From apprentice to one of our top talents – performance pays off.
An interview with Lukas Klapp
Dear Lukas,
you did your apprenticeship with the Brüning | Group. What made you decide to apply for a job and to complete your apprenticeship right here?
It felt like I passed by the office building in Fischerhude a thousand times and wondered what they were doing in that beautiful office building. At some point, when things got serious and I decided to do an apprenticeship, I informed myself and then Brüning was one of the first companies I contacted.
What did you find particularly exciting during your time as an apprentice?
Due to my shortened apprenticeship period from three to two years, the apprenticeship passed by in no time. I especially remembered that I was given a lot of responsibility at an early stage, which meant that I had to make my own decisions quickly. These were, of course, sometimes right, but sometimes also wrong. 😉 I learned a lot in both cases.
After your apprenticeship you were employed directly. What happened for you then? What were the milestones on your way to becoming a professional specialist for waste wood?
Starting with the support of smaller customers and suppliers, the support developed to larger customers and suppliers. After less than two years with the company, I was responsible for the day-to-day business of two full supply customers. I formed a team around me, which now supports me in coping with these tasks as well as in looking after other customers and suppliers.
What are your specific tasks in the unit for waste wood?
Together with my team of four, I am responsible for the West German waste wood market. We are also active in the Benelux countries and in the UK. My main focus here is on sales in foreign markets and being there for my team.
In your unit you are more and more responsible for the UK area. You have also already spent a year in England. How did this come about and how can you use these experiences from this time now for both, your private and professional life?
Between the 10th and 11th grade, before doing my A-Levels, I decided to take a one-year break and improve my English language skills. I spent a year in Boston, on the east coast of England. There I started studying sports at college. As a soccer player I found my way there very quickly, and friendships developed that I have been able to maintain until today. Professionally, I realize that I still profit enormously from the language skills I gained 6 years ago.
Let’s stick to the subject of Great Britain. At the beginning of the year, Brexit actually came into effect. How did you follow that process and what do you think regarding the UK business?
Like probably everyone, I heard it in the media, where there was no other topic for several weeks. At some point it got too chaotic for me with votes of no confidence etc., so I did not follow the discussions any further and invested my time differently. Finally it came to the decision, which I regret very much. In my opinion the older people won against the young people who were too naive to go to the elections. This decision may also have consequences for the Brüning | Group in the future. At the moment our business is still running without any changes, but this will certainly not always be the case in future.
And what are the current overall developments on the national and international market for waste wood? What is the latest news for the Brüning | Group?
We are currently experiencing an unprecedented crisis throughout Europe and the world with the COVID 19 pandemic. Of course, this also affects the market for waste wood in a number of different ways. As a result of imposed curfews and production stops of the car industry in Germany, less waste wood is produced that needs to be disposed of. However, biomass power plants throughout Europe do not care about this. They need material for combustion in order to continue producing electricity and heat for the surrounding communities. As a result, a shortage of quantities can occur for the thermal plants. Material recycling also reaches its limits during the coronavirus crisis for many reasons. Various chipboard plants are experiencing supply difficulties for production materials such as adhesives. Others are unable to meet the “social distancing” requirements for production employees. Therefore many chipboard plants have stopped or shut down production. This in turn leads to the fact that material quantities of waste wood are not accepted by the recycling companies and are partly surplus quantities. So, we look forward to the weekly development with excitement. Information has never been more valuable than now.
Many thanks for the interview and good luck!