At Full Speed Towards Retirement

Horst Groninger personally hired him with a handshake after they had visited the Schnelldorf plant together one evening. “I was impressed - I started just a few days later” recalls Wallhäuser, adding with a laugh: “I didn’t even have an employment contract then. It was drawn up only a few weeks later - after starting work.”

Manfred Schall has been working at the Engineering department in Schnelldorf since 2002, where he not only witnessed a lot of changes, but he also actively helped to shape them. For example, he was substantially involved in the changeover from mechanical cam to servo drive and from there on he took over the engineering of the servo-controlled filling machines in almost all types. “When they saw the huge gearbox, my colleagues joked: 'Manfred, you are aware that we aren’t building excavators here'.” An inside joke because the 64-year-old was previously employed at a company that manufactures construction machinery such as excavators and wheel loaders.

Manfred Schall was often able to utilize the knowledge he gained there at groninger - even if it sometimes required thinking outside the box in a creative way: “Especially when it came to viscous products, my experience in the field of hydraulics was helpful” he sums up.

Yet I still had one or two sleepless nights. “The multi-position rotary valve on mascaras and creams got on my nerves” he admits with a laugh. It took a few material tests to get the desired result and a higher processing performance. However, it worked – thanks to Manfred Schall.

The job variety, the opportunity to keep growing with new projects and, of course, the cooperation between colleagues is what the deputy mayor of Wallhausen has learned to appreciate during the 20 years working at groninger, and this is ultimately what made the time fly by so quickly. “I thought it was great that as an engineer I also had contact with customers. This made it even more of a diversified job.”

Ralf Glock, who was Manfred Schall’s team leader from the first to the last day of work, can only emphasize this: “Manfred is definitely a jack of all trades. He was involved in sales consultations, commissioned machines for customers and then validated them.” His wealth of knowledge is immense and he has always shared that with his colleagues. Yet another reason why we will miss the family man a lot.

In his newly gained free time, he will increasingly devote himself to his hobbies and take care of his orchards, but above all his grandchildren, who are still little.

We are certain that he will enjoy this time because he has seen more than once at groninger how quickly time flies.

We wish him a lot of fun and, of course, all the best!