No challenge too tough

Last year in December, they were stuck knee-deep in snow. This year in November, they were showcasing a new Varioline at the BrauBeviale. Wolfgang Fechter, Rainer Niedermaier, Peter Dennemarck, Thomas Stadler and Andreas Felske are part of Alban Hutter’s team in Rosenheim. “We always hold our Christmas party at a log cabin near Frasdorf. And after darkness falls we go uphill on snowshoes or touring skis – last year, some of us had forgotten their snowshoes, and had a lot of trouble getting to the cabin,” relates Alban Hutter with a grin. Laden with rucksacks, they battled their laborious way through the deep, fresh snow.

Fighting their way through virgin territory is nothing new for the Rosenheim team in their jobs as well. Since 2008, the team has gradually grown. First of all there was just an idea. “At the drinktec 2009, we then exhibited the first prototype, and this year at the Brau we showcased a Varioline again,” says Alban Hutter. So it’s no wonder the entire team is nervous. “When you’re standing out there and you see lots of competitors and customers walking round the machine, then naturally enough you’re a little tense.”

Following the successful launch of the Varioline, maximised flexibility is now the watchword for the team in Rosenheim. “After all, with every new Varioline, we have to get to grips with a new type of packaging, so rethinks are quite frequent!” No problem for Alban Hutter’s guys. “Over the course of last year, lots of the team became fathers, and they’re used to working under new conditions,” says the Design Department Manager with a grin.

The team is mechatronic in conception – teamwork plays a vital role here for comprehending the complex function of the Varioline. “We help each other out a lot – “mechatronically”, if you like.”

The Christmas party at the log cabin will be held again this year: and here, too, the team from Rosenheim will be careful to come properly equipped for the conditions: “This year, I expect everyone’s going to take the right gear!”