BORA Magazin – Englisch

EXPERIENCE INTERVIEW

EXPERIENCE INTERVIEW “We can, should and must rethink the status quo.” hat maes so different from other companies? We don’t have a corporate structure. We are streamlined, flexible and deft. We allow ourselves the luxury of thinking differently and are always on guard against tunnel vision. To be forward-looking, you need to be open-minded and curious, to question the current state of affairs. Our aim is to remain one step ahead. Our brand has developed a very strong drawing power, which has helped us to enjoy healthy growth. Incidentally, our name is not just a made-up word, but was chosen deliberately to point the way ahead for us: BORA is the strongest katabatic wind on Earth. What motivates you? That’s simple – my goal is to make life in the kitchen more attractive. The kitchen is undoubtedly the most important room in the house. It’s where we live from morning to evening, where we have breakfast, where our children do their homework. It’s where families and friends come together to eat, celebrate, chat, argue and laugh. I’m endeavouring to create a special design for this room. This also involves creating a certain ambiance. I strive for perfection and try to set a good example to our employees. That’s really important to me: we can, should and must rethink the status quo, even though this may be inconvenient at times. That’s why our Research & Development department works meticulously on innovations day in day out. Progress, top quality, design and sustainability are our watchwords. We don’t make any compromises. We pay scrupulous attention to detail to achieve maximum effectiveness. Is that something like a mission? I’d say it’s more of a driving force. We want to think outside the box, rethink things and turn things upside down. In plain terms: extractor hoods are unnecessary. Why should anyone want something that is simply annoying? We have come up with a simple solution that we offer to discerning customers. The past 10 years since the company was founded can’t have been boring for you. After all, you’re the brains and heart behind BORA. Do you have a way of relaxing that re-energises you? Yes, absolutely. I’ve been passionate about cycling for many years! Getting out on my road bike – and I take time out for this regularly helps me switch off and recharge my batteries. Sport and healthy eating are important to me, generally speaking, and this is something I also pass on to my employees. For example, during trade fairs we go for runs together, and the employees cook together once a week. I’m happy to foot the bill if the food is healthy, good quality and sourced locally whenever possible. To this end, we’ve adopted the nutrition plan of our BORA - hansgrohe WorldTeam. While it may sound rather unwieldy, it is actually tasty, light and creative food. After all, good food is easy to prepare! And this is well received by your employees? You bet! They are really enthusiastic about the offer. f you work really hard, you should and must allow yourself some respite. I’m delighted that we’ve struck the right chord with this. When I visit the company, I notice that there’s a special spirit, a special dynamic. The people who work for us live and breathe for BORA. That makes me proud. 50 BORA MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE o o aso coo with or staff Of course. When I’m in the company and have enough time, it’s a great pleasure to do so. I’m a pretty good cook. Your employees are very important to you... Yes, very. Our success depends much more on my employees than me. I just want to act as moderator. I am incredibly proud of the dedication and passion displayed in our departments each day. To name just one example: when an employee has an idea that ends up becoming a patent, it says volumes about his quality. That makes me happy, especially when the idea doesn’t come from me. And when I cook with the teams, it helps me keep in touch with them and this is often the way we gain fresh momentum, on both sides. Does your commitment to the BORA – hansgrohe cycling team stem from your love of cycling? (Laughs). Yes, I guess it has something to do with it. But it’s actually about much more than that. We combine things that belong together: sport, health, openness to the world, team spirit, ambition and energy. These factors are all part of BORA’s DNA, and that makes the circle complete. You wouldn’t believe how many people we’ve encouraged to get involved in cycling throughout the world thanks to our commitment. The guys in our cycling team are also somehow part of the BORA family. They create a huge amount of impetus that spills over to our employees and retail partners. This passion is simply contagious; you have to experience it for yourself. “We want to remain one step ahead.” Alone, it wouldn’t be possible. What would you like to achieve with the team? Our commitment naturally also has a strategic element. t raises our profile at an extremely attractive price/performance ratio. Sponsoring a cycle team is inexpensive yet highly effective. That benefits us all at BORA. In addition to the employees in Raubling and Niederndorf, many other people work with and for BORA throughout the world. That’s right, because we grew incredibly quickly. Today, we’re no longer regarded as an ‘insider tip’ among cooking enthusiasts and design buffs. We now have a presence in over 40 countries. We have over 5,000 retail partners worldwide – these are key linchpins for us. We want to provide them with the best possible training, support and information so that they can guarantee customer satisfaction, expert advice and optimum service. What comes next? What products are in the pipeline? We think in all directions, that’s our guiding principle. But we remain concentrated and focused on what we do best, i.e. cooktop extractors. We put all of our efforts, curiosity and skills into developing and enhancing these systems. We have managed to turn a niche into a market. And we want to be and remain the best and most innovative provider in this market. We see ourselves as original. Thank you, Mr Bruckbauer, for this interview. BORA MAGAZINE 51