Rolling up our sleeves together, even when things get tough – that’s what we’re all about at Huesecken Wire! Curious what makes us a special employer and how our team spirit shines? Check out the new article on aktiv-online.de and get to know us better!
https://www.aktiv-online.de/news/beim-kaltwalzer-huesecken-wire-in-hohenlimburg-sind-die-mitarbeiter-krisenerprobt-20209
The employees at cold rolling mill Huesecken Wire in Hohenlimburg are crisis-proof
Insolvency, the coronavirus pandemic, the flood of the century – what befell Huesecken Wire within just a few years would have brought many other companies to their knees. But the world’s oldest cold rolling mill survived.
In 1830, Johann Peter Hüsecken was the first to flatten round wire between two hardened rolls, supplied by Alfred Krupp, into a thin strip in the Nahmertal valley in Hohenlimburg. And this is still done here today, using advanced technology but following the same principle.
One thing is clear: without the employees, this would not have been possible. ‘The insolvency in 2013 was a major turning point,’ recalls Jana Lob from the human resources department. The takeover by the Swedish Hörle Wire Group in 2014 got the business back on track. The flood that caused damage amounting to around €8 million seven years later was a completely different challenge. ‘Everything was under water, nothing worked anymore,’ says Lob. But everyone pitched in and worked hard together for weeks and months. ‘That really brought us together and greatly promoted team spirit in the company.’
Markus Scholz, who has been managing director for a year and a half, did not experience this himself. But he emphasises emphatically: ‘The employees have been through so much. We need them.’ Their satisfaction is therefore his top priority.
He is thus continuing a development that has taken place over the past few years, which is now also clearly visible to the outside world thanks to the award of the ‘Family-Friendly Company’ label.
Family friendliness is certified
This title, awarded by the agentur mark and the Märkischer Arbeitgeberverband (Märkisch Employers’ Association), among others, highlights a special commitment to balancing family and career. This is an issue that Huesecken Wire has been focusing on for some time. Jana Lob and her colleague in the personnel office, Helga Weidemann, call it ‘family friendliness in practice’.
This includes allowing production employees to take parental leave, even if it can be difficult for the company. It also means taking into account the needs of three single fathers who work shifts. But it’s not just about parents with small children. Helga Weidemann has trained as a care coordinator so that she can better support and advise employees with relatives who need care. Flexible working time models, working from home, health promotion – a range of options tailored to each stage of life is available to the approximately 60 employees. ‘We have baby boomers and generations X/Y/Z in the company. Taking different interests and needs into account is our strength,’ the two HR managers are convinced. ‘We try to make a lot of things possible.’
Good teamwork between young and old
The extensive testing facilities in the laboratory ensure that the quality, which has always been a hallmark of Huesecken Wire, is just right. But the employees also contribute to this with their know-how and experience. The older employees are happy to pass this on to the younger generation.
Machine and plant operators, industrial mechanics, mechatronics engineers and materials testers are trained on a regular basis. The team spirit is just right. ‘There is a nice family atmosphere here. Colleagues also have a good understanding of each other and are supportive. They step in when necessary,’ says works council member Jörg Lingnau. And not only during the flood disaster in 2021, when colleagues helped out after work to rescue those whose homes further down the road were also under water.
