"Offingen was the gateway to the world for me"
#MyStory - Florian Reichhardt tells his BWF Group story
My name is Florian Reichhardt. I am 34 years old and work at BWF Envirotec as a product manager ComPleat® . In 2006, I applied to the BWF Group in Offingen for a dual study programme as an industrial engineer. A lot has happened since then and my history at the BWF Group is varied and exciting. Numerous stays abroad at our international locations and responsible tasks have never made my job boring. And the future at the BWF Group with new products, business areas, locations and colleagues will certainly be interesting. Let's see where the journey takes us. I am curious.
This is my story and my 15 years with BWF Group are just the beginning ...
Offingen - the gateway to the world?
In 2006, I applied to the BWF Group in Offingen for a dual study programme as an industrial engineer. Actually, I always wanted to work in a big city. But in the end, it ended up being the BWF Group in Offingen. From today's perspective, I'm very glad that it became Offingen, because the BWF Group was the "gateway to the world" for me. I didn't realise that the BWF Group was so internationally active.
During my studies, I was allowed to work with colleagues in the USA for three months. I also worked in India for three months after my studies. After that, I was responsible for sales in South America and got to know all the countries in Central and South America and was able to open up new customers and new markets for the BWF Group. Later, I worked in Sattendorf, at our location in Austria, as Managing Director. Thus, I got to know many colleagues and the most diverse cultures through the BWF Group. That's why the BWF Group was and is the right employer for me.
India was a great experience
Among other things, my time in India was a great experience. Here I came into contact with the topic of "caste culture". When I was there after my studies, I was still considered a newcomer to the profession and had the task of checking the location and also asking the managing director questions and demanding reports in the process. This led to some cultural inconsistencies. Culinarily, the country was also an experience. Spicy food is quite normal there. It takes a lot of getting used to and is not easy for every stomach.
How I see the future at BWF Group
It certainly remains exciting at the BWF Group. We are not only growing through new locations, but also with new products. I am currently working on the new BWF Envirotec product ComPleat®. Here we are developing filter media that are specially adapted to the requirements of filter cartridge manufacturers. The BWF Group is always trying to develop new business areas. I am happy to be actively involved in this and I am curious to see where the journey with ComPleat® will take us and what new products there will be in a few years' time.
