Managing Director Max Oblinger celebrates his 20th anniversary

Managing Director Max Oblinger celebrates his 20th anniversary

In August 1993, the young mechanical engineer Max Oblinger made a far-reaching decision that he was probably not even aware of at the time. He decided to work for a young and small engineering firm - Ingenieurbüro Michael Gammel. 20 years later, he is celebrating his anniversary here as Managing Director. "I was actually an Audi employee - I completed my apprenticeship as a toolmaker at Audi and did my internship there during my studies," says the current Managing Director of Gammel Engineering. "But even during my internship, I realized that such large corporate structures were not for me." During his engineering studies at Regensburg University of Applied Sciences, he became increasingly interested in energy and energy technology and specialized in this field. "It was clear to me that this topic would be with me for the rest of my life. It was the right decision for me," says the 46-year-old. "Today, I'm the only person from my degree who actually still works with what he learned during his studies. I work in practice, that's what I like about my job." For the mechanical engineer, the relationship with his employees, customers and projects is crucial: "Of course I know every employee - including what concerns them personally - but I also know every customer and know about the projects. As a person, I am the point of contact - that's important to me." And a very decisive reason for company loyalty: "When you work in a medium-sized company, you can help shape the company. I joined a very young company and I was able to grow and develop with the company. That is the decisive advantage of smaller companies. You can shape your company." The highlight for Max Oblinger is when a turbine turns for the first time: "Everything is decided at the commissioning stage: two years of development, planning and construction are behind us. Of course you're nervous. When the turbine starts up, synchronizes and the system is connected to the grid, it's like your child taking their first steps. A great sense of achievement."

For Max Oblinger, the family environment at Gammel Engineering is a key reason for his loyalty to the company: "Sustainability is also a crucial factor in my career: I feel comfortable here, the conditions and the environment are right. Why would I go to another company - into the unknown, just for a few euros more?" Making employees and their families feel at home is a top priority at Gammel. Company outings are organized regularly, and Christmas parties with partners are obligatory. "It's important to us that every employee is well integrated. This also means that we know where the shoe pinches - even privately. We are one big company family here and are there for each other." The native of Ingolstadt almost raves about the Abensberg location: "The people of Abensberg are very open-minded - people like to go out here, strangers are quickly integrated. We also have a very low fluctuation rate in the company - people like it here." There are many employees who, like him, have come from out of town but have settled here and bought apartments or built houses. The company's internal move from the Gammels' detached house to its own company building is still a very important milestone for Max Oblinger: "Our customers still talk about the inauguration ceremony today."

For the future, the Managing Director hopes that the company will continue to be on a sound financial footing: "We made a strategic decision years ago to be a medium-sized company: When a company gets bigger, the distances become longer and there are more organizational levels - but flat hierarchical levels are important to us." This is the only way to be close to the project, the customer and the employee. "We want to remain a pioneer for decentralized energy supply, continue to manage innovative and interesting projects and make the Kombi Power System a brand."