PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2011

PET TOP TALK 11 PET planet insider Vol. 12 No. 05/11 www.petpla.net Otto Hofstetter: I joined the firm in 1985. Back then, I was head of production. I am an engineer through and through. I have worked on the machines, and have expert knowl- edge of the majority of our machine tools. I won my spurs in production and subsequently managed it on an accountable basis for 10 years. I was lucky enough to have a father who had confidence in me and made funds available for investment. We invested significantly over those years – in production and factory equipment – confident that there was a future for sophisticated production in Switzer- land and trusting in the quality and reliability of our Swiss workforce. The most important factor in achieving sustainable success is our production equipment, something which is con- stantly in need of replacement. PETplanet: Where do you feel that your corporate duties and respon- sibilities lie today? Otto Hofstetter: Naturally I see it as my duty to safeguard employ- ment in the long term. This is what our employees appreciate and it is the reason why they give their unstint- ing commitment to the company. We have very few changes at the cor- porate level. We have a good mix of long-serving and recent recruits in our workforce. Back in 1958 my father embarked on the training of apprentices, and they continue to come through the ranks, thus benefit- ing both the staff themselves and the company. PETplanet: What has motivated you – as a person? Otto Hofstetter: On the one hand I get a kick out of technology and on the other I enjoy leading, endeav- ouring to motivate my staff, and to encourage them to act independently and on their own initiative. I am not like my father, who went for - what you might call - a very paternal style of management. I seek out people who are prepared to set out on a course with me and to move forward indepen- dently. I give them plenty of freedom. If they don’t make use of this freedom, they are unlikely to be comfortable here. PETplanet: And where would you say your added value for the company lies? Otto Hofstetter: The family structure represents added value. We are flexible in terms of thinking and fast-acting when we need to be. If we resolve to invest and the market suddenly changes in the course of the purchase, then we call a stop to the project and make an alterna- tive decision. This is the advantage that a family business has over a big concern. We have short deci- sion paths. We are able to act fast as need arises. PETplanet: As far as your own individual personality is concerned, duty and freedom of the private individual have entered a symbiotic relationship? Otto Hofstetter: Precisely. PETplanet: The plant is working at full capacity. This presumably means you have a full orderbook ? Otto Hofstetter: Indeed, we have. PETplanet: To what do you attrib- ute the current boom? Otto Hofstetter: We have adopted a strategy of continuous improve- ment as far as tools are concerned and have responded to the challeng- ing nature of today’s market, i.e. we have adapted the moulds to meet our customers’ expectations – as regards cycle time, service life and reliability – this is something on which we have been working consistently. PETplanet: But the market trends must have been helpful. Otto Hofstetter: It goes without saying that the trends exhibited in the markets are helpful. In particular in the Far East where the market is growing. And in Europe, where we as mould- makers are benefiting from the materi- als savings potential of the PET bottle. There have been innovations in the threads sector. Many of our customers are having their moulds converted. Otto Hofstetter as a person PETplanet: The company Otto Hofstetter was established in 1955 and ever since that time it has been in the ownership of the Hofstetter family. You took over management of the company from your father in 1997, the second generation of the family to take the helm. Otto Hofstetter (left) is top-talking with Wolfgang von Schroeter (right)