HILPOLTSTEIN (car) – Since August 1st the company that filed a petition for insolvency in February 2006, belongs to the 39 years old wirily business economist. After months between hope and trepidation, while insolvency administrator Dr. Werner Pöhlmann had taken the 97 years old long-established company under his wings, Winter purchased the realty, later also the corporation and retained the company with all its employees.
The pump manufacture hence is now part of the Winter-Group together with ventilation builder factories in Langenzenn, Fürth and Sulzbach-Rosenberg and a foundry in Kronach. Winter himself promised the staff of the insolvent company, which had been reduced from 80 to 60 co-workers: “In one year we will be in the black.�

Vacation bonus

Five months of this year have passed. The Pumpenfabrik Hilpoltstein is already in the black. Three new staff members have been employed, five more are to follow. With immediate effect vacation bonus is paid again, “that has not been the case for many years.�
This speed is due to the motivated co workers and the loyal customers, the owner and director expressly lauds.
Above this, there is, what Winter humbly calls “sporty�: The takeover was carried out with a concomitant fast and effective modernisation and restructuring. A new software is currently included and tested. The development of a new pump is frenetically going on, to ensure the product is ready for sale within a development period of only three months.
At the same time Winter takes a keen look at the suppliers and is probably going to dismiss a third. The arrangement for an insolvent company to pay in advance does no longer apply – “the period of grace is over after five months.� Self-consciously the director of SPECK Pumps adds: “We drop out of this arrangement, since we are too growth-oriented for it.�

The Speck Pumpen Daniel Speck und Söhne GmbH has a new owner. The old-established business in Hilpoltstein was taken over by the successful business man Thomas Winter.
As the insolvency administrator Dr. Werner Pöhlmann informed yesterday in the afternoon, due to this takeover the location in Hilpoltstein could be preserved. Hence, it would now be possible to safeguard the jobs on the long run.
He seemed relieved to have found in Thomas Winter a “reliable partner with the required corporate vision�, the press release of the insolvency administrator says. As associate and authorized officer the 38-years old business man has been managing the Krauss Lüftungsbau GmbH in Lagenzenn for eleven years. This company, too, had been taken over by Winter.
According to Pöhlmann, Winter had not only succeeded to sustain the company and to break even in a short space of time; with high corporate skills he also managed to expand old business segments and gain new. In particular, international markets were developed. The human resources expanded during this period.

Quality persists

The co-workers of the SPECK Pumpen plant in Hilpoltstein can hence look into the future as optimistically as can the customers of the company’s products, the insolvency administrator assures. In Hilpoltstein, too, everything is done to maintain the high quality standard of the SPECK pumps and to expand the international business segement.
Pöhlman is convinced to have given the business, which was not over indebted, according to the expertise that was furnished in connection with the proceedings, in good and responsible hands.

Thus, after insolvency proceedings for four months the new company SPECK Pumpen Hilpoltstein GmbH started operating, yesterday. “I hope we will break even quickly�, says the new owner Thomas Winter. Already in one year, Winter wants to be in the black.

Safeguard the location
The 38-years old business man from Langenzenn is managing partner and has taken over a ventilation engineering company in the region eleven years ago and lead it back to the road of success. The company even expanded.
With SPECK Pumpen in Hilpoltstein Winter has a similar agenda. “We will try to reemploy laid-off co-workers, if the worldwide economic situation develops positively�, says Thomas Winter. No one would have to fear salary losings. Currently 65 co-workers are employed in Hilpoltstein. During the four months long insolvency proceedings 17 co-workers were laid off, some have resigned. “The productivity was not negatively influenced�, states Winter, who wants to safeguard the location Hilpoltstein permanently. “I have concomitantly purchased the realty. Hence, there is a lot of own funds within.�

�The product was never bad�
This is not the only reason Winter is convinced the new start is going to succeed. “The product was never bad�, the new managing director states. Therefore, the produced pumps will be the same as in the precursory company. But breaches have been made in the management and the financial area. Nevertheless, the company had never been over indebted. Furthermore, all customers remained true to SPECK Pumpen. A base one can rely on.