30 Years of RapidMax - The Caretakers in IT Hardware with Services
Interview with Christian Schlenk, Owner and Managing Director of RapidMax GmbH
"We are there quickly when we are needed," assures Christian Schlenk, Managing Director and Owner of RapidMax GmbH located in Speichersdorf. "So our name is quite programmatic. There are no waiting loops on the phone with us, it rings at most twice." Optimized IT means better economy and constant productivity: For exactly 30 years, the Bavarian 'Maxlers' have been successful in supporting their customers in this regard.
These days, RapidMax GmbH is celebrating its 30th company anniversary, a welcome occasion for Christian Schlenk to trace the successful development from a pure software vendor to an IT systems house: "RapidMax was founded in 1992 by Claudia and Reinhold Stich as an IT sales company. In 1999, the move to the new building in Speichersdorf took place. Since then, the range of services has also been expanded. I have been with the company since 2002, worked in sales after my training, and took over the company completely in 2019. This allowed me to implement ideas and approaches that I had developed before."
Since 2019, sales at RapidMax have doubled and amounted to 18 million EUR in the fiscal year 2021.
‘One face to the customer‘
Long-term customer relationships and mutual trust confirm the good reputation that RapidMax enjoys with its customers. "We see ourselves as an IT service center," says the managing director. "We are close partners with renowned IT manufacturers, including Fujitsu, Lenovo, HP, DELL, Microsoft, and many more. Our employees have excellent product knowledge, which is secured through self-learning and manufacturer training. In sales, the customer always deals with the same contact person who takes care of everything - even in urgent situations. You can rely on 'quick Max'. This creates a close relationship of trust."
Since many of the German companies that RapidMax works with have branches outside of Germany, about 15% of the orders are handled abroad.
Concept Solution with Shopping Cart
Beyond IT consultancy, RapidMax offers concept solutions in IT procurement management that encompass all products associated with an IT workplace. "We provide our customers with a shopping cart that includes warehousing of standardized products," explains Christian Schlenk. "From 150 IT seats, this standardization is a major advantage. All products are identical, completely pre-installed, ready to use, and delivered under the same conditions with full support. With only one day delivery time, downtime is minimized. Additionally, we buy back the hardware after use, recycle or rebuild it into top devices that can be used in other countries."
Caring with Certification
All processes at RapidMax are ISO 9001 certified and are strictly controlled to best support the customers. This also applies to other services such as IT penetration testing, IT risk management, IT storage systems, or notebook warranty repairs.
"We offer certified quality, efficient solutions, and transparently budgeted prices," knows the CEO. "Equally important for our success is 'caring' – we are always there for our customers. Our corporate culture also contributes to this. We maintain a good atmosphere, and I consciously set the tone. I am a Christian person and I live that as a boss. Our 31 employees like coming to the company, we maintain a loving cooperation. Many see RapidMax as their second family."
For the future...
The fact that environmental protection and sustainability are among the goals of the dedicated CEO fits the picture. By 2025, RapidMax will operate in a carbon-neutral manner. In addition, Christian Schlenk aims for healthy growth. "My focus is on strengthening our customer relationships and increasing revenues through process changes," he emphasizes. "Above all, I want to achieve stability for every single employee and create good conditions for a happy, secure future."