Wywiad z prezesem R. Kohlhauerem

Celebrating our 18th anniversary, we have done the interview with the president and owner of our company – Reinhard Kohlhauer.

The history of the KOHLHAUER Group has begun in 1993. What motivated you to get involved in noise protection and environmentally friendly solutions? Was there a specific moment or event that influenced this decision?

I knew this business sector very well. We can slightly say that I was not delighted with the products available on the market. I knew that it could be done better, more effectively, with more care for the environment, harmoniously integrating the installed devices into the landscape. I also saw that the market was changing. Just like the expectations of local communities who want to have an impact on what they have in front of their windows. So there was no way out – I started running a business on my own.

My goal was to create and introduce a new generation of noise barriers which will respond to the needs of customers and ultimately end users. Now, after 31 years, it turns out that it was a great decision.

What were the biggest challenges you faced at the beginning of your activity?

Exactly the same that ambitious entrepreneurs with a vision had to face. You start, you have a lot of ideas and projects, but at the beginning you don’t have any orders. So you need to have the capital to get through this most difficult period. And it takes time and is a real challenge. However, I never had any doubts that our projects would gain recognition on the market. That is why I never thought about withdrawing from the chosen path. Even when after 1.5 years from the start we didn’t have any project. At last the moment came. It was the turn of 1994 and 1995. I felt great satisfaction then. We finally got the wind in our sails.

The Polish company of the Group celebrates its 18th birthday this year. Why did you focus on our country in your expansion?

And this is a very interesting story. We developed very well. I also had an excellent relationship with my previous partners. Relationships in business pay off. My former boss knew and praised the Polish market. He even persuaded me to try and go to Poland. It was a really good idea. I met young, loyal people here, hungry for success and new challenges. They were Maciej Zakrzewski, who has been continuously managing the Polish company to this day, and Piotr Jusewicz, currently a proxy and technical director. We started in a tiny, one-room office in Ożarów Mazowiecki. This didn’t prevent us from immediately starting to implement ambitious challenges. Our first project were noise barriers on the viaduct at Warsaw’s Hynka Street. They still look very good today. Interestingly, we delivered transparent panels in aluminum frames, which were a rarity in Poland at the time.

What are the biggest differences in doing business in Germany and Poland?

The German market has its own specificity, just like the Polish one. Everything is heavily regulated, defined. We don’t have much freedom there. There is more freedom in Poland.

What key moments in the history of the KOHLHAUER Group you consider as the most significant for its development?

It was 2009 and 2012 when we expanded more broadly in Europe and abroad, e.g. in the USA and Korea. The next such key moment came when a certain competitive company failed and we were able to take over their contracts. We took advantage of this opportunity. We have introduced new products to our offer, tailored to the customer’s expectations. Our company has become even more competitive and innovative.

If you were to mention 5 most important innovations/products that the Group has introduced in the past 30 years, what would it be?

Our first project in Germany was a breakthrough, which we completed after a year and a half of waiting for an order at the turn of 1994 and 1995. It was a success. I don’t want to talk about the details now. Today, customers do not choose this solution very often. Another important product are KOHLHAUER PLANTA barriers, i.e. our green wall. We are also particularly proud of our entire range of transparent panels, which have excellent sound absorption capabilities. And, of course, VOLTA, i.e. noise barriers integrated with photovoltaic cells, producing energy. In my opinion, this is the future. It seems to me that investors do not appreciate enough this solution.

Above all, I am proud that the KOHLHAUER Group can provide exactly the solutions that our customers expect.

What projects in Germany and Poland are you most proud of?

We have many such projects. Certainly the noise barriers on the Wrocław Motorway Bypass. I have a great sentiment for the first project in Poland, i.e. the already mentioned barriers on the viaduct at Hynka Street in Warsaw. In Germany, I am particularly proud of projects implemented in the PPP system, where we had a lot of freedom in offering clients the solutions that saved their time and money.

Our flagship investment is also a system of noise barriers for the high-speed rail network in Great Britain, which can reach speeds of up to 340 km/h. This is one of our largest orders.

What is the most important experience or lesson you have learned during 30 years of running the company?

Good question! I am learning all the time. I also have great satisfaction with direct contact with customers. It’s a great feeling when you know you can offer them concepts that solve their problems.

What values are most important in the company’s organizational culture? How did you manage to build a strong and loyal team?

I know what I want. The people I work with also know this. We have common goals. We can develop together. As a result, my colleagues have been associated with the KOHLHAUER Group for many years. The situation is similar in Poland. As I have already mentioned – the key managers of ALFA BOND KOHLHAUER have been working here from the beginning.

Yes, I am a boss who likes to have full control over the company. I like to know what’s going on. At the same time, I give my colleagues a lot of freedom in completing tasks and self-fulfillment. It works. Today I know that without these people we would not be where we are.

What do you value most in your work and what gives you the greatest satisfaction?

Each end of the year with the result I expected. However, it does noy apply only the financial result. Development is equally important. So I am most happy when the year ends, and I know that in the next year we will be able to allocate funds for new investments again. The greatest satisfaction for me is that the KOHLHAUER Group still has something new to offer, and people want to work here.

How was ecology perceived in German and European industry in the 1990s? How is it perceived now? Why is it so important?

These are incomparable ages. When we started, we looked at energy sources and the cost of buying it in a completely different way. Not to mention the costs to the environment. Today, we are witnessing the climate change that this approach has generated. People and business are starting to approach energy sources not only in terms of costs. First of all, in the social context.

On the other hand, there is still pressure on costs in the noise barrier industry. It also happens that investors want to build as cheaply as possible. I hate this approach, because it has nothing to do with quality or environmental protection. It is worth it for all of us to realize that the cheapest will not necessarily work for years. And it will have to be corrected. In the end, we will all get a bill for it. Higher bill. Education – it is our mission.

Do you see any differences between environmental awareness and a sustainable approach to business in individual European Union countries?

Yes, I see such differences. Each market has its own specificity. The devil is in the details. Many things also surprise me in a positive way. For example, the interest in the VOLTA system in the countries of the former Yugoslavia due to electricity prices.

What will be the future of the noise barrier market in Europe and Poland? What will play the most important role – quality, innovation, solutions for the environment? What can the KOHLHAUER Group offer in the near future?

I believe that with the development of the railway network, there will be an increasing demand for effective noise protection solutions. And all over Europe. This is a great opportunity for our company, especially since we have a lot to offer here. I still see great opportunities in the German market, which is starting to change. He is starting to be more and more open to new solutions. Poland will continue to develop very quickly and I see great prospects here.