Hosting the Evening of Tübingen Business

Around 120 invited guests embarked on a tour of discovery at the “Evening of Tübingen Business” on Jopestraße

“Only a few of us know what you actually do at Zeltwanger,” said Professor Gerhard Braun in his welcoming speech at the 14th Evening of Tübingen Business. Once a year, the chairman and the association of Tübingen business invite their members to sniff out the competition and network in one of the regional companies or institutions. This year, around 120 guests from business, politics, and sport got an exclusive insight into “one of Tübingen’s top companies and a symbol of Tübingen’s economic boom”, as Braun put it. It was high time everyone got to know Zeltwanger a bit better on a journey of discovery.

The opportunity to get an exclusive look at the new premises on Jopestrasse was seized by a number of city councilors, the Regional Association Chairman Eugen Höschele, the First State Official Hans-Erich Messner, and the Mayor Boris Palmer. “We manufacture lots of products here behind closed doors,” said Managing Director Ulrich Zeltwanger to the intrigued guests before starting the tour.

Mayor Palmer also addressed the guests before the tour through the halls of the mechanical engineering department. “Tübingen can be proud of currently recording 54 million euros in commercial income – but the fact that the Tübingen economy is doing so well must not be taken for granted,” said the mayor, calling on entrepreneurs to make their voices heard. For example, on the subject of the tram system, which will play an important role in terms of accessibility for companies and businesses. Or with regard to the Cyber Valley, which could make Tübingen a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence. He is following the discussion surrounding this with some concern: “Some claim that combat robots are being developed in the Cyber Valley, which will then escape and wipe out Tübingen.” Palmer believes that people will have to speak out in order to protect the economy.

Innovation happens when employees feel secure

Taking measures, thinking ahead, and creating innovations – Ulrich Zeltwanger made it clear that these are the factors that drive his company and make it successful in his subsequent company presentation. “We manufacture high-tech prototypes for a handful of customers in the field of mechanical engineering. We have a small number of customers – we like to maintain very personal relationships and are the first point of contact when it comes to developing and manufacturing parts for future technologies, such as in electromobility,” said the Managing Director. Zeltwanger believes that most innovation happens when employees feel secure: “We follow our basic principles of passion, freedom, and harmony in all that we do.”

During the subsequent tour of the halls, it may not have been possible to recognize all the company’s innovations at first glance, but the famous Zeltwanger drive was palpable. “I have been a developer at Zeltwanger since 2000 and it is great to see how things have grown here,” said Wolfgang Pfeiffer, who guided one of a total of four groups of guests through the halls on the evening of the event. The participants were visibly impressed as they passed by the first-class DMU 210, took a look through the inspection window of one of the milling machines, listened to the sound of splintering aluminum particles, and marveled at the high-quality, honeycomb-shaped aluminum packaging trays in the outgoing goods area. “We produce components to the highest technological standard. And they deserve packaging that does them justice,” Pfeiffer explained, implicitly reiterating the philosophy that transformed Zeltwanger from a garage-based workshop into a top company: Enthusiasm and drive for innovation can be found in every detail. This creates the perfect environment for top human and technical achievements. The Evening of Tübingen Business also gave visitors a taste of how Zeltwanger likes to treat its guests: At the closing dinner in the stylish and top-class Zeltwanger cafeteria.