Building Bridges for the Future
Interview with Martin Dickmann, Managing Director of Claus Queck GmbH
The backlog of investment in public infrastructure in Germany can no longer be ignored. The steel construction company Claus Queck GmbH from Düren, which has long specialized primarily in bridge construction, wants to be part of the solution with its 60 years of industry experience. Managing Director Martin Dickmann revealed in the interview which innovations the company is currently working on and how it assesses the market effects of the federal government's special funds.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Dickmann, for over 60 years, the name Claus Queck has been synonymous with economic, environmentally friendly, and modern steel constructions – which areas of application are at the center of your focus today?
Martin Dickmann: In infrastructure construction, our company fundamentally engages in two segments: Thus, our steel constructions are used in noise protection measures in the context of highways and rail transport routes. However, the real central focus of our business activities is now in bridge construction. What both application fields have in common is that each structure is completely individually designed, which allows virtually no standardization from workshop planning to construction execution. Because here in this country, every project is truly unique. Through our strategic focus on infrastructure construction, we primarily compete with other German medium-sized companies, so we feel the structural disadvantages of the German location less acutely than internationally active market participants.
Wirtschaftsforum: There is a huge backlog of investment needed in bridge construction in Germany. Lately, there has been a general decline in general construction activity. How do you assess the current market situation?
Martin Dickmann: We can feel initial signs that the investment backlog is slightly reducing. At the same time, the restraint of the contracting authorities in the face of the actual need is still too high. However, this is not solely due to questions of financing options or the financial situation of public budgets, but often also due to a shortage of skilled workers on the part of the public sector: That is where the real personnel bottleneck lies, while companies like ours still have capacities to implement more projects at the operational level.
Wirtschaftsforum: The special fund of the federal government is supposed to create additional financial leeway for investments in infrastructure – but money alone doesn't build bridges. What impulses do you expect from the new political framework conditions?
Martin Dickmann: The basic intention is certainly good and also pleasantly ambitious: However, I actually fear that a lot of time will pass before these effects really reach the operational level in the real economy, namely at the executing companies. Meanwhile, Claus Queck GmbH and a large number of our market competitors have long been ready to address the serious problems in our public infrastructure in a targeted manner.
Wirtschaftsforum: What role does the shortage of skilled workers play for your company?
Martin Dickmann: We continue to rely on skilled craftsmen with great technical expertise in steel construction, and especially in professions like welding, there is a lack of young talent.
The most important measure for Claus Queck GmbH must therefore be to appear attractive in the market as an employer. We achieve this through a culture of appreciation, which we sustainably fill with life in everyday life. After all, satisfied employees who tell their family and friends about the exciting company they work for are probably the most important channel through which we can attract qualified new workforce.
Wirtschaftsforum: What role does the topic of sustainability play for you in ecological terms as well?
Martin Dickmann: For us, it would be no problem to construct bridges from CO2-reduced steel. The material required is now readily available, even though it is not yet made from 100% green steel – however, this should not pose a serious obstacle, as any reduction of CO2 itself is already a beneficial step. Despite the new technological possibilities, demand from the contracting entities has not yet noticeably picked up – while the additional costs for CO2-reduced steel, relative to the total price of the respective infrastructure measure, would be a negligible amount.
Wirtschaftsforum: What other innovations is Claus Queck GmbH currently involved with?
Martin Dickmann: We typically work with so-called black steel, which is then coated by external service providers in subsequent processes and thereby receives its individual color. However, we are now also receiving increased inquiries about bridge elements made of weathering steel, which does not require coating after production and then develops a rust-colored patina over time, as can be seen on many structures in Southern Europe. Since the corrosion coating becomes obsolete, this approach naturally has a positive impact on the sustainability balance.