The oldest traditional company in Haiger calls for new impetus in the construction industry

Kaweh Mansoori, State Minister of Economic Affairs (SPD), visits Weiss Group 
 

Yesterday, Managing Director Christian Dölle welcomed the Deputy Minister President of the State of Hesse and State Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport, Housing, Energy and Rural Areas, Kaweh Mansoori (SPD), to the Weiss Group's headquarters in Haiger for a company visit.

Weiss is synonymous with excellent performance in the business areas of "bonding and sealing", "sandwich and façade technology" as well as "cleaning solutions". The company is one of the leading manufacturers in these two business segments in Europe and moreover, also increasingly sells its products outside of Europe, in China and the USA, for example. 

Managing Director Christian Dölle appealed to the State Minister for Economic Affairs to work on reducing bureaucracy at every level. Investments should be easy to implement with a view to securing the location and expanding to an innovation location in Haiger more easily and quickly. 

In rural areas, the availability of qualified specialists is becoming an ever-bigger challenge. The creation of childcare facilities and the promotion of mobility were two ideas on which Mr Dölle focused in the conversation. When it comes to mobility, people cannot rely on public transport in the Dill district, but must continue to rely on individual transport. 

Mr Dölle expressed the pride he takes in the focus on training in the traditional company founded in 1815 with which Mr Mansoori became better acquainted. However, with only around 20 trainees, mainly in specified chemical professions, the future demand will only be partially satisfied. In light of the competition with metropolitan areas, state policy must support regional SMEs, in particular, to compensate for infrastructure-related disadvantages (e.g. to bring practical training to the region). The numerous positive aspects of the region such as quality of life, sports and leisure opportunities alone are not enough.

The Industry is in need of strong growth impulses in the short term, added Gregor Disson, Managing Director of the Association of the Chemical Industry (VCI) Hesse, who, together with his deputy Sula Lockl, voiced the demands of the association. Energy prices are also crucial for the industry, which is competing at the global level. 

Christian Dölle informed those present, including the Member of the State Parliament Dr Matthias Büger (FDP), District Administrator Wolfgang Schuster (SPD) and Mayor Mario Schramm (not affiliated with a party), about the ongoing transformation and internationalisation of the group of companies, and felt encouraged by the conscious decision to invest in research and development, which Kaweh Mansoori was able to see with his own eyes in the laboratory

The Deputy Prime Minister also had the opportunity to personally observe the production and filling of the adhesives. At the filling plant, the minister proceeded to produce his own adhesive under the guidance of the employee and works council member Jan Spiller.

Kaweh Mansoori presented his economic measures to revive the Hessian construction industry. In addition, Christian Dölle highlighted the close ties between the chemistry and construction industries. As an example, a significant share of the Group's product range flows directly into construction. 

The Minister for Economic Affairs promised to stand up for the concerns of the construction chemicals industry and to take up the collected impulses at the appropriate levels, i.e. federal and state: "Hesse-based companies are facing several challenges. We are committed to setting up the necessary framework conditions to make sure the companies stay future-proof and competitive. It is important that we maintain direct contact with the companies in order to identify needs and current developments. I am pleased that Weiss has already set up various initiatives of its own accord and is investing in training, for example."