our visit when a customer could be provided with a completely new machine within only one day after a machine error had occurred.  HMV has a strategy of growth and innovation – which according to Jens Klemp is working out nicely up until now. For us HmV can be best summarized with the following words: family, sausages, down to earth and proud member of the Handtmann family.

The journey was much shorter for us this time. With its location in the industrial area of Aspach, Handtmann Elteka is only a few kilometers away from the headquarters in Biberach.  

When you enter the Elteka site, you are greeted with a large poster on which the employees depict the letters LTK (Lauramid Technischer Kunststoff). This first sight directly reflects the togetherness of the employees and solidarity with the company. 

In addition to the 150th anniversary, Handtmann Elteka is celebrating another special year. 55 years of Elteka is also a proud number. Here, modernity and tradition are combined. 

Through decades of experience, Handtmann Elteka has established itself as the leading manufacturer of lauramide. All employees are very proud of this. 

You have probably already used some parts of Elteka in your everyday life. The most important global customers are manufacturers of sliding car doors. 

Do you ski? Then you have most likely ridden in a lift with Handtmann parts. Because almost 90% of all lifts worldwide are supplied by Handtmann.  

"LTK is, let technique kick you up'" - These are the words Mr. Nägele uses to describe Elteka.  

This attitude also becomes very clear during our further visit to Elteka. Elteka is constantly developing new applications, making them marketable and then rolling them out on the market. One attitude is central here: to dare to break new ground. 

Among other things, we were also impressed by the current marketing campaigns. You can find appealing videos, statements and more on Handtmann Elteka's LinkedIn channel, for example. Feel free to take a look. 

Elteka employees particularly appreciate the company's future orientation and internationalization. At the same time, they also care a lot about the company's family orientation. 

Throughout the visit, one thing became clear: We are Handtmann. We are Elteka.

As the Handtmann first Asia subsidiary company of Handtmann group founded in 2006, Handtmann Shanghai has been engaged in sales and after-sales service of Handtmann food processing machinery in china market, serving over thousands of customers. 

In the 17 years of the company's development, Handtmann Shanghai has been growing very quickly and gaining high customer recognition, not only by providing customers with good products, but also with professional sales and technical team. In total there are 20 people working in Handtmann Shanghai, over 9 service engineers are responsible for customer quick response. In addition, the company has setup machine exhibition room and repair center, spare parts storage to enhance and improve customer service and supply efficiency. 

My biggest impression about Handtmann Shanghai is the family working environment, where most of the people have been engaged with Handtmann for at least 10 to 15 years, where they work as a team and cooperate as a family without the necessity of specifying the needs of each other. 

During an exclusive interview with the Managing Director, Mr. Wilber Yau, I learned how the Handtmann culture and family are key to his leadership and the effort he has been made for keeping people together by providing the working atmosphere that trust and appreciation can be buildup. Through the talk with Mr. Pierre He (Sales director), Mr. Bobby Tang (Sales Manager), I was deeply impressed about the enthusiasm and proudness of working in Handtmann. 

I’ve heard lots of saying before joining Handtmann that how people make the difference. From what I have experienced makes me believe that it is the company with a strong culture of valuing the employees that puts everyone together for driving a long and promising succeed.  

We are glad that we are Handtmann!

Brazil was the last of our tour of Latin America, and it was an incredible experience; we landed in Sao Paulo very early in the morning, and we ate our first cheese bread; wow, amazing. To get to Curitiba, we would take a second flight, but we had to wait many hours to stay, so we decided to go for a walk through one of the largest cities in Latin America, its incredible avenues, large buildings, stadiums, everything on a large scale showed us why Brazil is a country with a robust industry in the world.

In the afternoon, we arrived at our final destination in Pinhais; the following day, Luciano picked us up, and we realised that the whole team was very excited for the coming days. Already in the offices of Handtmann do Brasil, an office with incredible brand communication, photos of our machines, and the details that make it unique.

We took a tour of their warehouse, with all the machines in wooden boxes, and then we got to know their offices; we greeted their team, and we ended up getting to know their showroom where they carry out customer tests, new developments, and many more things.

We met with its general manager Mariocy Bonfim, with a warm welcome, he organised a small meeting with the team, and we explained the plan for the next few days. We started as we called it Topshow Handtmann to make them feel more at ease.

To break the ice, we started with some fun photos, and we came up with a great welcome from the winery, and if it was all laughter, we were ready for our show.

We started with Mariocy, a story straight to the heart; he has been in the company for more than 20 years, growing with her and making her a place where everyone feels like family; we confirmed this feeling with the following interviews; everyone thought that it was a safe space to grow, where they have learned about the business, developed professional and personal skills.

Our show continued during the day; while laughing, we learned how the after-sales team does its daily work like a football team, distributing tasks and supporting each other.

The sales team told us how they are always looking for clients to innovate with them and how much they have fun and learn by collaborating with each other.

The girls of the team, a dose of joy, of details that told us that Handtmann's values had led them to grow and be better day by day. Something incredible was having the opportunity to speak with Taylor, who has been since Handtmann do Brasil arrived in Brazil, knowing his experiences were a gold prize.

Definitely, the whole team has incredible values; they are a team, they work to grow. We always found a supportive smile; they wanted to be present in these 150 years and in the next ones to come.

We had the opportunity to enjoy Rodizio both days, spectacular meats to repeat, and we tried the Madero hamburger that is made with a Handtmann machine! and enjoy Brazilian music, all incredible. These days we feel part of your team and looking forward to seeing you again.

After our visit to the plant in Kosice, we went to Handtmann in Kechnec the following day. The production site is located in the industrial area directly on the border to Hungary and is thus the last company in Slovakia. It was funny that around 3,000 employees work in this industrial area, although only about 1,000 people live in Kechnec.

Handtmann Foundry Kechnec (HFK) was inaugurated in 2021 and is a new and impressive hall. Many processes are automated and everything is designed in an advanced way. Furthermore, the hall offers space for further die casting machines and is therefore built future-oriented.

It was impressive that the sustainability aspect was always a focus of this new building. This was recognized in 2021 with the "Sustainability Award in Automotive", of which everyone is very proud.

It was nice to see that the employees here are like a family. This is not only noticeable when working together, but also outside of working hours, when some colleagues meet and, for example, go out for dinner together.

Through the interviews, we learned that the Slovakian colleagues like to work with Biberach and always enjoy coming to the headquarters. In addition, they are all very happy to be employed by a German company. They particularly appreciate the safety precautions that are taken and the protective equipment that is provided.

Many employees have been with the company since the beginning of the plant's construction and some have been transferred from Kosice. So, the expertise could be taken along and used in the construction of the new plant. A few employees from Biberach are also permanently employed here or come to Kechnec very often to provide support. The relevance of international cooperation is therefore already exemplified here.

Compared to Kosice, English is also more widely spoken here as a second language.

Overall, everything was well organized and we were always warmly welcomed. So we had a great stay here as well.

Peru and Ecuador were our second ambassador trips to visit the new Handtmann Andina countries; it was an incredible feeling for our new team. 

On the first day, Andres and I met with the team in the city, giving us the space to discover and record some of the magical places that this new city offered us, some imposing cliffs and a sea, without leaving behind some modern and traditional buildings that go you wanting to see more. 

On this occasion, Bernd Sipple, Sales Manager for Latin America, accompanied the team to meet Maschinenfabrik's customers to present Handtmann's new presence in the region. 

We sat down to talk and record, looking for it to be very natural for them, a delightful conversation, always highlighting the value of Handtmann as a family business, how it has allowed people to grow professionally and personally through challenges, where they have always sought that as a team they support each other. 

Being the team we belong to, we realized how we had formed a small family, remembering moments in the office or on trips and even creating a relationship outside of it. 

To finish with Peru, we could not miss sharing typical dishes such as ceviche, causa, and tartar - what an exquisite meal! All are a mixture of perfect flavors, where the fish stands out, their acids are noted and to accompany course a Pisco sour, I must say that, for our taste, a little sweet, but it allowed us to toast, for the opportunity to share as a team, enjoy 150 years and continue to grow as a team. 

As North American Ambassadors for Handtmann’s 150^th year anniversary, Andy Topor and I had the honor of interviewing some of our great staff. The amazing people we interviewed spoke of Handtmann Inc as a genuine and distinguished business, where the people make the difference.

Handtmann Inc was mostly described as having a family environment where we all work as a team. We were spoken of as having an excellent work ethic with a bond where we support each other, as well as having an atmosphere that creates enthusiasm, great energy and pride. A solid work/home life was a very common comment from the staff, which is greatly cherished and appreciated.

Our growth over the years has been tremendous with new positions and departments being created to fill the needs of our customers. This growth has created a lifetime retention amongst the employees and a trust that the Handtmann company will also take care of its employees.

Whilst doing our interviews, we were able to witness and record the day-to-day tasks of the employees from each department. This gave us an insight into what each department does and how it contributes to the great success of Handtmann Inc. During an exclusive interview with the Managing Director, Patrick McGady, we were able to learn how culture and family are key to this leadership and continuation of Handtmann’s success.

Due to the size of Handtmann Inc., we were able to record all nine departments separately over the course of two weeks and showcase the different tasks and duties that they perform as well as the employees behind them.

In closing, everyone we spoke with was excited to participate in our ambassador videos and to be interviewed by us. Our employees are porud and happy to work for Handtmann Inc. they are all thrilled to see Markus Handtmann and Valentin Ulrich take over to continue the family business as the fifth generation Co-CEOs!

Nowadays, Handtmann is actively operating on various markets with its six different divisions. Out of these divisions the casting foundry is the only one which has been present throughout all the 150 years of Handtmann’s existence and is also my home port and therefore a special visit for us (Katharina Vollmar and Melina Eggle). Because of its long history, we wanted to take you with us, and show you the place where the building bricks of Handtmann were laid. In 1873 the foundry was located at the Ehinger-Tor-Platz (old town Biberach) next to a small water mill to harvest just enough power for the new production site. For being able to share the full experience, we recruited two very important Handtmann personas, Peter Steil (former quality manager) and Heinz Miller (former executive employee), which are now enjoying their well-deserved retirement. They were able to take us with them on a trip down memory lane of the Metallgusswerk.

Back in the present and guided by a casting expert (Michael Pahl) we are entering the holy production of the light metal casting factory which is always an adventure. Steaming machines, noisy hisses, massive steel blocks (molds), distinctive metal smell and forklifts transporting liquid aluminum from the ovens to the castings. This is where oil pans, clutch housings, battery cross members and numerous other parts made from aluminum for leading car brands such as Mercedes, VW and BMW are produced. Klaus Weber, the expert in our “Schmelzhaus”, shows us the big ovens where the aluminium is heated up to 710 degrees Celsius.

Additional to the foundry there is the mechanical processing area. There is a big hall in the Arthur-Handtmann-Street and another site in Aspach next to the system technic. Production planner Armin Kammerer is telling us about his job at the mechanical processing site and his many travels to our Slowakian plant. Especially during Covid times those travels back to Germany have been a challenge.  It’s good that we have such a special managing director who not only offered his apartment to the colleagues in quarantine but also his wife was supportive and took good care of them. For so many colleagues Handtmann feels like family. In the Metallgusswerk it is very outstanding that a lot of employees have been with the company for a very long time.

Due to most recent market developments the light metal casting factory is going through a difficult time. Still, the Handtmann family is investing heavily in the oldest unit: to be a first mover, Handtmann is currently expanding their production by a mega casting area. For this new development it is not only necessary to buy a 6.100 tons (clamping force) machine but also the production hall must be nearly completely rebuilt. Flexibility in responding to customers’ requirements, a hands-on-mentality and the courage for innovation guaranteed the success of the unit and will also bring it through the current times, says Dirk Seckler, the Managing Director Sales and Engineering.

Thank you so much for everyone participating and for putting a huge effort into the video preparation!

As the North & South American Ambassadors, we were honored to visit Handtmann, Mexico y Centro America in Monterrey, Mexico, Andy, Tania, Laura, and Andres. We had the opportunity to experience first-hand the company's culture and document our findings through video and interviews with the staff.  

The staff very warmly and excitedly greeted us. We couldn’t have asked for a better reception. They had a conference room set up for us with pastries, coffee, and snacks. Even though the team in Mexico y Centro America is smaller, they are very close together, like a big family. We got the sense of outstanding leadership and teamwork, trying to achieve one thing: to provide excellent support and equipment to their customers in Central America. 

Andy explained our plan to make videos of the departments in action to highlight how each department operated, take group photos, and interview some of the Handtmann staff. We had a list of interviewees, but that list grew immensely as more of the staff wanted to be interviewed once we explained the process.

To begin our work, Andy and Tania interviewed the staff in English, while Laura and Andres interviewed them in Spanish. 

Everyone we interviewed spoke of how much they loved the family culture, teamwork, support, and collaboration. They all said how much they loved the people they worked with closely. They are all happy to be working for such a great company and take pride in their work as well as the Handtmann team.  

All the staff are hard workers. They have a lot of enthusiasm and incredible values. We always found a smile of support, and it was truly clear in our days and experiences with them that the Handtmann feeling is shared. 

We had the opportunity to enjoy authentic Mexican food, a real Monterrey roast beef, and some tacos of different types, and of course, we all got a little bit of their sauces. These days we feel like part of their team. We were also able to learn why the Handtmann office is in Monterrey; it is an exceptional industrial city with a mountain that undoubtedly leaves you surprised. Despite its climate at this time, we enjoyed Fundidura Park, a traditional place that shares the history of an area of the country focused on industrial and business development. 

To end our wonderful visit, we obtained great films of all the departments, how they run, and the steps everyone takes to ensure our customers are happy. We had the pleasure of forging new friendships with the Mexico team whom share the same feelings to the Handtmann family culture. 

We have made long-lasting memories with the Handtmann Mexico family. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn and experience the worldwide shared feeling of Handtmann culture and family business. 

On the first day we were warmly welcomed and introduced to the entire team. Surprisingly, the team consists not only of our Dutch colleagues, but also the office dog Genzo. Genzo is the dog of one of the employees and comes to the office once a week. Everyone always looks forward to seeing him and he is totally sweet and easy to work with. 

After that, we were given a tour of the subsidiary. It is characterized by a very modern office concept. The lounge is also new and friendly. During the breaks, a table soccer game can provide a great balance to the work. 

What we think is super cool is that they always get together in the lounge on Friday afternoons after work and like this start the weekend together. This shows an awesome sense of community and strengthens it even more.

The highlight for us was the Food Lab. There we were given a demo and portioned bitterballen. Bitterballen are a specialty in the Netherlands and a typical snack when friends get together. We also made mochi ice cream, which was very tasty. 

The interviews with the employees were interesting as well. The colleagues are totally friendly and open and many of them were willing to do an interview with us and give us an insight into their daily work at Handtmann. We quickly noticed that everyone is happy to work at Handtmann. One reason, among others, is that it is a very familiar working environment and still part of a large company. In addition, everyone values the innovation and high quality of the machines they sell. 

To make the Dutch vibe perfect we got two bicycles during our stay. Like this we could also explore Amersfoort a bit. Amersfoort is a rather small, but cute town with canals and beautiful brick houses. Moreover, the central location with proximity to cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam or The Hague is great. 

Overall, we would like to thank the team for an awesome stay.

Our first ambassador trip starts in Annaberg-Buchholz, where we were able to spend two days at the Handtmann Light Metal Foundry. Unfortunately, Massimo could not make the trip at short notice, so I (Felix) was going there instead. After a 5-hour drive from Biberach, the beautiful Ore Mountains in eastern Germany awaited me.

On the morning of the first day, Michael greeted me at the Light Metal Foundry Annaberg with a "Glück auf!", which is the equivalent of the "Grüß Gott" or "Servus" of the south. The light metal foundry is located in the west of the city surrounded by forest and nature. Our day began with a short meeting in the canteen, which already offers typical lunch dishes in the morning, such as Currywurst with fries, due to the shift operation. Due to the shift operation, the company never stands still and is always on the move. Fortified with a hearty breakfast, Michael led me through the foundry, where we were able to shoot the first videos and observe how the liquid metal is washed by Guido. The day was filled with many interesting conversations with various people. There was for example Florian, who began a training as a mechatronics engineer in September 2009 and now works as an IT Specialist at Handtmann. Then there’s Kai, who is responsible for the technological processes and manufacturing. At the end of the first day, a dinner in the old town of Annaberg was on the agenda. This was followed by a tour of the city by tour guide Michael. Among other things, we visited the St. Anne's Church, which offers a view over the entire city and surrounding countryside. In addition, we followed the steps of the German arithmetic master Adam Ries (Also known from the german saying "Nach Adam Riese ..."

Our ambassador trip takes us from Biberach to Paris l’Est where Edouard Cingal, Managing Director of Handtmann France, awaits us upon our arrival. We are pleasantly surprised as Edouard proves himself as a great tour guide making sure we get some pictures of famous sights in Paris.

In Chartres we are greeted by an impressive modern building. We are beyond excited as we realize that the team has kindly applied a 150 sticker at the entrance that represents our 150^th anniversary. The monitor as well as a little signpost announce the visit of us ambassadors. What a great start to our trip! The team is proud to show us around in their office and we cannot wait to record the first videos in their presentable building. You can tell, the team has orange blood as we discover more and more orange and hFR (for Handtmann France) gadgets. Wait for the video!

In the following two days we experience heart-warming French hospitality by the whole team. During the lunch breaks and in the evenings, we get the chance to learn more about our French colleagues and their culture. There is for example Tony, the Head of Service, who tries out new recipes for our customers, or Aurelie who likes most about her job that she has a broad variety of responsibilities and is free to suggest new ideas. It gets obvious that Edouard has carefully selected his team members! Eventually, we ambassadors remember some of our French school vocabulary and communication with the team improves further. What surprises us the most during our visit is how well all colleagues are getting along with each other and how quickly everyone warms up to us. On top of that we even have the honor of visiting le Boucherie Dynamique, a customer of Handtmann France, in their production. Great to see our machines in action and understand what customers appreciate about Handtmann! This highlight is followed by a buzzy night in Chartres during the national fête de la musique where local bands are playing on various stages across the city. Great to experience French culture firsthand! On our tour through Chartres we also pass by the famous cathedral which apparently even Thomas Handtmann was amazed by. So much that he had to tell his wife immediately about it…  

After two exciting and unbelievably happy days in Chartres we want to thank our French colleagues for making us feel welcome from the first minute. We are leaving France with a suitcase full of good memories and a Handtmann bag with flowers. By now you might be able to guess which color they are. Global Handtmann team, whenever you can, make sure to stop by in Chartres – you will not regret it! 

Ahoj and hello from Slovakia!

On the first day of our ambassadorial trip, we were greeted at Handtmann Slovakia in Kosice. The employees gave us a warm welcome and were very friendly from the beginning. 

During a very interesting tour of the plant each production step was explained to us in detail and often demonstrated live. Like this we could understand everything very well. The production is divided into a new and old hall and the plant has three die-casting lines. Recently, various efforts have been made to create a positive working environment so that the employees enjoy coming to work and can spend their working hours and breaks in the best possible way. In the plant there is a new recreation room where it is possible to heat up food. Besides, there are newly designed meeting rooms with good equipment. Overall, we have perceived a future-oriented mindset. After the tour we were able to start filming and photographing the production and took some great shots.

On the other day, we started interviewing employees. We learned that some employees have been with the company from the very beginning and it was interesting that many of them speak German. During the interviews we also found out a lot about the Slovakian culture. The Slovakians are all very open-minded and friendly. The traditional food is halusky, which is cheese noodles with sheep cheese. In addition, in Slovakia there are the Tatra Mountains, which are very famous. We were pleasantly surprised by the city of Kosice. The city center consists of beautiful buildings with impressive facades. There are some cafes and restaurants and the city looks lively. Outside the city it is rural and the nature is similar to Germany. 

To put it in a nutshell, we had a great stay and we got the feeling that the employees were happy about our visit. 

The ambassador project was launched as part of the 150^th anniversary of the Handtmann Group of Companies. The aim of the project is to spread and share the company spirit internationally. In this function, the 12 ambassadors will visit selected Handtmann sales subsidiaries and production sites from May to July in order to gather a wide variety of impressions. In order to start the project properly, the Kick-Off Event took place in Biberach on April 26^th and 27^th. The goals were to get to know each other and the locations in Biberach and their history. In addition, the ambassadors received valuable information on the course of the project.

The event started on April 26th at 8 a.m. in the Handtmann Maschinenfabrik. Markus Handtmann, Valentin Ulrich and Dr. Robert Omagbemi warmly welcomed the ambassadors and explained the idea behind the project. In the photo and video workshop that followed, the participants had the opportunity to put their theoretical knowledge into practice, exchange ideas and to be creative. The evening was used to get to know each other better and to exchange experiences.

At the end of the first day and in the beginning of the second day, the focus shifted more to the history of the Handtmann Group of Companies and its business areas - four factory tours took place. To round off the event properly, a social event was held in the afternoon where the ambassadors could demonstrate their willpower.