Horst Groninger turned 80 yesterday, Wednesday 20 March 2019. 39 years ago, the jubilarian founded Groninger GmbH & Co. KG in Crailsheim 39 years ago.
Horst Groninger was born in Langenburg in 1939. He started his own business in April 1980 at the age of 41 with just a few employees. Even then, Crailsheim was the company headquarters. The Groninger GmbH & Co. KG, a manufacturer of filling and closing machines for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and consumer healthcare industries, has become a „hidden champion“ under the aegis of its founder, according to a statement on Groninger's birthday.
Traditional virtues are very popular
As to what drives him, the company quotes him as saying: „I wanted to realise my own ideas. I wanted to work with people who wanted to make a difference. As a boss, I wanted to treat my employees with respect.“
„People are at the centre of everything we do.“
Horst Groninger
At Groninger, emphasis is placed on upholding traditional virtues such as mutual respect, trust, tolerance and attentiveness, Horst Groninger explains: „We are a Family business. We see it as our task, even our duty, to set a good example here.“
Successful handover to the next generation
Groninger GmbH & Co. KG is now managed in the second generation by sons Jens and Volker Groninger. 1,300 employees work at the three sites in Crailsheim, Schnelldorf and Charlotte in the USA. According to the company, business is going well. The Incoming orders had risen by eleven per cent within a year, and service had even increased by 19 per cent.
The senior boss is satisfied with his successors from his own family. They have opened up the company to modern developments: „Today, we deal with topics such as Digitalisation, robotics or Industry 4.0. That was unthinkable in the past. The requirements for successfully managing a company today have changed dramatically.“
