People who spend a lot of time on their feet, need time to put their feet up and rest…

With this in mind, management has moved to deal with a problem raised by several members of staff. Many employees who have to carry out their work standing have expressed a desire for somewhere comfortable to sit down during breaks. Management has listened to these concerns and taken them on board. All locations have now received a comfortable lounge area for employees to use. This unexpected surprise has been very well received by employees, as can be easily seen in the photos.

Sorry you are leaving…

The end of last year also heralded the end of a 15-year era at Ätztechnik Herz. CEO Steffen Herz had to say goodbye to Harald Müller-Josten, a long-standing production manager and driver of innovation within the company, as he begins his well-deserved retirement. Mr Müller-Josten was an internal and external contact for many years for discussing all things technically possible – and sometimes things that seemed impossible – regarding production using etching technology. His focus was always aimed at taking on board the challenges of customer requirements and, whenever possible, also implementing them. His innovative ability considerably influenced developments at Ätztechnik Herz over the past years. Mr Herz extended his thanks on behalf of all colleagues to Mr Müller-Josten for this special dedication in particular. On Mr Müller-Josten’s request, the executive board had already agreed, in these coronavirus times, to say their goodbyes outside and in a socially distanced manner, so that all staff could also be present. The staff, many of whom have worked together for a long time, used the opportunity, despite the wintery temperatures, to say their goodbyes and of course, give some leaving gifts to Mr Müller-Josten.

We would like to wish Mr Müller-Josten all the best for the new chapter in his life. We hope he enjoys many relaxing cycling and walking tours and that now and again when he is sitting with a good glass of sun-kissed wine in his hand in his native Baden, he will look back fondly on good times as part of the Herz team.

Update from our environmental projects

We use drying equipment with heat pump technology for drying our production waste. This has recently been supported by an approx. 30 KW photovoltaic system. This measure allows us to reduce our external procurement of electricity by 50%. Furthermore, the waste heat that is generated by the drying equipment will be used to heat our warehouse from 2022 onwards, thereby replacing an old oil-fired heating system. This will help us to improve our CO2 balance even further.

We have always striven to achieve ambitious goals in environmental protection. We have been working on further reducing our ecological footprint for many years. In doing so, we have placed a special focus on climate protection, recycling management and the careful use of water as a resource. We are not only a role model in the field of etching technology, we have also been setting an example in environmental protection for quite some time.

We would like to say thank you!

At the end of May, we had the honour of saying goodbye to our long-time employee and valued colleague Mrs. Schwenk on the occasion of her retirement. Due to the current pandemic, the official farewell could only take place on a very small scale and in compliance with the applicable hygiene regulations. Nevertheless, it was important to everyone involved not to let Mrs. Schwenk leave without saying a few personal words to her.  In addition to expressing our appreciation, management presented her with a book to browse through at her leisure and a bouquet of flowers. Everyone agreed that Mrs. Schwenk was also the heart and soul of the company! She was always friendly and in a good mood and demonstrated this regularly while she was organizing and running our reception desk. She was also therefore the first point of contact for all our visitors who really appreciated her cheerfulness and good humour.

Our employees also wanted to make sure that they could say goodbye to Mrs. Schwenk and of course they did not want to send her off empty-handed.  They combined their contributions to buy her a garden lounger which they had appropriately personalised. In addition, they presented her with a custom-made engraved table with a wine glass holder. They rounded off their gift with a greeting card containing a personally- dedicated poem and numerous signatures from all her colleagues.

We wish Mrs. Schwenk all the very best for the upcoming chapter of her life, many relaxing hours in the company of her family and hope that while enjoying a nice glass of wine, she will occasionally look back on the good times she spent with her Herz team.

Mobility concept for health and environment at Ätztechnik Herz: Already 11 Herz employees sustainably on the road with the JobRad.

Company bike leasing is booming! Same at Ätztechnik Herz in Epfendorf. More and more employees are taking advantage of the attractive mobility offer for business and private purposes.

Since 2020, Ätztechnik Herz has already enabled its employees to use high-quality leased bicycles at attractive conditions with JobRad as a partner. Already 11 colleagues decided for a JobRad and are thus sustainably mobile. “We are very pleased that so many employees have already hopped on a company bike and are thus making a contribution to protecting nature and the environment,” says Managing Director Steffen Herz. “We are convinced that a bike offered by the company belongs in the benefit portfolio of modern employers. JobRad helps to stay one bike length ahead in the competition for skilled workers.”

The attractive mobility offer also helps employees stay fit. “People who regularly ride bicycles or e-bikes are more relaxed and have been shown to be less ill,” adds Steffen Herz.

And it’s so easy to get a new bike.

Our colleagues choose their dream bike at the local bike shop or online. All manufacturers and brands are possible. We then lease the desired company bike and let the employee use it freely. In return, the company retains a small portion of the employee’s monthly gross salary and uses it to service the lease payment. The JobRad is insured and may also be used during free time. This gives the employee a non-cash benefit that is taxed monthly at only 0.25 percent. Thanks to salary conversion and tax incentives, the employee saves up to 40 percent compared to a conventional purchase.

So it’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Visit by a film crew

A film crew has been shadowing us for the last few days. They dropped by to shoot some footage for a new image film that we plan to release in the coming weeks. The team of six under director Kevin Kummer spent one day filming great sequences of our daily production routines and another one out in the forest. Why in the forest, you might ask? Get ready for a few surprises …

Introducing our sponsored wrestler, Sandra Paruszewski

As an SME, we also take responsibility for our society and region. Which is why we’ve been intensively funding projects and individuals for several years in order to financially support their extraordinary achievements and dedication. Since 2019, we’ve been sponsoring Sandra Paruszewski, a sportswoman who is making a name for herself in one of the oldest Olympic disciplines. We’re delighted to be assisting her on her arduous journey to the Olympic Games. Here, she tells us about her passion for wrestling and her partnership with our company:

Hi

My name is Sandra Paruszewski and I’m a member of AV Sulgen wrestling club and the German national team. During my career, I’ve qualified for five European and four world championships. But my overriding ambition is to take part in the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

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A heart for humans – not just an empty phrase at Ätztechnik Herz

Besides many other commitments in social projects we are also a sponsor of the initiative “help young people” of WorldSkills Germany e.V.

The initiative has set itself the goal of informing young people about their career opportunities and helps them to recognise their strengths and also to promote them. The work of the initiative can also raise awareness of regional, dual education in order to bring together young skilled workers and committed companies in the area of promoting young talent.

A special focus is also on the idea of inclusion. People with disabilities are motivated to participate in career orientation competitions or training courses in order to better recognize their strengths. This can increase their chances of being recognized by employers as competent employees. We gladly support such a commitment to the future of our society!

Advanced Engineering Birmingham, Blechexpo Stuttgart, Productronica Munich

This year, Ätztechnik Herz was once again represented at several trade fairs from late October to early November. Within a period of just 17 days, the company presented itself and its etching technologies to visitors at three different trade fairs, thereby further increasing its profile. Existing business relationships were also nurtured, and new contacts made.

While Blechexpo in Stuttgart and Productronica in Munich are now hard to imagine without the

presence of Ätztechnik Herz, it was the company’s first time at the Advanced Engineering exhibition  in Birmingham (England), the UK’s largest trade fair for advanced manufacturing. At this event, new impressions were gained and ideas gathered for our own business.

Ätztechnik Herz would like to thank everyone for the huge amount of interest and many discussions at each of its trade fair appearances and looks forward to being represented again next year at a number of specialist fairs.

Advanced Engineering 2019 Gothenburg – Successful new fair

Networking yourself and keeping up to date on the latest options is still today an important task for engineers and developers, so they can come up with the solutions to meet the ever growing demands made of them. At the Advanced Engineering fair in Gothenburg, visitors have the opportunity to get up to speed with the latest technology and production methods. Thanks to our staff in Scandinavia, we were able to take part in this fair too as an exhibitor, and so throw some light for the fair visitors on the technological options available for etching. Many attendees seized the opportunity to find out all about the etching process and the numerous ways it can be applied. Our colleague Lars Bille also greeted regular customers at the stand, filling them in on the latest news about the Herz company and its involvement in Scandinavia. So this was an all-round successful debut for us at this fair.