HEGLA employee anniversaries

Image - From left to right: Jakob Meier (retiree), Guido Lorencis (Wartung & Service), Gregor Werbicki (retiree), Peter Heyer (retiree), Christoph Benkel (Wartung & Service), Astrid Heinrichs (Works Council), Hans-Dieter Hillebrand (retiree), Eckhard Menke (retiree), Hans Nowak (retiree), Martin Jost (40 years), Michael Glahn (head of E-Technik), Christian Rotermund (head of design), Manfred Struck (40 years), Tobias Lüttmann (master), Jens Hoffmann (25 years), Josef Kusserow (head of production), Meinolf Köster (25 years), Bernhard Hötger (managing director), Burkhard Knipping (25 years), Frank Hillig (25 years), Bernd Peschmann (25 years), Michael Schnietz (25 years), Waldemar Meisner (25 years). Not pictured: Elmar Hartmann (25 years), Rene Volke (25 years), Eugen Schmidt (25 years), Werner Zarnitz (retiree), Karin Mikulcic (retiree), Dieter Riepe (retiree).

When they started, the company, established in 1976, was just starting to grow. “We would like to thank you very much for your hard work and commitment, and now take a look back at the time we have spent together,” said Managing Director Bernhard Hötger at the ceremony.

45 and 40 years at HEGLA

Elmar Hartmann was the employee at the ceremony with the greatest number of years at the company: 45. His colleagues appreciate his technical knowledge and skill, and he is a popular advisor. He made a decisive contribution to the success of many an assembly job. The designer Martin Jost looks back at 40 years of working at HEGLA. He is still the go-to person when it comes to transport frames and loading forks. As a technical consultant at HEGLA, customers are happy to call upon his specialist knowledge when they have questions. Manfred Struck has also been with the company for 40 years. He contributes his skills and know-how to the machine manufacturing division and is able to solve many tricky problems there. The first machine manufacturing trainee at HEGLA, Josef Held, also started in 1983. As a foreman, he finds a solution for almost every challenge and always provides expert support to his colleagues.

A quarter of a century of technical expertise

Meinolf Köster, who has been with the company for 25 years, is the jack of all trades in the design department. He started working in production and, after his further training, took a new job as a machine manufacturing technician. Michael Schnietz began his career as an electrician and, after his further training as a technician, he ended up as a programmer. In that function, he brings even the most difficult jobs to a successful close. Frank Hillig, a treasured team member in mechanical production, is also celebrating his anniversary with the company. His first day of work was 11th February 1997. With his technical skill, he makes precision parts on the CNC system to lay the foundation for quality “Made in Germany”. Burkhard Knipping began his training the same year. His technical knowledge makes him a professional for laminated glass cutting systems, who knows the answer to almost any question. Training year 1997 also marks the beginning of Waldemar Meissner’s career. He now works in final assembly, travels around the world to do assembly work and is a recognised partner among our customers. 

Also at HEGLA for 25 years, Bernd Peschmann is a respected colleague in the welding shop. His experience enriches the team and he is a key employee for the production of high-quality HEGLA systems. Rene Volke began in final assembly and now works as a technical warehousing specialist. As chair of the Works Council, he is a recognised contact for employees’ questions, suggestions for improvement and proposals. Jörg Hoffmann is responsible for the design of gantry loaders and support tables. The stringent safety requirements for glass as a raw material are part of his demanding remit, which he fulfils with established know-how. Last but not least is Eugen Schmidt. At the beginning of his employment, he worked in final assembly. He now works in cutting, which makes his role in the creation of HEGLA systems important.

“Your technical knowledge, skill and experience make you key employees, whom we appreciate very much,” said Managing Director Bernhard Hötger of HEGLA. “I would like to thank you on behalf of company management and the colleagues for the congenial collaboration and good relationship. We look forward to many more years with you.”

Bidding farewell to retirees

Despite the upbeat atmosphere, there were a few melancholy moments: we also bade farewell to nine retirees who had been with the company for a long time. The welder Hans Nowak has left the company after 32 years; his immediate colleague Jakob Maier looks back at 28 years, and Gregor Werbicki at 24 years at HEGLA. The electrician Werner Zarnitz is entering his next stage of life after 24 years. The machine builders Hans-Dieter Hillebrand and Eckhard Menke have been part of the team of colleagues for 33 and 12 years respectively. After 35 years, Dieter Riepe is retiring from his familiar workplace as a project lead – and before that, decades as the head of mechanical design. After 27 years, Peter Heyer, the long-standing head of the subsidiary Wartung & Service, is bidding farewell to the company, which was originally established as a workshop. We also said goodbye to the cleaner Karin Mikulcic, who worked at HEGLA for 14 years.

“The people we are bidding farewell to today are not only worthy colleagues and members of our team to whom we owe so much. They are also people with whom we spent many good years and cultivated friendly relationships,” stated Bernhard Hötger. “People are the key factor that inspire us and make us happy to do our best every day.”