Memories of Wilfried Zschalich

Hans Frost, 60, cryogenic valve assembly, at HEROSE since 1984: "Ten years ago I coloured my grey hairs black and shaved off my beard. Terrible. On the next day, my boss incidentally saw me, laughed and then said to me "You are not going to do that again!"

Sabine Helms, 51, head of inside sales, at HEROSE since 1998: "As I started in the test facility back those days, at the beginning he came around on his daily walk and always asked me how I was and if I liked the job. He did that with all new employees. That is why his friendly and interesting manner stays with me in a particular memory."

Matthias Reinhardt, 59, responsible for customer services and the test facility, at HEROSE since 1990: "You could always approach Wilfried Zschalich with all sorts of problems at any time, irrelevant if these were private or business. For example, years ago he promised my daughter Julienne an apprenticeship although we had only discussed it in passing by."

Thorsten Cordes, 51, head of quality management, at HEROSE since 1985: The boss knew everyone by their name. My wife Christa for example, also works here. After getting married now she is naturally also called Cordes. And how did the boss greet her the next morning as they met coincidentally? "Morning Mrs. Cordes."

Guido Schulz, 49, head of purchasing, managing partner and authorised representative, at HEROSE since 1997: "Being an entrepreneur, businessman and person, Wilfried Zschalich was always an absolute role model for me. He could however also be impatient and loud. As he called me to him across the corridor and I said that I will be there in a minute, I became the thundering reply: You come here immediately!"

Volker Maass, 51, sales director, at HEROSE since 2006: "I will never forget how we developed a complete business plan for HEROSE Iberica in Spain on a beer mat in a short time. Others need expensive consultants and pages of strategy documents. Then, by the way, we were sitting in his 'second living room', a Greek restaurant in Norderstedt."

Hans Heinrich Stoffers, 58, machine fitter, at HEROSE since 1978: "As we moved into the extension in 2006, the boss also lent a hand the whole time and did not hesitate to align the workbench precisely to the millimetre. The frequent barbeques were also great when the turnover was reached again."

Andreas Gabriel, 54, dispatch, at HEROSE since 1986: "A sign was hanging in the valve assembly, 'No Smoking'. The boss still had a smoke though ..."

Manfred Neels, 54, supervisor in quality assurance, at HEROSE since 1983: "In the time that we were not doing very well in the 1990´s and HEROSE was forced to save money, Wilfried Zschalich suggested to us that we should grind a 15 mm spanner to a 17 mm one. Clever idea – and we have spent a few Mark less."

Mike Grimsehl, 40, production manager in mechanical production, at HEROSE since 1998: "Being in the workers' council, I have also experienced the boss as somebody where the individual employee was just as important as the company. Although the company was not doing very well in the meantime, no colleague was dismissed over the past 20 years due to economic circumstances."

Franco Zanetti, 80, long-standing friend and owner of the company Valvomec and supplier for red brass fittings from Northern Italy since 30 years: "As Wilfried Zschalich gave me his business card after our first meeting and I read his name Zschalich, I had to laugh and said: being an Italian, I will never be able to pronounce that – with seven consonants and only two vocals. But in the course of time I did manage learn how to pronounce it. Wilfried was always a tough negotiator. But during a good beer, we always found a good compromise."

Keith Stewart, 65, managing director HEROSE Limited and affiliated with the company since 1997: "Where many had already backed out long ago, Wilfried Zschalich always had the courage to face the business challenges, as he saw HEROSE growing to one of the most important suppliers in the global gas industry. "I raise my glass in his commemoration!"