Bonding - More than materials | Herrmann Ultraschall

HUNTER QUALITIES In this, he also sees himself in his son. And in terms of passion. “Without pas- sion, you don’t have patience,” says Thomas Herrmann knowingly. These qualities are equally required in hunting. Walter and Thomas Herrmann find their opportunity to switch off on the hide in the forest or in the mountains. “The batteries recharge, the body regener- ates, when I spend a few days in the mountains,” says Walter Herrmann. He says that the best ideas for the tech- nical developments have come to him during his forays through nature. Thomas Herrmann experiences a certain sense of awe in nature. “I am brought back into perspective again as a human in the greater order of things, because whatever humankind has developed, we cannot create a tree – a tree can only grow. Spending time hunting also allows me to do some very good soul-searching and I can think about many things much better than at my desk at the company.” Today, he wears a suit and tie at work – not always, but often. When he was younger, the rooms and halls in Descostraße were his playground. Thomas Herrmann grew up with and at Herrmann Ultraschall. “We moved to the location in Karlsbad in 1973. There was this large crane runway in the hall,” he remembers. “I was a young lad, maybe twelve years old, and someone showed me how to move the crane. You could hang a rope on the hook; I got in and rode through the hall.” Going further back, he remem- bers the first location, which at the time was still in Langensteinbach. Herrmann Ultraschall still had its laboratory and everything that went with it in an old barracks. “Behind it was a meadow, beside it were the garbage containers, waste paper. The paper scraps from the shredder went in there and huge quantities of wood wool from the pack- aging. That was a great place for me, as an 8-year-old, to play.” THE FIRST POCKET MONEY At age 13, the junior joined the family business. “He came to me and said he “MY WIFE SAYS I AM HEADSTRONG, COMMITTED, AND FULL OF DRIVE.” needed money. So he received a time card and earned his pocket money,” says Walter Herrmann, looking back. The foundation stone for the future? Perhaps. “I told my children they could do what they wanted. Thomas could have become an actor or a priest, and he really is a very talented actor,” says the founder of today’s technological leader in ultrasonic welding. It was his own decision to study mechanical engineering; he did not have to do it out of love for his father. “Mechanical engineering interested me; to under- stand a bit what my father invented. However, my specialty is in sales.” LET THEM DO THINGS THEIR WAY AND GATHER EXPERIENCE A generation change was taking place, as Walter Herrmann knows. He has “actually never” asked for help. “They already do it right. ‘All roads lead to Rome,’ they say; so, I do not intervene. That is the worst thing you could do,” explains Walter Herrmann. “Although they do some things differ- ently to me: Just let them do it!” The senior boss is still active in the advisory board and in the strategy meetings. The wealth of experience that he can contribute is great and invaluable, even though he has long since been in retirement. “I have taken a step back from the operational business; but the technology is so fascinating,” he says with a sparkle in his eyes. “From time to time, I can be of some help, as I can contribute my expertise.” THE OBJECTIVE: QUALITY OF LIFE In this way, even in his retirement he continues to help the company achieve success, for with success comes qual- ity of life as well, he says. According to Walter Herrmann, quality of life comes with being content. “I had lean years. Times were hard at the beginning and I was as poor as a church mouse. But I was always content, because I had set the bar where I could reach it.” Thomas Herrmann learned from his father that the most important thing is quality of life. “It all depends on how you define it for yourself, not just on success or earnings. “I HAVE OFTEN HEARD IT SAID THAT I WANT IT ALL AT ONCE.”