Jürgen Grössler, Sorg's former Head of Forehearth and Glass Conditioning Department, is now retiring from the business after 40 years.
Mr Grössler started working at Sorg in June 1982 when the glass industry was very different: "We were not and had no need to be available 24/7 in the past, and nobody was expecting a solution to their problem on the same day because there are also specialists in the plants.
"Electronic systems and controls or automation have also greatly increased the available data per system. On top of that, nowadays, a lot of value is placed on using less energy and far fewer staff in the glassworks."
He adds that today, problems can be solved immediately: "It used to take a little longer when travelling wasn't that easy and communication tools less advanced."
Driven to the glass industry after previously working in the mechanical engineering field, joining Sorg offered him the opportunity to use his knowledge and experience in a new field as part of the Glass Conditioning team. Over his career at Sorg, Mr Grössler worked on more than 2000 projects globally, having travelled to around 50 countries.
According to Managing Partner, Alexander Sorg, Mr Grössler will always be remembered for his professionalism and commitment: "He has worked on some challenging projects and excelled in all of them. One example was his dedication during the Emhart takeover in 2006. Grössler and his team had to organise the transfer of technical and commercial knowledge from the USA to Germany in record time. And he did it in just a couple of weeks."
When asked what he would miss the most, the immediate answer was his colleagues, customers and suppliers. However, Mr Grössler is confident that the team he leaves behind will continue to further strengthen those relationships. Training and education of young and new employees was, over all the years, one of his main focuses.
