WITH A LITTLE BIT OF LUCK...
AFTER MORE THAN 26 YEARS AT CODICO, I OFFICIALLY RETIRED FROM "ACTIVE DUTY" IN FEBRUARY 2004.
Twenty-six years might seem like a small eternity to some. As an entrepreneur, however, I always received just as much fulfillment from solving the day-to-day challenges as I did from meeting long-term goals, and I suppose that's what makes it now seem like the years flew by much faster.
In 1977, with a little bit of luck, I was able to convince a former work colleague, Ludwig Waktor, to help me found CODICO. When he retired in 1982, he sold his share in the company to my wife. From then on, the topic of CODICO dominated our discussions from morning until evening. Still, as I hinted before, it certainly never got boring!
With a little luck and a great deal of hard work, we succeeded in building a company that, soon after it was founded, already counted such names as Eumig, Grundig, Kapsch, Körting, Minerva, Plasser, Schrack and Zumtobel in Austria, and CSE, Elektrim, Elektromodul, Elektronum, Isotimpex, Kovo, Transelektro and Unitra in the neighboring countries, among its clients.
Of course, it would not have been possible without the incredible response and commitment of our "founding" manufacturing partners, especially Arcotronics, Frako, Mial, Preh, RWI and Wickmann.
We were more than just a little bit lucky, however, to find such an enthusiastic group of dynamic employees to help get CODICO started. Even today, they represent the very backbone of the company. Their names are Anneli Ashour, Michael Frömel, Thomas Jell, Paul Pohoralek and Gerhard Strobl.
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During my active career as an entrepreneur, I enjoyed many wonderful moments with the excellent team that supported the company, and my own person, at all times. I will not forget the moments of doubt that we managed to overcome together, and especially not the many moments of joy and fun that we shared.
One of the most gratifying moments of all occurred several years back, when, quite unexpectedly I might add, my daughter Karin expressed an interest in joining CODICO. Not too long after she started her career, she managed to convince her husband, Sven Krumpel, to take an interest in the company as well.
Now, after much planning and consultation with outside experts, I am all the more pleased that CODICO is passing from the hands of one generation to the next, and I have every confidence that the current team of employees is more than ready to accomplish even more great things in the future.
Also with a little bit of luck, an entrepreneur in the twilight of his career will recognize when it's time to step back, and, with a great deal of it, will find the right individuals, with ideal management and leadership qualities, to pass the helm to. As previously mentioned, I've been able to do just that. My son-in-law, Sven Kumpel, who many CODICO customers already know quite well, has six years of experience at the company. His top-to-bottom knowledge of the CODICO "ship," not to mention his vast experience on the waters it steers through, will make him an able captain indeed.
Under Sven's leadership, I am certain that CODICO will continue to find new ways to outmaneuvre the competition. He is definitely one who understands that friendly, competent service must remain on a personal level, even in these electronically interconnected times. As such, the CODICO policy of going the extra mile to achieve customer satisfaction will definitely remain intact. More than simply an expedited delivery in a tight situation, however, the policy has, and will continue, to mean an actively involved CODICO staff helping customers find innovative, money-saving solutions.
A little bit of luck, therefore, does indeed make it easier, though by no means easy, for a retiring managing director to relinquish active participation in the company he not only helped to launch, but also steered for so many years. I certainly will continue giving my best advice to the new management team if asked, but I have said my last goodbyes to any day-to-day involvement or decision making.
In closing, I would like to thank the many loyal CODICO customers that helped make these past 26 years such enjoyable and successful ones for all of us.
Warm Regards,
H. Hawlik
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