Dr Hummel, you joined Liebherr in Ehingen in 1999 and were appointed Director in 2003. Over these last two decades, we have undergone incredible growth and the factory site has doubled in size. Which milestones do you think were particularly important?

Dr. Hubert Hummel: The construction and site expansion work were certainly major milestones. These proved to be the right moves and very sensible in hindsight.

But they are the things you can see. Those that we can’t see are just as important, such as the continued development of the organisation to create the powerful, flexible unit we see today. Of course, a company develops all the time and it is the accumulation of all those little everyday improvements that drives a company forward.

What do you think of the reasons behind Liebherr’s success in Ehingen?

Dr. Hubert Hummel: It’s the total package, the product, the organisation, the commitment and the loyalty of the workforce, the solidarity of the management team but also having confidence in that team. There is also the fact that it is embedded in the family structure of the group – all the things that about us that customers and business partners value.

What times were difficult for you despite this?

Dr. Hubert Hummel: I was always deeply upset by accidents, which thankfully were very rare. But also the things that happened to the employees, which we were confronted with in one way or another.

And there were also the plans which simply did not work out as we had hoped and the things that people, but also organisations, did, which at times were very difficult to understand. None of that was easy, but I suppose it’s part of life.

Mr Trunzer, you came to Liebherr in 1990 where you were initially HR Manager in Kempten. Six years later you were appointed Commercial Director there. In 2002 you took on the same position in Ehingen. How did you find your time here?

Mario Trunzer: Unique, fulfilling and enriching, I learned so much. I’m still impressed by LWE almost every day – and I have been a Director here for 18 years. What still impresses me is that everything works, despite the fact that I’ve been here so long –

Where is Liebherr-Werk Ehingen today and what advice would you give your successor?

Mario Trunzer: LWE is in a good place, there is no doubt about that – with good people and great structures. The plant in Ehingen has always continued to develop, and that should continue in the future. Some people believe that this will take care of itself because we are the market leaders. That’s just wrong. We have to continue to make it happen every day. At the beginning we were the challengers, and there were lots of competitors who were better placed. But some of them no longer even exist today. We have never needed the services of a consultant. We did it all on our own.

If he does his work properly, a director always has an eye on the whole picture and the people and teams within the company. People must be able to trust you, otherwise they cannot do their work properly. That means directors have to be authentic, they have to do what they say and say what they do. That's the only way to create trust and reliability. And that's what the management team as a whole needs, it is never just about an individual. I'm absolutely convinced of that, and so are our successors. and I have yet to find a company that comes close. The spirit is very special.

Now we’d like to hear from our new directors about what they’re thinking and planning. Mr Heusel, you came to Liebherr in 1994 since when you have worked for quite a few Liebherr companies. You transferred to Ehingen in 2005 where you headed up the work preparation team and the production order centre. Do you have any special memories from when you started out at LWE?

Ulrich Heusel: I certainly do – Liebherr’s absolute commitment in Ehingen and the prospect of managing a department doing such exciting work. At the outset, it was the impressive products but also the size of the factory, the incredible amount of material and the organisation and preparation it all required. Nevertheless, the processes have remained simple and robust – they really are an art form.

And my working relationships were friendly, helpful and based on trust – a good team, but we always had fun as well. And we have always had a good, productive approach within the department. One of the main factors behind the company’s success is the mixture of experience and youth. Everybody has always been focused on customers and finding solutions for them. And that is still the case today.

Can you give us a few of the highlights from your last few years?

Ulrich Heusel: Almost every day is a highlight for me – the smell of steel and drilling fluid simply feels like home. But the regular customer days are really unique.

I can sum up my highlights in general – we've completed lots of projects which were all essentially focused on the processes. It was less about how we could change things through investments, and more about how we could use the fantastic expertise of our staff to make our business processes more productive, and sometimes also more transparent – whilst still enjoying our work. I’m rather proud of the results – we know our processes and have redesigned some of them. That’s a good thing, but it’s certainly not par for the course.

I would also like to express my thanks to Dr Hummel. His choice of people and management staff enabled him to form a good, powerful team with plenty of freedom to try new things, gather experience and continuously develop. Learn from their mistakes. That's one of the main pillars on which success is based – a good team.

Over to you, Mr Pitzer. After completing your degree in International Business, you started working for LWE in 2006 where you held the position of Regional Sales Manager for several years. In 2015 you were appointed Managing Director of Liebherr USA and also division manager for our products. Now you're back at headquarters and we must ask you whether things have changed at LWE during the five years you were away?

Daniel Pitzer: Not just in the last five years, since 2006 it seems as though something has changed at the site every year. Somewhere there is always an excavator or you can hear the sounds of building work. But of course from a distance you also get a better view of home. LWE has become even larger and more successful without losing its unique feeling of everybody belonging.

Regardless of where we are, everybody at the plant is a salesman and a brand ambassador. And that's a sensational attitude. That's precisely the secret behind our success that we want to maintain and strengthen in the future. That's extremely important to me.