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A milestone in the company's history

Starting signal for foundry centre with finishing in Rheine-Baarentelgen and expansion of core-moulding in Rheine-Mesum

The plot on the Dortmund-Ems Canal still resembles a giant sandpit. But in around a year, a 12,000 square metre building complex will be completed here. On Friday, 20 April 2012, the owning family, city representatives and the architects cut the first, ceremonial, sod.

It was a first in the company's history, explained Managing Directors Hermann, Manfred and Dorothee Reckers. Although the company had often rebuilt and extended its premises in the last hundred and more years, it had never built a new site from scratch. "This is an important milestone in the company's history," said the management.

In the first stage of building on the plot of around 14 hectares on Harkortstrasse, the medium-sized company will construct a new warehouse, logistics centre and paint shop. A development department for technical optimisations is also on the agenda. Around half of the usable space has been earmarked for the new core-making plant. The first building phase should be completed in summer 2013.

In parallel, the company will expand warehousing for the core-making plant at its Rheine-Mesum site by an additional 2,000 square metres. The expansion of storage capacities will avoid bottlenecks in core production and lead to a more balanced load on overall capacities. It also smoothes the way for the introduction of a three-shift production cycle in all departments in the company's iron foundry. This investment is due for completion at the end of 2012.

In the medium term the company is focusing to build a new foundry and finishing facility in Rheine-Baarentelgen. "It will then be able to produce even larger castings," says Technical Director Hermann Bülter. Cutting and machining will also be expanded at the new site in Rheine's north. "The existing sites in Mesum and Dreierwalde will remain and provide the basis for further growth," stresses Commercial Director, Bernhard Rieken.

The kick-off for the second building phase is not yet determined says Rieken, but it is planned in the near future. Ultimately, this will depend on developments in the global economy. "Economic cycles as we knew them no longer exist," says the director. Consequently, it is more difficult to plan large investments than it was years ago.

Mayoress, Angelika Kordfelder, spoke of a "positive signal" for the town, something that Rheine could certainly do with in these times. The investments by the family-owned company, she said, were "a real gain for Rheine".

Longservice anniversaries

The management board of Hermann Reckers GmbH & Co. KG was pleased to honour the long-term employees in a joined award ceremony together with the workers' council. Both locations Hörstel-Dreierwalde (machine shop) and Rheine-Mesum (Iron foundry) honoured a number of employees.

long-term employees and management board and workers' council of the machine shop

Josef Rietmann (25 years), Volker Determann (25 years), Aloys Pruhs (40 years), Wilfried Pruhs (40 years), Dorothee Reckers, Thomas Licht (workers' council Dreierwalde), Stefan Gottschalk (head of workers' council Dreierwalde), absent due to illness: Rainer Lüttmann (25 years)

Jlong-term employees and management board of the iron foundry

Manfred Reckers, Manfred Völler (40 years), Dietmar Puls (25 years), Gerd Brüggemann (25 years), Martin Bülhoff (25 years)

Promising young engineers: Germany’s top achieving trainees honoured in Berlin

In winter 2009/2010, Mr Thomas Block performed outstandingly in the final examinations of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) that completed his training as a foundry mechanic specialising in machine moulding, and finished as top qualifier in his chosen profession.

For his achievement he received an award at the fifth national event to honour the best graduates in professions of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce on 13th December 2010 in Berlin.

At the event Prof. Dr. Heinrich Dittmann, the president of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) – the umbrella organisation of all Chambers of Commerce – honoured the former trainee as well as the Reckers Human Resources and company management for outstanding educational achievement.

Since 2006, the DIHK has given awards to the best apprentices at national level during a ceremony. This year’s main speech was given by the Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Ursula von der Leyen. Barbara Schöneberger moderated the programme for numerous guests from the world of politics, business and the media.

The graduates received the awards in recognition of their extraordinary achievements and outstanding performance of the enterprises providing the training, and to underline the high status of dual vocational training.

In strategic human resources work, the family enterprise Hermann Reckers GmbH & Co. KG puts the emphasis on the uncompromising development of up and coming skilled workers from within its own ranks. “We specialise in the manufacture of sophisticated, high-quality products for the hydraulics industry, among other industries. The production of first-class quality is only possible with highly skilled and qualified staff. I am therefore delighted with Thomas Block’s outstanding success. It shows that we are right in pursuing our strategy, also in the field of young professionals. I should also like to thank our training officer Frank Knollmann, in particular”, commented Manfred Reckers.

Reckers trainees achieve excellent examination results

Quality is very important at Hermann Reckers GmbH & Co. KG. The results of the final examination by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) in Münster show that the company’s trainees, too, are absolutely committed to it. In a ceremony, the human resources managers and training officers shared the delight with the four exam participants who celebrated their excellent results finishing the last year of training.

At the plant in Dreierwalde, Kevin Tepe and Steffen Diekschulte completed their training to become cutting machine operators. In recognition of his notable achievements, Steffen Diekschulte had twice been able to reduce his training. Both trainees passed their IHK exams with the overall mark of “good”. Markus Gottschalk, chief instructor “Machining“, and plant manager Franz Zumwalde were pleased about these results that were also due to their particular commitment as trainers and contact persons.

In Rheine-Mesum, Andre Deters and Thomas Block very successfully completed their vocational training as foundry mechanics specialising in machine moulded castings. Andre Deters received a “very good” mark on the practical part of his 3-½-year training and the overall assessment “good”.

Thomas Block finished his examination with the top score of “very good”. The high-school graduate concluded his training after only 2 ½ years, twice reducing the period of his apprenticeship. For this achievement he and the company providing the training received a special award from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) Nord Westfalen entitled “Karriere mit Lehre – Die Besten”. Frank Knollmann, chief foundry instructor, and Norbert Löchte, head of personnel, were extremely satisfied with the achievements of the freshly graduated foundry mechanics. For many years, the performance of apprentices trained by Reckers has been significantly above IHK average.

Successful training opens up good career opportunities for graduates within the company. At Hermann Reckers GmbH & Co. KG, one of the top priorities of strategic human resources work is the consistent development of newly qualified professionals from within the workforce. The company management is well aware of the high significance of top quality and strong service orientation to be a successful manufacturer in Germany. This is why apprenticeship and in-service training have for many years been high on the agenda of the family run enterprise.

Reckers currently has 11 trainees. Apart from 8 technical trainees in the above mentioned professions there is one apprentice in the commercial field (industrial clerk), and two employees pursue the Business Administration (VWA) dual training programme.

Trained junior staff are encouraged to benefit from a range of full-time or part-time further training measures. The company is currently supporting a number of employees to gain further qualification as “master of industry”, in the Dual Study programme “Bachelor of Engineering”, and in-service study of mechanical engineering focussing on foundry technology. The spectrum of advanced education also includes further training of one employee as financial accountant and another one as business administrator.

Even though Reckers, too, has been hit by the economic crisis, the company will take on new vocational trainees again this summer. The candidates have already been chosen. This is proof that Reckers looks confidently into the future.

From left to right: Andre Deters, Thomas Block, Steffen Diekschulte, Kevin Tepe, Markus Gottschalk (Zerspanungs-Ausbildungsleiter), Franz Zumwalde (Betriebsleiter Dreierwalde), Norbert Löchte (Personalleiter Eisengießerei), Frank Knollmann (Gießerei-Ausbildungsleiter)

Trainees Examination

Company Sportsmen From The Region Play For The RECKERS Cup

Athletic engagement is a long-standing tradition at the HERMANN RECKERS GmbH & Co. KG: this is the 28th time that the company has hosted a football championship for companies in the region. 14 teams took part in the competition, which as every year was arranged by members of the company sports group with great dedication. “It's a great thing,” the company management is happy to confirm. “The sustained commitment of the company sportsmen reflects the high motivation of our employees and is a sign of good company morale.” Factors that have been proven to have an influence on the quality of products and service.

Hermann Reckers has a completely different reason to be taken with the company footballers: In the early days of the Reckers team, he would take to the pitch himself. The reason for the founding of the company sports group at the time was the invitation by a company from Rheine to take part in the football championship. The HERMANN RECKERS company returned the favour with an invitation of their own and since then has carried out a cup championship every year. Hardly surprising that thanks to years of experience the events keep getting more professional. That is why the sports event is quite popular with other companies. “We have significantly more interested parties than we can invite,” says Hinrich-Ralf Groothoff, one of the organisers in the company sports group. The company footballers come from up to 20 kilometres away, and more than a few of them also deal with each other on a professional basis. This means that the cup championships are not only good for company morale, but also for relationships with customers and partner companies.

The RECKERS company footballers are not only excellent at organisation, but also good at playing the game itself. For the second time in a row, the company team won the champion-ship cup. However, if anyone is inclined to suspect a home team advantage, they can guess again: the 3:2 victory over the SSB-Antriebstechnik GmbH & Co. KG company team from Salzbergen was a closely fought win that the RECKERS team could only claim after a suspenseful penalty kick.

The planning for the new location is stepping forward

The planning for expansion of Hermann Reckers GmbH & Co. KG, at the new location in the industrial area of Rheine-Nord, is stepping forward. The 14 hectare sized premises near the Dortmund-Ems waterway has already been cleared and is being prepared for construction. Meanwhile internal and external strategy talks are taking place with experts regarding machinery, facilities and market research.

The most important contact persons for this project are Hermann Bülter and Bernhard Rieken. Graduated engineer Hermann Bülter – who has been working for the company for 25 years – is the strategic head of technology. As management states, “with his keen sense of innovation and his long-time experience as head of foundry of the continuous expansion for the location in Mesum, he is the perfect person for this position.”

Business graduate, Bernhard Rieken, who began working for Hermann Reckers at the beginning of this year, is responsible for the overall project management. He coordinates each step and is responsible for commercial control. “For a project of such a dimension it is necessary to have a project manager who is able to act independently from the day-to-day business”, as stated by management on the new position.

Bernhard Rieken has known the company for a long time in his roll as manager of business development Rheine. He was pleased to move into the private sector for the opportunity to take on new challenges offered by the company. “It is an exciting time for the markets and in particular for Hermann Reckers, which offers great opportunities and challenges for the staff“, Rieken said.

The 42 year old graduate in business is looking forward to new challenges which he addresses with high enthusiasm. In a medium-range perspective, Bernhard Rieken is meant to adopt the commercial management of the departments; iron foundry and engineering work. At the new location the two departments will cooperate geographically closer as well.

Path laid out for the future:

HERMANN RECKERS GmbH & Co. KG is purchasing 14 hectares in the industrial area in Rheine-Nord

HERMANN RECKERS GmbH & Co. KG has laid a new path for the future: In the north of Rheine the company has purchased 14 hectares of industrial land. The company management confirms their expansion course with this investment and declares itself clearly in favor of the quality location in Germany: "With the purchase of the site we have created the prerequisites necessary to the increasing demand of our customers for high-quality products."

At the new location, HERMANN RECKERS GmbH & Co. KG intends to create additional capacities for large-format cast parts and thus win over new market segments and increase export share. "In addition, we would like to further optimize the service for our customers" the management stresses. In the new plant, the iron foundry and machine shop will in future work under one roof, which should result in further simplification of production sequences, such as for example communication or logistics.

According to the company management, an especially attractive feature of the purchase is that the long-term development of the company is assured through the size of the site. Furthermore, the grounds offer optimal logistic conditions in the industrial area of Rheine-Nord. It is not far to the autobahn and the railway line, as well as the Dortmund-Ems canal, run directly along the new grounds.

The city of Rheine has also expressed satisfaction with the site purchase. As a result of the sale of the large site, it saves extensive development of smaller areas and furthermore the company is tied to Rheine on a long-term basis. HERMANN RECKERS GmbH & Co. KG will begin with the development of the new grounds in 2009.

Faster and more informative: Relaunch of the website of HERMANN RECKERS GmbH & Co. KG

More information and services, faster navigation, and an appealing and clear design - since 30th March Hermann Reckers GmbH & Co KG has presented itself to its customers, as well as to the interested public, with a completely re-designed website. Through the relaunch, the internet presence is technically at the latest state of the art and has become far more user-friendly.

The modern design simplifies navigation and the legibility of the texts and thus fulfills the requirement of the users for effective provision of information. This is supported through the latest programming technique (valid according to XHTML 1.0 Strict ), that guarantees a fast page structure, is failsafe and shows all users the same result, completely independently of browser and operating system. In this way, the Hermann Reckers company can present itself internationally in a uniform way.

Also, some of the contents have changed as a result of the relaunch. Many photographs and informative texts guide visitors through the entire company and illustrate the most important production steps, both in the machine shop and in the iron foundry. Further information is offered on the media page where current brochures, as well as the image film of the Hermann Reckers company, are available to download. In this manner business partners and interested parties can obtain a detailed impression of the performance spectrum. New contents, for example quality control management, environmental protection or the company philosophy, guarantee additional transparency.

For the customers there is significantly more service available. This includes information and downloads about products, materials, quality certificates or the online exchange of CAD data with order processing. The new website now also indicates the quickest way to get to the company. On the clearly structured contact page, business partners and customers quickly find the point of contact responsible for their inquiry, with photographs and contact data.

And last but not least, since the relaunch the Hermann Reckers company has been publishing online news from the company. In the new category regular reporting is provided on current developments and innovations. In this way users are kept informed of all the latest news.

Football during lunch hour - 25 years of company sport

HERMANN RECKERS GmbH & Co. KG has fit and committed employees. This was proved at the recent anniversary in the company: The company-internal sporting community BSG Hermann Reckers celebrated its 25th anniversary. In total 35 active employees engage in sport together in their leisure time. Football and table tennis are on offer, in addition the members meet for swimming, ice skating or bowling. And every two years BSG goes on a long trip over a weekend. "The shared activities of the employees are a very favorable indication for our working environment" company manager Hermann Reckers is pleased to state. An aspect which has traditionally had great importance in the company: "Satisfied and committed employees are important for the success of our entire company."

The company sport has been promoted from the start by the management. In the foundation phase, Hermann Reckers himself was an active member in the company eleven. Because everything to do with it was with football that it all began, 25 years ago. The employees were invited to the cup tournament with another company in Rheine. After that, the team remained together and played regularly. At the beginning mostly during the lunch hour, which was still an hour long back then. Changed working hours moved the training to the early evening hours. Since the introduction of 2-shift production, the members meet at the weekend.

"With our 25 years of cooperation and commitment, we are already something special in the region" stresses the BSG chairman Klaus Breulmann. The annual highlight is the Hermann Reckers football cup tournament that the company sportsmen organize for companies from the region. An event which has already become tradition. And this should continue, if the active sportsmen get their way, for the next 25 years.


Copyright 2009 by HERMANN RECKERS GmbH & Co. KG