Time LeapsSchöck – 1962 until today

Mr Fenchel, how did you get to know Schöck?

MARTIN FENCHEL: Schöck was well-known at the KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology). Not only because of the company’s reputation, but also because of the Schöck Prize for Building Innovation. In addition, I had already visited the Schöck Company with our students as part of an excursion.

How did you perceive the Schöck Company before you joined it?

MARTIN FENCHEL: It was quite a change, because my background was in building materials technology and I had been a lecturer for many years. But the Schöck Company was already very well known among us – if only because three of my colleagues had already started working there. In any case, I have always perceived the company as very innovative.

Did you have anything to do with Mr Schöck at the beginning?

MARTIN FENCHEL: No, not really. Mr Schöck had no longer been actively involved in the business for a good 20 years when I joined the company. From time to time, however, he walked through the departments. I always found that he was a very pleasant, friendly person; he listened to what we had to say and was actually quite cool.

What do you mean by cool?

MARTIN FENCHEL: Well, he was very attentive, he was of course wellversed, and he was also quite direct. Once, for example, when I had just started in the development department, we talked about the current development work on the Isokorb and the Tronsole during one of his visits. He said, »Well, you’re also welcome to develop something new once in a while.« (He laughs) That impressed us a lot and gave us something to think about. He simply was a jack-of-all-trades who always came up with new ideas, some of which didn’t work out because the market didn’t accept them.

Would you go as far as to say that innovation is part of Schöck’s DNA?

MARTIN FENCHEL: Yes, I would say so. Especially if you compare us to other companies. Simply because we have good opportunities. I think that is mainly owed to Mr Schöck, who has developed the company in this way over the years and put the focus on innovation.

What has the company’s development been like over the years?

MARTIN FENCHEL: Above all, the company has developed and grown internationally. When I started ten years ago, we were 450 employees. Today, we are 1,100 colleagues. That is an enormous growth. By the way, the working atmosphere has remained consistently good, very familiar, and the formative phrase »We are Schöck« is also truly lived and practised. All in all, you can say that Schöck is characterised by an unusual openness to new ideas. This is also evident in our many patents, and new ones are added every year. Our job is, first of all, to be faster than the building sector and to recognise trends and introduce solutions that the market does not yet demand. I am responsible for the organisation of these patents and can assess that quite well. It is also worth mentioning that the company has an innovation steering committee. Furthermore, we have a so-called »continuous improvement process« in which every employee can contribute ideas and suggestions for optimisation. If the suggestion is implemented, ten per cent of the savings achieved in the first year are awarded as a bonus. This can amount to a few thousand euros. In this respect, Schöck is a very progressive company. Yet there is one overriding principle at Schöck: »The proof of the pudding is in the eating«. And I have always liked that very much.

Dieter Binz was one of the first employees at Schöck. On May 6, 1963, he and four other colleagues began working for the construction company as a »plastering crew«. Later, he completed his training as a master craftsman at Schöck.

Mr Binz, you were one of the first employees at Schöck. Can you tell us what it was like on the first construction sites?

DIETER BINZ: Indeed, I was one of the first employees. On the first building sites where the »plastering crew« worked, we were responsible for the construction of basements. When we built a bungalow in Karlsruhe and a residential house in Heidelberg, I was in charge as foreman. The work was exhausting but wonderful. We slept on site in the caravan and strived to undercut the schedules as much as possible. We worked really hard, sometimes even through the nights. But we were full of energy, so it didn’t bother us much. When we returned home at the weekend, we met up with other foremen in a pub on Friday evening, if possible, to end the week together. We were like one big family.

Where did this ambition come from?

DIETER BINZ: Well, we were young and needed the money. (He laughs) No, joking aside. Of course, we earned more money with this method, because we worked on a performance-linked wage. By the way, it was this commitment that earned us the nickname Schöck’s wild construction crews. We mainly worked with »Hinse« blocks (large building blocks made of pumice with cavities, which were placed on top of each other in a dry construction method and then filled with concrete or additionally fitted with steel elements as needed).

Did Eberhard Schöck help on site at that time?

DIETER BINZ: Of course. He was the organiser and site manager; someone you could actually talk to about anything. In the beginning, Mrs Schöck also did the laundry for the things in the caravan and also gave us the money for the expenses every week.

A tandem team, then. How long did it go on like that?

DIETER BINZ: This was maintained until the 70s. Manfred Dierichs took over the management of the building company at the time. Meanwhile, Eberhard Schöck tinkered with his inventions. For example, he made experiments with prefabricated concrete components to further rationalise construction, such as windows with roller shutters and parapets.

Mrs Riebold, you joined the Schöck Company at a very early stage and started as Mr Schöck’s assistant. How did this happen?

MARTINA RIEBOLD: I was quite young when I started working at Schöck. So let me think about it. It was in 1988, I had completed an apprenticeship as an office clerk in a construction company and had gained initial professional experience for a few years. At just under 25 years of age I thought it was time for a change. I saw an ad in the newspaper and applied for a job as a secretary. At the interview, Mr and Mrs Schöck, Mr Dierichs, the managing director of the construction company, and his secretary sat in front of me to conduct the interview.

So Mrs Schöck also played a part in hiring you?

MARTINA RIEBOLD: Yes, Mrs Schöck had me type up the minutes of the interview in her office afterwards to check how I was carrying out this task. I must have done it flawlessly.

You replaced Mrs Schöck as her husband’s secretary?

MARTINA RIEBOLD: Until then, Mrs Schöck had done paperwork for her husband on a part-time basis. It was a great relief for her that from this point on she could intensively take care of her numerous projects.

In what way?

MARTINA RIEBOLD: Well, she was fully committed to the company from the beginning, had shaped the corporate values together with her husband and was very demanding in everything she did. She also supported her husband in his innovations in a creative way, for example, she suggested the idea of an egg shape for the light well. She has raised four children and was a writer on the side. Her dream was to publish her own books. I was Mr Schöck’s assistant for two years and then also became assistant to the managing director of the Bauteile GmbH. I stayed with Eberhard Schöck until his death.

So you have remained loyal to Mr Schöck?

MARTINA RIEBOLD: Yes, I have. He was in his early 50s, I was in my mid-20s and I could learn a lot from him, and also from Mrs Schöck. Both had very different personalities. For example, while Mrs Schöck preferred the anti-authoritarian style of upbringing, Mr Schöck was more classically authoritarian, not much though. They were both enterprising, and I always enjoyed working for Mr Schöck.

What was your impression of Mr Schöck at that time?

MARTINA RIEBOLD: Apart from always being a pleasant employer, he was always interested in what his employees thought. He would often walk through the halls, talk to people and ask if they had any ideas for improvements or perhaps inventions of their own. He had a lot of empathy towards others and was a very pleasant person.

He originated quite a few inventions. Were you involved in this, and were they always successful?

MARTINA RIEBOLD: He has had some very successful ideas. But not all of them have proved successful. I still remember Mrs Schöck’s idea of trying to invent something against the snails that were always causing trouble in the garden in Varnhalt. Both pursued the idea of building a snail fence that would keep the vermin from invading the garden. But that came to nothing, because something of that kind was already on the market. He just devoted himself to everything that aroused his curiosity, and, by the way, he had an extensive file storage full of product applications. In there where also many inventions that didn’t work out or that had simply flopped. Anyway, it’s normal for such an inventive mind to fail from time to time. I didn’t invent anything myself, but every now and then I had an idea that I told him about.

You were working for Eberhard Schöck until two years ago?

MARTINA RIEBOLD: Mr Schöck suffered from lung problems from his early childhood. That was also the reason why he repeatedly went to Switzerland to recover from his bronchial asthma. When he was well, he was very busy: initiating workshops, setting up innovation circles, looking after his employees, introducing idea competitions with a select jury and always searching for new ideas and inspiration. Even in retirement, he visited his company every day for at least two hours. Two years ago, at the age of 84, this was no longer possible for health reasons.

In what ways has the Schöck Company or the working atmosphere changed over the years?

MARTINA RIEBOLD: In 1988, the company was more manageable simply because it was smaller. What are now the departments were then the construction company, the building components and the solid construction companies. The most modern acquisitions were a fax machine and single-user workstations. The colleagues in the mail department made two rounds distributing mail every day, and people sometimes took the time to have a chat and Mr Schöck joined them. Bicycle tours, soccer tournaments or other joint excursions were organised. Today, due to the internationalisation of the company, this is no longer possible to the same extent. And the work rhythm is also different. Today, employees attach more importance to having free time, and they like to spend it with their own family or circle of friends. The awareness of work has simply changed. But the current situation also has advantages. Working with Mr Schöck was always pleasant, and we got along with each other very well because we were both passionate about building.

Mr Binz, tell us about the beginning of your long »marriage« with the Schöck Company.

RAINER BINZ: I had already finished my apprenticeship in a steel goods shop. Among us colleagues, one customer in particular stood out: Mr Schöck. At that time, he was still the managing director of a construction company in the area and bought materials for the company he worked for. Mr Schöck was always friendly and obliging, very conspicuous in his appearance. Word got around that he had founded a construction company in 1962, and then in 1967, he founded Schöck Bauteile. Since my cousin, Dieter Binz, had been foreman at that company for a long time, I had closer contact with Mr Schöck. So Mr Schöck approached me directly and asked if I would like to join him in the newly founded company. I accepted and have never regretted it.

You haven’t had that much to do with building components before, have you!?

RAINER BINZ: That’s exactly why Mr Schöck sent me to construction sites for an internship from October 1967 to March 1968, where I could see and learn everything. When I came back, I worked at Schöck Betonelemente GmbH as »maid-of-all-work«, so to speak. At the beginning, I was mainly concerned with making sure that we got any orders at all. Naturally, we didn’t yet receive any enquiries from the market back then.

Did you also work with Mr Schöck?

RAINER BINZ: In the beginning, I discussed technical and calculative issues with him. The special thing about our meetings was that Mr Schöck always made time for me. Not once did he say: »There’s no time for that now«. Never. He was friendly, interested, asked questions and listened, and I always wrote down everything we had to discuss. Afterwards, we were very effective. I learned a lot from him and, to be honest, I also grew a little fond of him over the years.

Was Mr Schöck only interested in business matters?

RAINER BINZ: No, not at all. He also took an interest in private matters. For example, I have a deaf daughter. One day, Mr Schöck approached me and wanted to talk. He asked: »I always had the impression that we don’t keep secrets from each other. Or do we?« »No,« I replied, »we don’t have any secrets. Not in any respect.« »But,« he replied, »I heard that you have a little daughter who is deaf. You never told me.« That was true. I had not told Mr Schöck about my daughter. Instead, he had learned it from colleagues. Prior to our conversation, he had contacted a professor in Freiburg and agreed that my daughter could see him for an examination. Mr Schöck paid the fees, and my daughter then travelled to this professor and had herself examined. Unfortunately, there was nothing else he could do. That is a special side of Mr Schöck, he simply is very kind.

And I suppose that he was also very kind in his company?

RAINER BINZ: Yes indeed, he certainly was. In 1970, for example, he introduced a partnership programme. Subsequently, there was a committee that evaluated employees who had been with the company for more than three years once every 12 months. The committee reviewed, for example, whether they were reliable or negligent, whether they worked in the interest of the company. There were several criteria. If your review was positive, you had the possibility of receiving a bonus. This meant that 30 per cent of the annual net profit of the Schöck Company was set aside as a retirement provision with a high interest rate for the staff. This reserve then created a subsidy for the respective pension scheme. Needless to say, this was very much in demand. If, for example, you already had a family and wanted to build a house, it was quite possible that the payout was brought forward in parts to pay part of the costs and thus finance the house, which was then a kind of old-age provision. This programme was Mr Schöck’s idea, and we were all very motivated and enthusiastic.

So you really enjoyed working at the Schöck Company?

RAINER BINZ: Yes, sure. Actually all the time. My wife used to say: »You go to work and come home after many hours still whistling after a long day’s work«. Yes, that’s what it was like all those years.

Did you also contribute to Mr Schöck’s inventions?

RAINER BINZ: No, no. Mr Schöck almost always tinkered on his own. He usually kept his ideas under wraps for up to a year. Like the light well from 1970, for example, which he then produced from glass fibre instead of concrete, thus creating a much lighter component (five per cent of the weight of concrete). He was always searching for new ideas. After the exhibitions at the respective construction fairs, visitors told him about their problems and processes on the construction sites and asked him to look for solutions. That was his world, absolutely: prefabricating building components and improving construction both technically and in terms of quality.

Have all inventions been successful?

RAINER BINZ: No, not all of them, of course. But if you are as creative and pragmatic as Mr Schöck, that’s bound to happen. I remember that we once mistakenly ordered the wrong film for the cellar windows we produced, which were packed in plastic bags to protect them from dirt, because we had not taken the tolerances into account. Now we had mountains of film. Normally, we would have had to throw it away. Mr Schöck, however, already had an idea of how to make other use of it. At a trade fair, he had met an employee of a company that integrated zips into plastic bags. He took advantage of this and then invented the plan sleeves. This was, however, mainly used as an advertising medium by the sales department, because the product did not really fit into our product range. Later, we gave up the production of plan sleeves cover altogether.

In your opinion, what has been the decisive factor for the great success over the years – apart from the growth of the company?

RAINER BINZ: The structure of the field staff is certainly decisive for the success. In the past, at the very beginning, there were only eight to ten sales representatives – no technicians. But when we moved from light wells and basement windows to more technical products like the Isokorb, we also needed a different sales structure. At that time, Mr Schöck came up to me and asked me: »What do you actually think of our products? And if you ever know someone who can support us in selling them well, please get in touch with me and give me his name.« In fact, we were in urgent need of a professional sales manager. I knew of a young Mr Kunz, who made a good impression on me at the time and did not yet work for us. I told Mr Schöck about this person and after an informative conversation with him, he hired Manfred Kunz. Unfortunately, Mr Schöck was ill on the day he started work, so Manfred Kunz had to present his very revolutionary plan to the staff of his department himself. Kunz actually managed to restructure the sales department on a product-related basis by 90 per cent within one year. After that, sales exploded. He and his team managed to raise the previous target of 25 per cent growth in sales per year to 60 per cent. The following year, he became managing director at Schöck, and in 1993, he was appointed chairman of the board of directors. You see: at Schöck you feel you are being well treated and achievements are appreciated. In conclusion, it must be said that the Schöck company as it is today would simply not be possible without a person like Eberhard Schöck – neither in technical and innovative terms nor in human terms.

How did you, Mr Krzizok, get to work for the Schöck Company?

GERHARD KRZIZOK: Well, I had had enough of building sites. I had worked there for over ten years and wanted a change anyway. One day, I drove past the Schöck Company and thought: Oh, that’s a construction company, maybe they need someone like me. And that was the case. I went to the door, knocked and asked if they had a job for me. Luckily, they had just been planning to set up a new department. Mr Schöck then asked me to come in for an interview. He was very tall, and at the beginning, I was a bit afraid of him and trembled, wondering what he would ask me. He then looked at me from head to toe, looked at my papers and said: »You have great professional experience. Do you also know how to read plans?« »Of course,« I replied, »I’ve always done that on the construction site.« And so I started working at Schöck from one day to the next. It was a great time.

Did you work together with Mr Schöck?

GERHARD KRZIZOK: No, for I was working in the new department. It was the Special Department for Primary Materials. That’s what we called it. We were responsible for the processing of the special variants of the Isokorb. Normally, such departments are called Primary Material Final Assembly. At the time, plans were discussed and processed. In the beginning, there were only two of us, an unskilled worker and me. Today, we are eight people and work in two shifts.

So you didn’t have any dealings with Mr Schöck at all, apart from your job interview?

GERHARD KRZIZOK: Well, I did, but not directly. Mr Schöck often came by to take a look at his business. I must say that I have rarely met such a nice person. During his visits, he always asked: »Do you need anything? Can I help you in any way?« That was encouraging and showed that he always took an interest. It was very familial. This attitude also became apparent when my family and I decided to buy a house. We needed a loan, of course, and instead of getting it from the bank, I got it from Mr Schöck, that is, from the company. That was truly wonderful. Of course, I repaid the loan.

You were employed in production for more than 30 years and later you also became a member of the works council. How did that develop?

GERHARD KRZIZOK: In the beginning, we didn’t have a works council for quite a long time. We were only about 100 employees at the time. Yet we already had shop stewards, but I wasn’t one of them. But colleagues asked me more and more often if I would like to do that. When the works council was formed in 1997, I joined it and over time I was elected a regular member.

Were you still directly involved with Mr Schöck at that time – also as a member of the works council?

GERHARD KRZIZOK: At first, Mr Schöck was a bit surprised when we founded the works council. But he accepted it quickly. In 1993, he withdrew from active management. Nonetheless, the feeling that the Schöck Company feels like a family has remained. Back then, the problems were laid openly on the table and everything was discussed frankly.

But you never worked directly with Mr Schöck?

GERHARD KRZIZOK: No. But I worked with his son, Robin Schöck, for two or three years. If I remember correctly, he had a holiday job. He was a very bright and interested lad and actually understood everything about the work. That was fun.

Tell us about how the company has changed in the course of time. It has become very big.

GERHARD KRZIZOK: In the past, it was simply more intimate. Mr Schöck would come up to us and say: »I need you on Saturday, are you able to work then?« And sure we were. That was a matter of course and simply less complicated. Due to internationalisation, we grew very quickly.