WIR 01/2019 [EN]

32 In Brief
Managing director Anton Schwendinger
dies after severe illness
Doppelmayr/Garaventa mourns a prominent
and respected figure.
Anton (“Tone”) Schwendinger, board member
of Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH, passed away
on December 28, 2018 following a severe
illness. For 30 years, he was instrumental in
shaping the company and contributed to its
positive development. As managing director,
he was responsible for the areas of controlling,
finance, quality management, administration,
HR, logistics and production.
Anton Schwendinger was born in Dornbirn on
April 6, 1963. After completing his obligatory
schooling, he went on to do a dual apprenticeship
as metalworker and technical draftsman.
This was followed by training to become
a master craftsman for mechanical engineering
and operating technology. In 1988,
he joined Doppelmayr in Wolfurt as project
manager for the introduction of the ERP system
known as PUISS-O. With hard work, commitment
and extensive further training, he was
able to fulfill his career potential and subsequently
held several managerial posts. As
production manager, he played a pivotal role
in consolidating the company’s position as the
world market leader in ropeway construction.
He was a strong advocate for retaining and
expanding Wolfurt as the company’s production
and development site. On July 1, 2012,
he was appointed to the post of managing
director and exercised this role with great
commitment and enthusiasm up until his
death.
Anton Schwendinger will always be remembered
by colleagues, customers and partners
not only for his outstanding technical expertise
but also and in particular for his dedication, his
positive attitude and ability to motivate, and
the way in which he responded to employee
needs. Tone, you are sadly missed.
German Minister-President Kretschmann
visits Wolfurt
Winfried Kretschmann, minister-president
of Baden-Württemberg, visited Vorarlberg
in November 2018. Vorarlberg and Baden-
Württemberg have been working together
closely on energy, environmental and climate
policy for many years and regularly
exchange views on these topics. One of the
items on the agenda was a trip to Doppelmayr
to take a look at apprentice training at
a Vorarlberg company and to share ideas
on the recruitment of skilled workers and
vocational training. Kretschmann underlined
the importance of the dual system of vocational
education and training for the economy in
both countries and the promising future prospects
for young people that are associated
with it.
Interest in urban ropeway solutions
Winfried Kretschmann and his delegation,
which included Minister of Transport
Winfried Hermann, were also keen to find
out more about the possibilities of
innovative ropeway systems in the urban
environment. Doppelmayr’s managing director
Thomas Pichler presented a series of
successful projects that illustrate just
how efficient, environmentally friendly and
space-saving ropeway installations in cities
can be.