Der Geschäftsführende Gesellschafter von LAUDA, Dr. Gunther Wobser (rechts), mit dem Bürgermeister der Stadt Lauda-Königshofen, Dr. Lukas Braun, beim Spatenstich am Stammsitz von LAUDA. © Robert Horn/LAUDA
LAUDA is building a new parking lot with a photovoltaic system
The further expansion of the LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG company premises at the Lauda-Königshofen site was launched with an official groundbreaking ceremony. 180 new parking spaces are being built for the rapidly growing team of LAUDA employees. The parking spaces are being built directly on the company premises and will be canopied with a modern photovoltaic system to maximize use of the site. In addition to the LAUDA management and Works Council Chairman Elmar Mohr, the mayor of the city of Lauda-Königshofen, Dr. Lukas Braun, and representatives of property developer Faul + Bethäuser and Sparkasse Tauberfranken also attended the groundbreaking ceremony on February 16. President, CEO and advisory board member Dr. Gerhard Wobser also took part in the groundbreaking ceremony held to mark the start of the construction work.
The new parking lot is not only intended to provide parking for the growing number of employees that have joined the company over the past year: President & CEO, Dr. Gunther Wobser, explained in his speech "It's not just about providing parking for cars, it's about sustainability, the careful use of resources, and our responsibility as a company." LAUDA has set itself and its employees the task of making an important contribution to environmental protection as a company. In addition to the installation of a roof-mounted photovoltaic system and charging infrastructure for electric cars that can also be used by the public, the family business was one of the first companies in Germany to make the company car fleet accessible to the public with a car sharing solution. Covering the parking lot with a photovoltaic system is another logical step in helping the company achieve its ambitious goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2030. Furthermore, the family business will also soon have its own bus stop.
The construction project will create another 90 parking spaces, doubling the capacity of the previous site in the west to a total of 180. 100 of these parking spaces will be covered. Scheduled to start up by September 2023, the photovoltaic system installed on the canopies above the parking spaces will generate 350 kWp of power, thereby covering around 30 percent of LAUDA's electricity requirements. The global market leader is investing around another 1.2 million euro in this expansion project.
The mayor of Lauda-Königshofen, Dr. Lukas Braun, paid tribute to the growth strategy of the global market leader: "The structural expansion of the Lauda-Königshofen site is a clear demonstration of the company's commitment to the region." According to Dr. Lukas Braun, the construction of the parking lot can also be seen as a sign of further growth. Plans to expand the site further north toward Distelhausen are already in the pipeline.
LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG, © Behrendt und Rausch
LAUDA achieves record turnover
LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG closed 2022 with record turnover. With a consolidated group turnover of around EUR 121 million, the global market leader exceeded the original target of EUR 120 million by EUR 1 million, and for the first time in it's history, was able to announce a turnover of more than EUR 100 million. In addition, the LAUDA Group also closed the month of December with a record turnover of around EUR 15.56 million. This record is the result of the comprehensive Drive250 strategy project, which LAUDA has been pushing forward for a year now. The family-owned company has set itself ambitious growth targets with a new structure, future-oriented investments and process optimizations: By 2026, the number of LAUDA employees is set to almost double internationally, from 530 at present to over 1,000. Turnover is expected to increase from the current level of around 120 million euro to 250 million euro in the five-year period under consideration. The 2022 record clearly shows that the strategy of the global market leader is working and that everything is going according to plan in terms of content. This is particularly remarkable given the geopolitical and socio-political backdrop of the previous year.
"We have made amazing progress since the implementation of our Drive250 strategy project," explains President & CEO of LAUDA, Dr. Gunther Wobser. "As a result, we hired almost 60 new employees in 2022." In spite of a year full of unpredictability, the company managed to stay on course. "2022 was extraordinary in every respect and was extremely demanding for everyone at LAUDA. It was characterized by large volumes of incoming orders, material shortages and bottlenecks." Nevertheless, LAUDA was still able to pursue its ambitious goals. The success of the company is also down to the performance of its employees: "I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this outstanding result and I am sure that we will achieve our goals together again this year," concludes Dr. Gunther Wobser.
V. l. n. r.: Der Geschäftsführende Gesellschafter von LAUDA, Dr. Gunther Wobser, Bürgermeisterin von Burgwedel, Frau Ortrud Wendt, Geschäftsführer von LAUDA, Dr. Mario Englert © LAUDA
LAUDA – Global market leader for precision temperature equipment celebrates successful production in branch office
The groundbreaking strategy project Drive250 by LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH CO. KG based in Baden-Württemberg continues to move forward at full speed. LAUDA's Drive250 project is setting the course for the future, which is also proving important for the town of Burgwedel in the Hanover region, where the global market leader for precision temperature equipment has a branch office. LAUDA used the "Drive250 Stopover" get-together format to bring together employees from both locations to celebrate what has been achieved so far, share information about the current progress of the processes, and examine common objectives. For this reason, President & CEO, Dr. Gunther Wobser, traveled to Burgwedel with his colleague, CFO, Dr. Mario Englert. The mayor of Burgwedel, Ms. Ortrud Wendt, was the guest of honor: "My goal is to maintain a close relationship with the companies based here at the industrial location of Burgwedel, and provide a local connection to the city administration. This is why I was particularly happy to accept the invitation from the LAUDA management to visit the company in Grossburgwedel. In discussions with President & CEO, Dr. Gunther Wobser, and CFO, Dr. Mario Englert, we exchanged views on ways of promoting the mobility revolution and the use of renewable energy, among other things. It's a good thing that LAUDA is here and I hope that the company will remain at this location for many years to come."
The former laboratory specialist GFL officially became part of the LAUDA Group at the beginning of 2019, and LAUDA Burgwedel was fully integrated in its parent company in 2022. The family-owned company is setting itself ambitious growth targets with a new structure, future-oriented investments and process optimizations. In this regard, new employees will be recruited and a large number of jobs created both at the headquarters in Lauda-Königshofen and Burgwedel, as well as other international locations – the number of LAUDA employees worldwide is planned to almost double by 2026, from 580 at present to over 1,000. Turnover is expected to increase from the current level of around 120 million euro to 250 million euro in the five-year period under consideration. To this end, the company is investing an amount well into the double figure millions for expansion of the production and logistics, but also for administration, IT and digitalization. The intensification of the business development in the area of future technologies such as hydrogen will also play an important role.
At the event, the management also drew a positive conclusion of the Drive250 strategy project, which was launched at LAUDA in the first quarter of 2022. In his speech, Dr. Gunther Wobser dubbed the past year as a "year of growing together". In addition to mutual visits between Burgwedel and Lauda-Königshofen, working groups were defined to systematically address the individual areas, processes and challenges. Here, the main focus was placed on mutual understanding and support, generating profits together, and improving productivity and performance. Consequently, sales were stabilized, the introduction of the LAUDA ERP system started, and the hardware and software equipment at location was upgraded. The hurdles for NRTL approval of the LAUDA Versafreeze deep-freezers have also been overcome, making it possible to start sales in the USA. Turnover was 10 percent higher than in the previous year, while the overall profit at the Burgwedel site was 80,000 euro. "Drive250 was a huge success last year, which we all worked on together, and I'm very happy to be able to start off the new year in this way," said Dr. Gunther Wobser.
LAUDA Carsharing-Initiator Dr. Gunther Wobser (links) und Dr. Mario Englert © Jürgen Besserer
How the world market leader is addressing the issue of sus-tainability with its fleet of company cars
After around one and a half years of intensive work and development, the LAUDA Carsharing Service is now live and can also be used by external members of the public. LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG, the world leader in precise temperature control, is therefore playing a pioneering role in the region and making its entire fleet of company cars available to the public depending on availability. Following the initial idea of the President & CEO, Dr. Gunther Wobser, who initiated the project after the first important discussions and played a significant role in driving it forward, the LAUDA Carsharing Team headed by his Managing Director colleague Dr. Mario Englert has been working continuously on its implementation over the past few months.
For the company, sustainability means scrutinising and questioning every action and every process: What could be improved, what adjustments could be made? Smaller projects or changes can sometimes add up to make a big difference. For a family-owned company like LAUDA, the passing on of values and the prudent use of raw materials naturally play a significant role: "Our innovative constant temperature equipment and systems save a great deal of energy every day and are extremely durable. As a company, we have been certified to the ISO 14001 environmental management system since 2022. As a model company, we aim to be completely climate-neutral as early as 2030", says Dr. Gunther Wobser. “In addition to the economical use of resources, existing equipment must be used in the best way possible. So I had the idea of making our high-quality company cars, which just stand around on the premises in the evenings and at weekends, available to the general public as our city's first carsharing service. We implemented the idea together with my colleague Dr. Englert and a motivated team, and are now going live."
Using the carsharing service is simple: Everything is done via smartphone after downloading the evemo app. This allows you to rent, unlock, lock and return the car. Customers are registered and cars booked via this link or QR code: https://lauda.evemo.app/login
Karlheinz Wobser, langjähriger Geschäftsführender Gesellschafter von LAUDA (Foto © LAUDA)
Karlheinz Wobser, long-standing Managing Director of LAUDA, passed away on December 9, 2022.
Lauda-Königshofen, December 15, 2022 – In the late evening hours of December 9th, well-known Lauda-Königshöfen entrepreneur Karlheinz Wobser passed away at the Caritas Hospital in Bad Mergentheim at the age of 87. Since the founding of the first measuring instrument factory of LAUDA Dr. R. Wobser KG by his father Dr. Rudolf Wobser, Karlheinz Wobser was the first employee to play a decisive role in establishing and rapidly developing the then young company from the ground up. His profound knowledge of refrigeration technology laid the foundation for the company’s rise to its current position as global market leader. He was an authorized signatory and Technical Director until the death of the company founder in 1977, after which he and his brother Dr. Gerhard Wobser assumed the role of general partners when the company transitioned to a GmbH & Co. KG. Karlheinz Wobser was particularly interested in the innovation of refrigeration systems and improvement of production processes as well as the modernization and expansion of factory facilities. After 46 years of dedicated and successful work for LAUDA, Karlheinz Wobser retired at the end of 2002 at the age of 66.
Born on June 28, 1936, as the first child of Dr. Rudolf and Dorothea Wobser in Dresden, in 1942 he began attending school about 20 kilometers away in Medingen, where his father was given the responsibility of setting up an engineering department in the original chemical company Gebrüder Haake. After finishing elementary and high school in Dresden, he graduated in 1954 and began studying mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Dresden in the fall, specializing in precision mechanics.
Due to the increasing political pressure in the GDR, his parents made the decision to flee to West Berlin in August 1955. Soon after, the family found accommodation in Schwenningen am Neckar, where they stayed for a short time. Karlheinz Wobser worked as a mechanic in the Wigo factory in Schwenningen until March 1956, whereas the rest of the family had moved to Burlafingen near Neu-Ulm in the meantime. During this time, his father was on a nationwide search for investors and had found a site and potential customers for his own company and met with interest from the city government of Lauda as well as factory owners Erich Widmann and Paul Hagspiel. The measuring instrument factory of LAUDA DR R. Wobser KG was founded on March 1, 1956, and Karlheinz Wobser was the first employee.
For reasons unknown, his admission procedure into the Federal Republic of Germany initially failed and he risked being deported back to the GDR. Fortunately, a few years later he was granted West German citizenship and therefore also received an ID card. The foregoing uncertainties were a major reason why Wobser was not able to resume his studies. However, as one of the original employees, he had also become indispensable in the development of the young company. He attended many courses to learn the theoretical and practical fundamentals of refrigeration technology and developed the first low-temperature thermostats with his father. In doing so, he paved the way for LAUDA's subsequent rise to its current position as global market leader in the industry.
Karlheinz Wobser met his future wife, Gudrun Schüssler from Tauberbischofsheim, in January 1957, and the couple then married in October 1961. They had three children, Andrea (1962), Gabriele (1963) and Ulrike (1964). All three daughters now have their own families and grown children. In addition, two of his daughters still work at the company today. At the beginning of the 1960s, the young company enjoyed a steady upward trend with a newly developed, revolutionary program. More and more employees were hired, and the company went through one construction phase after the other. Karlheinz Wobser played an important part in this as Technical Director and authorized signatory. When the company founder, Dr. Rudolf Wobser, died on 17 June, 1977 at the age of only 66 after a short serious illness, his two sons, Karlheinz Wobser and Dr. Gerhard Wobser, became general partners and later Managing Directors when the company was refounded into a GmbH & Co. KG.
Karlheinz Wobser was particularly interested in the innovation of refrigeration systems and the improvement of production processes as well as the modernization and expansion of factory facilities. After 46 years of dedicated and successful work for LAUDA, he retired at the end of 2002 at the age of 66. Even after leaving, he showed great interest in the company's further development and attended events organized by the LAUDA Seniors Club. He was presented with the Staufer Medal of the State of Baden-Württemberg in 2006 and the Dr. Rudolf Wobser Medal in 2016 in recognition of his outstanding services to the company and society.
Apart from his work and family, numerous honorary activities have shaped the life of Karlheinz Wobser. He was member of the executive committee of the Sparkasse Tauberfranken bank from 1985 to 2008, a lay commercial judge of the Chamber for Commercial Affairs at Mosbach Regional Court from 1996 to 2004, and a member of the Representatives' Assembly of the AOK health insurance provider for many years. He was also a member of several clubs and had done a great deal for the Lauda tennis club and the Bauland aviation sports club as a long-standing committee member. In addition to flying, his hobbies included playing music on the accordion and keyboard as well as tending his garden. In his later years, he enjoyed playing golf and embarking on river cruises. Unfortunately, worsening health problems prevented him from taking part in these activities to an increasing extent. Nevertheless, he was able to celebrate his 85th birthday with family and many friends in June 2021 as well as his diamond wedding anniversary in October 2021 after 60 years of marriage with his wife Gudrun. In May of this year, he suffered a femoral neck fracture from which it took him a long time to recover. Weakened and struggling with worsening kidney problems, he was hospitalized multiple times and finally passed away on December 9 in the presence of his mourning family. A dedicated entrepreneur and citizen of the city of Lauda-Königshofen is no longer with us.
