Purely a matter for the boss
Brand relaunch, digitalisation and pandemic - these are turbulent times for Steinbeis Papier. All of this requires special management skills, especially from the decision-makers. Ulrich Feuersinger has more than 30 years of management experience and has been successfully applying this as Managing Director of the recycled paper manufacturer for almost seven years. In this interview, the 62-year-old native of Bavaria not only provides personal insights, but also answers the challenges of our time and how Steinbeis Papier is tackling them.
Mr Feuersinger, what does your working day look like?
I start between 7.30 and 8 o'clock. My single breakfast is rather spartan. With a black coffee in my hand, I go through the upcoming working day - usually twelve hours - mentally and conceptually. Of course, I enquire about the moods of the employees in the office and have a few corridor conversations. But I can't look around the entire plant, it's far too extensive for that, and the technical area isn't my primary area of responsibility either. Then there are various meetings, depending on which projects are currently on the agenda.
You were born in Bavaria. To what extent was it a change for you - both professionally and privately - to move to the far north?
It was a change, but I quickly learnt to appreciate the country and its people. And of course the North Sea is a bit different to the Bavarian Alpine foothills, but it certainly has a lot to offer. I really enjoy being in Schleswig-Holstein, especially in spring and summer. And the Hamburg metropolitan region leaves nothing to be desired. To be honest, my main place of residence is still in Bavaria - that means I commute home regularly, so the familiarisation period has been quite unproblematic. And I'm used to travelling a lot for work anyway.
What was the deciding factor in accepting the position of Managing Director at Steinbeis Papier?
After 25 years in the wood industry, I was looking for a new challenge. My career began in the paper industry. The move to Steinbeis Papier was a step "back to the roots" and a return to the paper business.
What makes Steinbeis Papier an outstanding company in its segment?
We got to grips with recycling at a very early stage - initially for economic rather than ecological reasons. We are different from other paper manufacturers, who generally work with wood and virgin fibre paper. We can clearly differentiate ourselves by making a clear commitment to the circular economy. With this in mind, we are also pursuing a clear strategy.
In your opinion, what were the milestones that made Steinbeis Papier one of the most modern recycled paper manufacturers in Europe?
The starting point was, of course, working with an innovative raw material. In other words, not processing wood into pulp and producing paper from it. We wanted to consciously use waste paper in order to recycle it with corresponding cost advantages and less energy consumption. This pioneering work marked the essential first step. As a result, waste paper processing was continuously expanded over the decades at great expense. Today, we have one of the most modern plants of its kind in Europe, which is connected to its own power station. This means that the energy supply is optimised both ecologically and economically. In the last ten years alone, Steinbeis has invested 300 million euros in the Glückstadt site.
What challenges does the company face - excluding the pandemic for now?
Digitalisation is a key issue - the screen is replacing printed paper. We at Steinbeis Papier are firmly convinced that we can still hold our own. We believe in our product. On the other hand, digitalisation is also helpful in improving our processes and tapping into new customer groups. This also includes communicating our messages to the outside world in new ways. We are also dealing with a changing world of work. Working from home and other work structures are opening up new customer groups. We are reaching them via new sales channels. One approach here is our web shop, which is currently under construction.
New web shop, new brand image - what is currently changing at Steinbeis Papier?
We are known for our high-quality office paper made from 100 per cent recycled paper. The climate crisis has once again encouraged us to focus on sustainability. With "ReThinkingPaper", we want to encourage people to rethink and also pass this message on to our sales staff as an argument. On the other hand, our aim is to develop new products and establish new paper variants. In addition to companies, we are also increasingly focussing on the end customer. We are already doing a lot to address them, be it via social media or our blog. Ultimately, our products are aimed at anyone who uses paper.
What response have you had?
Shortly after the launch of our new brand identity, we won the PBS Report Green Award in January. The award recognises sustainable products in the stationery industry (paper, office supplies and stationery). The response to "ReThinkingPaper", particularly from our major customers, has been consistently positive.
What effect do you hope the new brand identity will have?
We clearly want to sell more paper with the brand identity. Our aim is to further strengthen our role as the market leader in office paper. In the next step, we want to internationalise the brand and launch "ReThinkingPaper" across Europe.
To what extent has the pandemic affected Steinbeis Papier?
Retail with its advertising flyers has been lost as a customer group. no travel catalogue was printed with Steinbeis Papier in 2020 because tourism was virtually non-existent. Nevertheless, we are optimistic that the situation will improve again in the foreseeable future.
During the pandemic, "New Work" has become a key topic. What concepts have you established at Steinbeis Papier and do you still want to establish?
After the pandemic, we will certainly be discussing new ways of working. I'm currently noticing that many employees who are currently forced to work from home are looking forward to returning to the office. There is a lack of dialogue with colleagues. In addition, coordination has become more difficult. Working from home is therefore not the general working concept at Steinbeis Papier. However, a certain amount of flexibility to work from home a few days a month is certainly possible.
Where do you still see potential for new ways of working?
We are switching 50 per cent of our business meetings to online conferences. We have already established this in the past. The situation is different for our sales staff. They are currently going through a very difficult time and are longing for their usual ways of working - personal contact with the customer is essential for them and Steinbeis Papier. The situation is different in production, where constant changes are planned in the face of digitalisation.
What does the future hold for Steinbeis Papier?
We will continue to firmly anchor ecology and sustainability in our DNA. We will continue to provide office papers as the market leader in the long term. That is why we are also expanding our product portfolio in this area. We are also looking for alternatives outside the magazine and advertising sector. We are currently marketing our new labelling paper. Beverage manufacturers with sustainability requirements want to label their products with paper that is certified with the "Blue Angel". After the test runs with the relevant printers, we will move forward with our existing plans.
As the managing director of a leading recycled paper manufacturer, when do you personally use paper?
For notes or printing - I use no other paper than Steinbeis paper. I'm also sure that I wouldn't get any other paper in our company. The use of paper is certainly also a generational issue. Nevertheless, according to scientific findings, cognitive learning works much better on paper. I print out complex pieces of text. And when I work on a concept, I usually do it by hand on paper.
What sustainability strategy do you pursue in your private life?
Personally, I'm already looking at how I can reduce mycarbon footprint. After the pandemic, I'll also be travelling again. I'm making sure that regional and seasonal food ends up on my table. My heating will soon be running on a district heating network. Steinbeis Papier also has concrete plans for even more sustainability: we want to introduce electromobility throughout the company. The infrastructure with charging points is being set up for this and company cars will only be electric in future - as far as this is compatible with the range.
Cover picture: Florian Thoss for Steinbeis Papier
Author
As a senior editor, Benjamin Seibring specialises in developing content on sustainability, mobility, technology and lifestyle. An editorial traineeship at a German media group and his many years of experience in corporate publishing form the basis. With a high affinity for trend topics and innovative AI tools, he implements cross-media storytelling.
