My way to ELOKON

In many respects I went down the classic route of business studies, where I was immediately drawn to the area of customer relations. My experience working in other countries such as Canada, Spain, Malta, South Africa further broadened my understanding of solution-based approaches and an appreciation of the exchange of information and knowledge.

In 2013 I was given the chance by a mentor to immerse myself more fully in purchasing and marketing activities. Since then, I have really enjoyed accruing in-depth knowledge of the processes that go on inside factories and warehouses and to be able to devise robotic solutions that are individually tailored to customer requirements.

Then in July 2021 ELOKON came calling and offered me a challenge that I was excited to accept, and I am really enjoying embarking on this new professional journey.

My area

In line with the "Lead & Expand" strategy of the ELOKON Group, my mission is to manage the commercial, strategic, and operational coordination and development of ELOKON’s innovative product range, thereby increasing the company’s activities in France.

The role of Sales Manager requires a number of skills such as 360-degree vision of the market, new technologies, benchmarking, communication and marketing. For meeting these expectations, I am being really well supported on a daily basis as a member of the Sales Department.

What I particularly like about working at ELOKON

What I particularly like about my job at ELOKON is working within a very international operation – and knowing that although we come from different backgrounds and cultures, we share the same corporate values and ambitions for the overall success of the company. It is also satisfying to see the daily results that can be achieved thanks to proactive team collaboration. I don’t speak German – yet – but I am looking forward to getting a better knowledge of the language!

My personal highlight at ELOKON

When you join a new company in a country different from your own you need to be flexible and adaptable, but I was made to feel very welcome right from the beginning. As I had the chance to spend a week at ELOKON’s base near Hamburg I enjoyed the very positive working atmosphere and ethos that I had experienced during my interviews, and I quickly felt part of the team.

My way to ELOKON

From when I was a child I was interested in crafts and woodworking as my family members were carpenters. Later I studied mechatronics in Hamburg-Harburg. During an apprenticeship at a forklift truck company I learned about the job profile of a developer, which I found very interesting. When my supervisor there moved to ELOKON he got in touch to see if I was interested in this company. So this was the start of my career as a development engineer.

My area

As well as working on laser-based personnel protection systems I am also involved with assistance systems such as ELOshield. Together with a diverse team of engineers and technicians, I am part of the development department, where one of my tasks is to supervise new projects.

One particularly exciting topic at the moment is wearables in intralogistics, and my colleagues and I are working on innovations in this area.

What I particularly like about working at ELOKON

The diversity of my work is one of the things I love most. I can put all the various areas of mechatronics to good use as the solutions to be developed involve both electronics and software.  Designing 3D CAD models for the development of products and prototypes is also part of my job. These activities all make my job very varied and it’s never boring. In addition, I really like the interaction within the company, where everyone knows everyone else, which leads to a great team spirit. That's what I really appreciate about ELOKON.

My personal highlight at ELOKON

My first project at ELOKON was the development of a prototype for a trade fair. This was to modify one of our products into a wearable. I was tasked with a great deal of direct responsibility but this project also gave me a lot of developmental freedom. Together with my colleagues, I was able to test a wide variety of technologies and evaluate possibilities for integration. I enoyed it very much and it was a steep and worthwhile learning curve for us all.

But aside from work, there are a lot of other highlights at ELOKON. The bi-annual team events involve all the company's employees, and a wide variety of activities are organised. These are always entertaining and a lot of fun and create an unbelievably relaxed atmosphere amongst the colleagues.

My way to ELOKON

It all began after school with my training to become a motor vehicle mechatronics technician. After completing my training, I moved to the field of Material Handling Equipment. I was particularly interested in the technical diversity of the MHE sector and the interaction of electrics, mechanics and hydraulics.

A little over two years later I changed to another company which specializes in industrial furnaces. However, after completing my studies it was clear to me that I would like to go back to the field of MHE. Why? This sector offers a tremendously diverse range of opportunities: new technologies and work in an area that is constantly moving with the times really fascinates me.

I arrived here at ELOKON through a good friend who is associated with the company. He told me that the ELOKON technicians are a really happy bunch of people and are also very skilled at their jobs. After some research, I sent ELOKON my application and was invited to a personal meeting.

My area

When I took up the position of technical project manager it brought with it a host of new responsibilities and challenges. These include visiting customers in a sales capacity and following up with project development based on the customers‘ requirements. I enjoy the contrast of conducting formal sales meetings with the directors of a large company and then changing out of the suit into my work clothes to go and do a service call to sort out a problem at a customer site. At a new location like the one here in Atlanta I have to make sure that structures and processes are introduced to enable the smooth running of day-to-day business. Working on these new tasks brings everyone closer together as a team.

What I particularly like about working at ELOKON

I particularly enjoy the interaction with our customers and the fact that my tasks vary on a daily basis. It's great to be part of the USA team as this allows me to work closely with all departments and offers me a completely different perspective on many aspects of the job.

My personal highlight at ELOKON

This would of course have to be my move to Atlanta which coincided with the set-up of ELOKON Inc. in America. This represents not just a personal challenge for me but for the company as a whole. I said goodbye to a lot of colleagues in Germany, but every time I go back I realise that I’m still part of the team at ELOKON GmbH.