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NORMA Group is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The blog series 15 Voices – 15 Countries gives 15 colleagues from 15 countries an opportunity to report on their experiences at NORMA Group and tell us how NORMA Group has developed at their location.
Aleš Effenberger is Supply Chain Manager EMEA at the NORMA Group site in Hustopeče, Czech Republic.
How long have you been working at NORMA Group?
I started working for GEMI in February 1999. The company was acquired by the ABA Group in 2001. I have been part of NORMA Group since the merger of ABA Group with Rasmussen in 2006. Altogether, I have been working in the company for more than 22 years.
What events at NORMA Group have been the most memorable for you in your time here?
I have experienced a lot in my 22 years with the company. I will always remember the acquisition of GEMI by ABA Group, the merger of ABA and Rasmussen, the financial crisis in 2008/2009 as well as the IPO in 2011. These were of course all huge milestones for NORMA Group, but they were also huge milestones for me. On a personal note, I particularly remember the merger of ABA and Rasmussen. Prior to the merger, ABA and Rasmussen were competitors. But overnight, former adversaries were to become colleagues. It was not easy for us at the beginning to suddenly no longer regard our colleagues from Rasmussen as competitors, but as colleagues. Gradually, however, we managed to bridge the gap between us. I personally started to break the ice with my colleagues from Rasmussen at a meeting during the winter/spring in 2007. We got together and worked on one of the first and big NORMA Group production relocations. It was not quite easy from the beginning, but we successfully managed that. With time, we have grown together into a real team and life-long friendships have developed.
How has NORMA Group changed or developed since you started working here?
NORMA Group has changed quite a bit since I started working here. We have grown from a relatively known company with one owner on the top into a major global stock listed corporation. Today, nearly 9,000 employees around the world work for NORMA Group and, together, we are constantly expanding and optimizing our product portfolio.
What would you like to see in the future of NORMA Group?
I am proud to work for NORMA Group and I love my job. In general, I really wish that the Corona pandemic would come to an end. For NORMA Group, I hope that we will all be able to look to the future with confidence. Many colleagues know me for my passion for sea sailing and therefore I would like to say: We have course, sails are set up, we have a very good and experienced crew, we have a stable and proven ship. With this we are going to reach the horizon, that is where our target is. All together!
