I grew up just one and a half kilometres from the paper mill in Kriebstein (DE) in the small village of Höfchen. That had an impact on me in two ways – I’ve really treasured the nature here since I was a child, and the paper mill’s been my professional home for 34 years.

After leaving school I wanted to study hydraulic engineering but changed to paper technology, which, as I now know, was a good decision. Following my degree course in Dresden I joined VEB Papierfabrik Kriebstein as a technologist in 1990 – that same year the company had been newly founded as Kübler & Niethammer Papierfabrik Kriebstein AG after being acquired again by the Niethammer family.

That company also started working with WEPA in 1990, and setting up a joint venture in the form of a joint production plant for handkerchiefs laid the foundation for the future cooperation. In 2001 the hygiene paper division of Kübler & Niethammer was completely taken over by WEPA, which meant I also transferred to WEPA. With the full integration of Kübler & Niethammer in 2023, my ‘old’ colleagues from Kübler & Niethammer are now with me again after more than twenty years.

Over the years I played an important role in restructuring the plant and the new construction of both paper machines, and in 2006 I became the technical head of maintenance. Together with the employees from this area we formed a strong team, so a lot of projects could be developed and carried out. “We turned everything completely upside down,” as they say.

At WEPA I can also put into practice my keenness for voluntary nature conservation: privately I’m involved in amphibian conservation, I’m the chairman of our hunting club and I also hunt myself. I also support NABU (a nature conservation association) with ringing birds of prey, which have nested in the old water tower on our company premises for many years. Thanks to the WEPA Foundation we installed nesting boxes for swifts on a new building, as well as kestrel boxes and barn owl boxes.

And nature conservation doesn’t just sound good, it tastes good as well: people say the honey from our WEPA bees is the best in the region...