ALFRED BAUER

Veteran with a big heart

Every company has its seasoned professionals – and MEIKO is no exception. Alfred Bauer, a trained construction mechanic, has been working for us since 1982. Despite a hearing impairment, he has successfully mastered two very different roles: serving on the works council, and applying his welding skills to the fabrication of tables and countertops. Read on to find out why Alfred’s bond with MEIKO is so special.

ALFRED IS A TRUE EMBODIMENT OF THE MEIKO SPIRIT.

It's been four decades since he completed his apprenticeship and joined the "2700 Table Fabrication" department – and he remains an integral part of the MEIKO family to this day. In 2005, he was elected to the works council as the representative for employees with disabilities, a role he is passionate about: "I love being there for my colleagues and providing them with the support they need. From my very first day at MEIKO, I've always felt like I belonged."

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB, ALFRED?

Alfred: "Definitely the variety, and the fact that every day brings new challenges. I get to meet all sorts of interesting people through my separate role on the works council. Plus, I really enjoy the positive working atmosphere with my colleagues during our regular shopfloor meetings in the table production area. The best thing about my job is the flexibility I have in scheduling and managing my dual roles."

WHY HAVE YOU STAYED AT MEIKO FOR SO LONG?

Alfred: "Put simply, because the company is genuinely willing to listen to everyone's input and ideas. MEIKO has never ceased to evolve and improve over the four decades I've been here, and that's been an amazing thing to see. Yet despite being such a dynamic company, there's always been a great sense of camaraderie. We're like one big family! It's incredible to think that MEIKO will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2027. That's something we can really take pride in."

100&NBSP;PERCENT COMMITTED TO MEIKO

Once you join MEIKO, you never look back! After so many positive years working here, this job is really close to my heart.

GIVE ME SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW MEIKO BRINGS ITS CULTURE TO LIFE.

Alfred: "One of the things I love here are the company events; for example, our big MEIKO summer party at the Offenburg site, or the wiener sausage celebrations to mark the birthdays of company founder Oskar Meier and his wife Rosel. Everyone working at the site gets a couple of sausages with mustard along with a drink and some chocolate. It's a great tradition which I think brings us closer together."

HOW DO YOU UNWIND FROM WORK?

Alfred: "Spending time with family and friends is the perfect way to relax. I've been married for 25 years and have three grown-up daughters. The youngest has just finished school, the second-oldest recently started a primary school teaching degree, and the oldest has just completed her degree in architecture, so there's a lot going on! I love working in the garden, and I'm also a signed-up member of the Friesenheim Music Association and Sozialverband VdK, a German association that advocates for the rights of people with disabilities. I'm also an active member of the Freiburg cochlear implant support group.

PEDAL POWER

Welding veteran Alfred arrives at work every morning on his folding bike. Cycling the whole way from his home in Friesenheim would obviously be too far, but his trusty bike offers a reliable means of getting between the train station and the production site.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO POTENTIAL APPLICANTS?

Alfred: "Be open to new things and embrace change. I've recommended MEIKO as an employer to people with disabilities, even personally recruiting some who've now been here for years. MEIKO genuinely supports employees, helping them flourish regardless of physical limitations. I’ve never had a problem with that side of things in over four decades here, and I’m tremendously grateful for that, too."

CAREER TO DATE

1982-1985

Apprenticeship as a Structural Steel Mechanic (now known as a Construction Mechanic)

From 1985 to present

Welder in the production department for tables and countertops

From 2005 to present

Elected representative for employees with disabilities

2018

Deputy member of the works council

From 2022 to present

Member of the works council + representative for employees with disabilities

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