This semester’s three-day excursion took place in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. We visited Bechtle AG in Neckarsulm, Leoni Kabel in Nuremberg, and ebmpapst in Mulfingen.

Bechtle AG is a publicly-traded company that provides IT solutions worldwide. Headquartered in Baden-Württemberg, Bechtle has over 80 subsidiaries across the world and more than 8000 employees. Pforzheim University’s MBA candidates and guests were warmly welcomed by Mr. Michael Moon, Director of International Business Units. Mr. Moon introduced the structure of the company and explained the culture of the company as “zukunftsstark,” which literally means strong future. However, it means more than that; it encompasses connection, experience, entrepreneur, and innovation.

In the atrium stands a 5-foot tall “4.0” sculpture, which captures Bechtle AG’s forward thinking, and their interest that they “like to invest in the future.” Martin Meyer, Head of E-Procurement Services, who worked at Bechtle for 26 years, was best able to tell how Bechtle’s one-man business in 1983 turned into the European leading IT company of over 8000 employees in 2018. Mr. Meyer discussed digitalization and how “It’s the new way of doing business.”

On day two of the excursion, Mr. Wolfgang Lösch, the Managing Director at Leoni Kabel, illuminated the discussion about their new “On Fire” company culture and their move towards “smart” products and services and new business models. Leoni Kabel, formed in 1917, is the global provider of automotive wires, optical fibers, cables, assembled systems, and “smart” products and services. Despite experiencing rapid growth with over 86 000 employees worldwide and with over 100 years of experience, Leoni Kabel is still inspired to keep close-knit working relationships and to continue to “be a big family,” Mr. Lösch explained. The enterprise started as a company producing premium textile-braided ribbons and cords, which later turned into manufacturing wires. Mr. Lösch graciously organized a private tour for the MBA group of the former textile manufacturing workshop, current-day museum, which enabled the students to understand the connection of old technology to new cutting-edge systems.

Lastly, the excursion ended with a captivating tour of ebmpapst, the world’s leading manufacturer of energy-saving fans and motors. Located in a beautiful forest surrounded with rolling hills, lies one hidden gem of Baden-Württemberg’s innovative companies, ebmpapst. It employs over 11 500 employees. Ebmpapst has received multiple awards for their engineering, marketing, and design, to name a few, including “Red Dot Award 2017: Product Design” for its AxiBlade axial fan. Touring the manufacturing plant led by Alexander Rhein, IT Department in Manufacturing Services, and Markus Hasenfuß in Industrial Engineering Department, students were fascinated to see Industry 4.0-capable products being manufactured right before their eyes.

MBA excursions are not only a means to learn about companies and network with employees, but it is also about giving opportunities for students to learn some German history and culture. Students tasted the famous Nuremberg sausages at Bratwurst-Röslein, a traditional restaurant founded in 1431. During a guided, walking-city tour, they sampled Nuremberg’s renown Lebkuchen (ginger cookie), learned about the history of the city, and discovered local cafes and eateries. To help understand a part of Germany’s history, they were also introduced to a brief background of the Nazi party and how they centered their meetings and rallies in Nuremberg. While it was not always comfortable to imagine what happened during the period leading up to World War II, students had the chance to learn more about it through a guided-walking tour around the Nazi party rally grounds and a self-guided tour of the Reichsparteitagsgelände Museum. The entire excursion was a great experience to learn, network, build relationships with colleagues and professors, and have fun.