60 years Freek

Sons thank father for much confidence

Wilhelm Kaiser initiated change of generations on time / Celebration with many international guests

(from Michael Koch; WP)

_{Freek's staff joined the party of the 60th anniversary yesterday evening. WP-photo: private}

Menden. Father and sons look back to a history of success: When 60 years existence of Freek has been appreciated yesterday evening, a successful transfer from one generation to the other could be celebrated as well.

_{Wolfgang (l.) and Stefan Kaiser (r.) yesterday thanked their father Wilhelm with emotional words. WP-photo: Frank Saul}

Senior Wilhelm Kaiser briefly had to fight tears. Visibly emotional he became by the words of his sons: "Dear Willi, you are and always will be our example." Both sons, today managing directors of the company, appreciated their father especially as he gave them freedom to reorganise the company which produces and deals with electric heating elements for the industry and household appliances: "You let us go ways which have been completely different from yours. Ways which have been right for our times, as your ways had been right for your times."

It has not been easy to hand over the management of the company in 2000, Kaiser says, as: "It has been a stressful, but good time." And, above all, a moving time: 1950 Friedr. Freek had been founded as a producer of electrical resistances. 1970 the era of Wilhelm Kaiser began.

Then the company Märkische Metallwerke has been majority shareholder and main customer. When the mother company went bankrupt, Wilhelm Kaiser seized the chance and freed Freek from the maelstrom of insolvency by clever negotiations with banks and major customers such as Bauknecht and made it independent again.

_{A view back into the pioneer years: Wilhelm Kaiser and his staff in 1984. WP-photo: private}

A time when the company often had priority, as Kaiser admitted yesterday: "I used the holiday in Sweden to visit business partners." The sons certified their father ambition, diligence and discipline.

Wilhelm Kaiser also thought of the change of generations, first called son Wolfgang (Graduate diploma in Business Administration) and then son Stefan (Graduate diploma in Mechanical Engineering) into the company. The two of them realigned the company.

Today the company has 55 employees and reports a turnover of 9 million Euros. It has manifold business connections all over the world. This became clear during the ceremony yesterday evening, as also the new company film received its premiere: representatives of the customer Mastip travelled half around the world from New Zealand, Akar Teknik journeyed from Turkey to Germany and the customer Otto Hofstetter from Switzerland.

Mayor Volker Fleige praised Freek as well: During a visit he noticed how much value Freek sets on apprenticeships and how good the working atmosphere is. He also praised the cooperation with the Ruhr-University in Bochum.

Source: Westfalenpost » www.derwesten.de

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