Mr. Westerlinck, you have so far worked in over 20 locations on five continents throughout your career. What has brought you to Bischof+Klein?

I had been interested for some time in working at a family-owned company that thinks and plans in the long term. I spent twelve years in my previous position and undertook a great deal of international travel. It was time for a change and a new challenge. I’m now looking forward to my duties and am ready to face the challenges at Bischof+Klein.

What is your first impression of Bischof+Klein and the company’s various plants?

Besides Lengerich, I’ve also had a brief introduction to Konzell and am looking forward to visiting our subsidiary companies in France, Poland, and the United Kingdom soon. Production conditions differ even between our German sites, so I’m very keen to see the other plants. So far, I have encountered many very nice and – without exception – motivated employees in Konzell and Lengerich. And I’ve seen extensive investment in the future, particularly in new technologies and machines. We can continue to build on that in the future.

What will be the focus of your work as COO over the coming twelve months?

One major focus will be to get the entire team working towards a common goal. We are also burdened by significant cost increases at Bischof+Klein. We are already working towards identifying potential savings and reducing costs in numerous areas. As we are working on a number of projects at the same time, deciding on priorities is very important at present.

In order to remain competitive, we have to gear ourselves up particularly well for the future. We have to compensate for the disadvantage caused by high energy and wage costs as well as soaring transport costs through increased productivity. We also have to get to grips with our costs. This is something that everyone at Bischof+Klein is responsible for. 

What does sustainability mean to you?

Sustainability begins with each and every one of us in our daily lives. If you want to buy tomatoes or strawberries in October, you have a choice between those imported from Spain or those grown in a greenhouse in the Netherlands. Many people will begin to think about which have the smaller carbon footprint or have consumed less energy. However, the right decision should be to not buy any tomatoes or strawberries in October at all, because they cannot then be offered sustainably in Germany. We have to adjust our way of thinking. Not everything has to be available everywhere at all times. We can purchase local and seasonal products, we can save energy, and reduce our water consumption. In a nutshell, we can do far more than we think.

Bischof+Klein stands for innovative and sustainable products. How would you like to evolve the company’s strategy with respect to sustainability?

Sustainability starts with the production of the product. How can we manufacture a product that is sustainable throughout its entire product life cycle? That involves the use of recyclate or recyclable material. It involves combining product innovations with the sustainable use of material. That’s what is exciting about my work at Bischof+Klein.

What do you think of Germany as a location?

The economic situation in Germany isn’t outstanding at present, but that doesn’t mean that Germany has no future as a production location. I have already been working in Germany for 25 years, and I like the country very much. We have very well trained specialists and high-quality products and technical facilities here. What we now need to do is invest in, and become fit for, the future. Buying “local for local”, meaning regionally or in your own country, is also important. To do that, we need to invest in automation and modernization in Germany in order to remain competitive.

What are your hopes for the teamwork at Bischof+Klein? 

I would like to make Bischof+Klein fit for the future together with all of the company’s employees. We are being confronted with numerous external challenges on a daily basis. Let’s overcome them together and ensure that Bischof+Klein has a future.