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XtraBlatt Issue 01-2021

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INTERVIEW CONSTRUCTION &

INTERVIEW CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT A DUO TAKES OVER With the retiral of Dr Josef Horstmann, Krone’s managing director of Construction & Development, an influential protagonist within the German agricultural engineering branch leaves the company. Taking over his responsibilities are Jan Horstmann and Sebastian Hassig. This interview reviews 38 years of the past – but looks into the future too. 20

At the end of July Dr Josef Horstmann begins a well-earned retiral after 38 years with the Maschinenfabrik Krone including 19 of them as managing director, Construction & Development. Taking over his duties starting August 1 is a two-man team. Jan Horstmann, IT specialist in different departments within Krone over the past 17 years, joins Sebastian Hassig the new manager of Construction & Development. A graduate in mechanical engineering, Herr Hassig has held various positions in construction with Krone since 2013. He also brings with him practical experience having earlier worked with an agricultural contractor. XtraBlatt: Dr Horstmann, you’ll be handing over your duties within weeks. Why are two managers taking over? Dr Josef Horstmann: The reason lies in the enormous expansion in the volume of work involved. The construction manager’s workload has multiplied many times in the last 20 years. This includes all the external duties that have continually increased, and continue to do so – such as working with associations such as the VDMA, with universities, in committees and working groups. We want to be, and indeed must be, increasingly active in this respect so that we can maintain our networks and be sufficiently armed for the challenges of the future. Neither must the continuous flood of new rules and regulations be forgotten, for instance the Machinery Directive among many others. And last but by no means least, the company’s own internal duties. 38 years ago, there were around 48 colleagues in construction and development, now there are over 350. In short: The number and depth of all themes involved have increased so much in the 38 years I’ve been with Krone that a single person would be more than fully challenged attempting to managing everything optimally. The outstanding team I had around me meant things have worked well so far. But to the background of future challenges, I have championed in internal discussions over some time with Krone senior management the case for a dual lead in Construction & Development. I had the advantage of gradually growing in my job along with all the increasing requirements. Nowadays, though, I don’t think this would be possible. XtraBlatt: Why wouldn’t it work? Dr Horstmann: When I started in Krone there was only the classical mechanical engineering here. One constructor in those days would have developed a complete machine from the beginning to the end. The small amount of electrical equipment, such as cables and lighting, were simply plugged-in and the new machine was complete. When in 1985 I constructed the first hydraulic drive on a forage wagon it represented a great step forward in this discipline. Nowadays, people would laugh at this. But it really did represent a small milestone. “WE MUST PRODUCE THE WHOLE PACKAGE BETTER THAN THE OTHERS DO AND RE- TAIN OUR NEARNESS TO THE CUSTOMER.” DR JOSEF HORSTMANN, MANAGING DIRECTOR C & D, KRONE The next great step was the first electronics. When the first two electrical engineers joined the team we were often asked: What do you want with them? “Farm machinery and electronics don’t fit together – nothing will come of it”, was the feeling voiced at the time by farmers, and by dealers too. What a drama there was when we transferred the hydraulic steering of our forage wagons from the tractor cab to an electronic control box. We heard that no one was going to be able to repair this. And that was only just 30 years ago! From then on, electronics became increasingly important. Then, around 12 years ago, IT entered the scene in a big way. The next task was building this competence into our team. From the very beginning, Jan Horstmann played an important role here. Nowadays, this competence field is a crucial one, and will be even more important within the development team in the future. And this is one of the reasons why it was decided to appoint Jan Horstmann as IT specialist at the head of the department, a clear statement and an important one. This is not to say that the classical mechanical engineering should be neglected in any way. This will remain the basis for every product development. I am all the more delighted, therefore, that it proved possible with the appointment of Sebastian Hassig to have another outstanding specialist from our own company in the management. Both know the company and its machinery very well, so that for a year now we’ve been able to create a seamless transition. XtraBlatt: Herr Horstmann, Herr Hassig: What aspects of Dr Horstmann’s work especially attract each of you personally? Jan Horstmann: There are numerous aspects that personally impress and influence me. Included here is his - in absolutely positive sense – doggedness and meticulous care given to projects and their completion. Dr Horstmann unfailingly demonstrates an unwavering aim for the optimal construction solution and a panoramic outlook for good ideas and new concepts. This level of commitment not only comes from Dr Horstmann, it is encouraged in others by all the colleagues in the department. And in every case, it is always with the customer and the market in mind. In our work together this is what has given me the most enjoyment. Sebastian Hassig: I’ve been specially impressed by his calmness and consideration, properties that he never loses, even in stressful phases. And that he always keeps in focus an unbelievably multi-layered number of themes. Not to be forgotten is his down-to- 21