Strong Innovations
Interview with Stephan Zwiehoff, Managing Director of G. Zwiehoff GmbH
Dual-mode vehicles are so named because they can operate both on the road and on the rail. G. Zwiehoff GmbH, based in Rosenheim, which celebrates its 30th company anniversary this year, develops and distributes such vehicles that are used for maneuvering railway vehicles, track construction and maintenance, overhead line maintenance, rescue or for transport. Managing Director Stephan Zwiehoff spoke with Wirtschaftsforum about his vehicles that make a big impact.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Zwiehoff, what can you tell us about the beginnings and development of your company?
Stephan Zwiehoff: My father went independent in 1995 with some employees from his former company and founded our company to distribute dual-mode vehicles, mainly the Unimog. Today, we do more than just distribution; we also handle development, approval, service and maintenance, as well as custom vehicle construction. I joined the management team in 2014. After my father's death in 2017, my brother and I took over the company. Within 30 years, we have evolved from a sales office to a globally operating full-service company and have launched some of our own products. Over 30 employees are currently working in the company. The number of employees has been increasing by 5 to 8% annually. Our turnover is around 8 million EUR. The capacity utilization is always relatively constant, with a slightly increasing trend.
Wirtschaftsforum: Which product developments from your company would you like to highlight?
Stephan Zwiehoff: Our first self-developed product was the electric shunting device ROTRAC E2 in 2010, for which we were awarded the ÖkoGlobe Award. In 2013, its bigger brother, the ROTRAC E4, followed. This year, we introduced the ROTRAC E1, a smaller shunting vehicle with lithium technology. It also includes various automation processes that we developed together with the universities in Aachen and Dresden. Development will continue in this direction. There will probably eventually be a larger vehicle with automation technology; the new battery technology now makes this possible. Our drive is to develop something pioneering and sustainable. That's why we always focused on the electric variant. Customers are now slowly switching to electric vehicles.
Wirtschaftsforum: Who uses your vehicles?
Stephan Zwiehoff: Our clients are state enterprises, workshops, ports, and companies with their own railway connections, such as automotive or chemical companies. We focus on Europe, but we also operate worldwide. There is hardly a country where we haven't sold yet.
Wirtschaftsforum: What do you see as the reasons for your company's success?
Stephan Zwiehoff: One reason is certainly that we build products for the high-quality market and therefore always work with the market leaders. As a result, our products are durable, have fewer failures, and if there is a failure, rapid availability of replacement parts is possible. Another reason is that we have always placed great value on our staff and their cohesion. Our goal is not to achieve the highest possible profit, but to grow healthily and tolerably for everyone. It is not beneficial if the employees are neglected in the process. New employees are chosen by our staff during trial work. This way, the team develops from within.
Wirtschaftsforum: Finally, a personal question: What motivates you personally?
Stephan Zwiehoff: I enjoy working with people, especially when they share the same passion. Moreover, I am pleased to see our products in the market and to receive positive feedback from customers. We now have many regular customers and a nice, very personal relationship with them. What is less pleasant, however, is all this bureaucracy madness that forces one to spend a lot of time on things other than the actual business.