On May 8, the PALFINGER Campus and PALFINGER World were officially opened in the presence of Upper Austria’s Federal Governor Thomas Stelzer, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PALFINGER AG Hubert Palfinger, second Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PALFINGER AG Hannes Palfinger, PALFINGER CEO Andreas Klauser, PALFINGER CFO Felix Strohbichler and guests from business and education. In his address, Upper Austrian Federal Governor Thomas Stelzer said, “Recruiting and retaining skilled workers currently presents a real challenge for every company. Welltrained employees are one of the key factors for a dynamic business location such as Upper Austria. With their high-quality products, but above all their commitment to a corporate culture of learning and ongoing education, companies in Upper Austria have played a vital role in making our province one of the 50 most competitive regions in Europe despite difficult international conditions. With this investment, PALFINGER once again underlines its commitment to the region and to Upper Austria as a location for business and industry.”
The Future of the Working World: Concentrated Expertise on the PALFINGER Campus
During the panel discussion at the opening ceremony, PALFINGER CEO Andreas Klauser discussed how the future of the working world must be shaped with leading experts including Iris Schmidt, Managing Director of the Upper Austrian employment office; Labor Expert, Author, and Founder of “Basically Innovative” Lena Marie Glaser; and Katrin Hintermeier, Manager Consulting at Deloitte Austria and Co-author. A proactive approach plays an important role in this regard. Because employees are the driving force behind the success of companies. Only those employers who offer their talents exciting long-term prospects are considered attractive.
Learning at the Cutting Edge: The First-Class Training Program
Continuous, individual development is therefore of paramount importance. During the expert panel discussion, Michael Berger, Vice President Global Human Resources at PALFINGER, and Verena Lekl, Technical Trainer at PALFINGER, gave insights into the comprehensive range of development opportunities offered at PALFINGER and the PALFINGER Campus - from apprenticeships for high school graduates to training programs for management. The Lengau location is of particular significance in this context: The very first PALFINGER apprentices’ workshop was opened here 30 years ago. Today, over 120 apprentices are trained in 15 different technical and commercial professions. But existing PALFINGER employees also actively continue their education on campus on both a personal and professional level, either through training courses or interdepartmental assignments.
PALFINGER World: Experience the PALFINGER Spirit up Close
In addition to the PALFINGER Campus, PALFINGER World was also brought to life on May 8. On over 1,600 square meters, it offers customers and partners a comprehensive brand and product experience, including a fan shop. Visitors can discover the innovative products and solutions for themselves, while a factory tour provides further insights into the manufacturing expertise of the international company. PALFINGER World is also a place for employees and guests to actively exchange ideas: State-of-theart conference and event rooms are available to PALFINGER employees and their guests. The aim: to connect people locally and internationally and to proactively develop new, future-oriented concepts and ideas together. In addition to the grand opening, PALFINGER employees had the chance to experience the PALFINGER Campus and PALFINGER World for themselves in advance. As part of an event week, the opening will also be celebrated with customers, partners and interested parties with guided tours and interactive stations. The world market leader invested more than EUR 10 million in the newly built PALFINGER Campus and PALFINGER World - an investment in the future!
More photos of the opening can be found here (Copyright: PALFINGER): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hr09RMCk9yvJ7DwubXSpeXsgZkQjl-_3
