Info 1 2008 Engl - Buderus Edelstahl Gmbh

The Company
Bernhard Pauly retired at the end of the year
Aircraft, travel, and time
Bernhard Pauly joined Buderus Edelstahl in 1970. He has now retired almost 38 years
later. His departure with record sales for bar stock and the stockholding service is
impressive, as is his career in the company. “I’m glad it all worked out like this”, he
says in the interview, and smiles – as well he might.
“Now I no longer spend Sunday thinking
about the tasks of the coming Monday. A
new quality of life”, observes Bernhard
Pauly, as he describes his plans with enthusiasm.
He talks of conversion work on the
house, of new space for an old hobby –
building model aircraft, which the experienced
former motor aircraft pilot now
wishes to devote himself to. Talks of trips
to the philharmonic orchestras in Vienna,
Berlin and elsewhere around the world, of
time and joint activities with his Hiltrud –
a very nice lady, his “better half” and also
his right hand; she undoubtedly contributed
a great deal over past decades to the
success of her husband and of Buderus
Edelstahl.
Prize exhibit: an eraser
Things were different when Bernhard Pauly
joined the Buderus Edelstahl time management
function in 1970. His fi rst tools were
a pencil split in the middle with a wooden
extension, and half an eraser given to him
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EDELSTAHL Info 1/2008
by the then offi ce supervisor, with the solemn
admonition that it was the only eraser
he would be given here, and it had to last
until he retired. Because people who erase
a lot think too little beforehand, and people
who think too little are no use in the
long term.
Bernhard Pauly still has his eraser. Partly
because it was he who introduced EDP into
time management, which saved more than
just pencil costs. On the basis of his achievements,
he soon became Team Leader and
then Work Scheduling Manager at the
forge; in 1980 he was appointed Head of
Central Operations Scheduling. What followed
was the development of a CAQ system
unique at that time in the steel industry,
and a PS system – “two highlights of
my creation” – is what Bernhard Pauly calls
them. In 1988 he became Head of the then
Tool Steel Sales division, and was appointed
commercial attorney.
With the construction and relocation to
the “blue workshop” in 1991, the growth of
Michael Hammer, 45, has taken on overall management of
sales for Buderus Edelstahl GmbH with effect from 1 January
2008. Since August 1981 he has worked in various
sales functions at home and abroad for Buderus Edelstahl.
Since March 1995 he has been very successfully managing
the Open-Die Forgings sales sector, and is now also responsible
for the Steel Bar and Billets sales sector. This sector
was managed by Bernhard Pauly until he retired on
31 December 2007. Considering his new expanded role,
Mr Hammer says, “The worldwide sales prospects for our
very sophisticated products and the constantly changing
market conditions present great challenges for a sales team, and extremely interesting
tasks that I am thoroughly looking forward to.”
Bernhard Pauly
the tool steel and structural steel sectors
under Pauly’s leadership increased explosively
worldwide. “The number of employees
here grew very rapidly from 25 to more
than 60 people. An excellent team, a group
that worked very well; all our success was
due to them”, he emphasises.
Travelling the world
In the course of his long activity for Buderus
Edelstahl, Bernhard Pauly got to know the
metropolises of the world, travelling
through Europe, Asia, the USA and Canada.
Interesting experiences, valuable contacts
and occasional hilarious events remain as
good memories. One of the latter was a
three-day Indian wedding feast that he
attended dressed traditionally in a long silk
robe. “As I went up the stairs”, he says with
a smile, “I trod on the robe and suddenly I
was standing there in my shirt and black
socks and shoes.” But he soon found a solution
for this problem as well – the belt of
his trousers served to secure the unaccustomed
garment above his hips.
Bernhard Pauly takes a positive view of
Buderus Edelstahl’s future, “Buderus Edelstahl
is very well positioned and has a fantastic
future, particularly with the high
level of investment that is still ongoing.
Providing everyone pulls together, the
company will be unbeatable in the long
term, making its customers also unbeatable.”
Nodding, smiling and speaking from
experience that is what he says.
We say many thanks, Bernhard Pauly,
good luck, and all the best.