Craftsmanship on the rise: arduous successes despite times of crisis!

Craftsmanship on the rise: arduous successes despite times of crisis!

In times when many companies are struggling with challenges, there are encouraging examples of entrepreneurs who are breaking new ground with creativity and commitment. One such success story comes from Norman Dittmann, who opened a car workshop in Neuruppin two years ago. Although this facility was created during a wave of increasing corporate bankruptcies, Dittmann is passionately involved in the workshop with a team of four employees. He emphasizes that it is important to work with “dirty hands”. The satisfied customer, whose Mercedes got a new transmission there, speaks for the quality of the work done there. ZDF.reportage shows that people are taking active action here instead of waiting.

In Munich, three fathers also left their professional positions behind to set up a cheese factory. Dairy master Franz Stuffer reports enthusiastically about the high demand for the products at the Viktualienmarkt. It's not an easy path because making cheese requires a lot of dedication, even on weekends. But the response from customers rewards their hard work.

The future of working time

Another example that concerns the realignment in the world of work is the Schliess- undsicherung-GmbH in Mühlhausen. The company receives large orders from the USA, which ensure safe operations with 200 jobs in Thuringia despite customs duties borne by the American client. This shows that even in the current economic world, orders and businesses can grow if the right decisions are made.

More and more companies are relying on new working time models, including the four-day week. Wenzel Messtechnik GmbH in Spessart introduced this model three years ago and recorded a noticeable improvement in productivity and mood among employees. The fitters now work nine hours a day to implement the new work structure.

Another example comes from Nersingen in Central Swabia, where Gabi Christ's car workshop has switched to a four-day week. The employees now enjoy full wage compensation with a 32-hour week, which gives the family more time for themselves. André Monteiro, a foreman in the workshop, highlights the positive aspects of the new arrangement, but Christ also notes a slight decrease in sales and the need to remain productive during the four days. Experts like Horst Ott from IG Metall see the four-day week as the key to attractiveness in attracting skilled workers, while others, like Matthias Bechtold, view this with skepticism in order not to endanger competitiveness. BR further reports on a study by the University of Münster that examines the topic of efficiency and stress when switching to the four-day week.

In conclusion, it can be said that in a rapidly changing working world, creative approaches and the willingness to change remain extremely important. The region shows that it is possible to create new things and be successful even in times of crisis. Halving the working week could be the key to happier employees and good business, although it remains to be seen how these concepts will develop in practice.