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

Even as a child I had contact with the trade, as I come from a family of carpenters. Later I studied mechatronics in Hamburg-Harburg. An internship at a forklift company showed me the job profile of a developer, which interested me a lot. My supervisor there eventually switched to ELOKON and contacted to me to see if I was also interested in this company. This paved my way as a development engineer.

My area

In addition to the laser-assisted personal protection systems, I am also working on assistance systems such as ELOshield. With a multi-layered team of engineers and technicians, I am part of the development, where I supervise new projects, among other things. I am particularly active in the field of wearables in intralogistics and work with my coworkers on exciting innovations.

What I particularly like about working at ELOKON

Variety is one of the things that excites me the most. In my work, I can use the different areas of mechatronics excellently, as there are both electronic and software solutions to develop. And also the design of 3D-CAD models for the development of products and prototypes is part of my area. All these activities make my job very varied and never boring. In addition, I like that people interact with each other extremely well within the company. Everyone knows everyone here, which leads to a strong cohesion and teamwork. I really appreciate that at ELOKON.

My personal highlight at ELOKON

My first project at ELOKON was the development of a prototype for a trade fair. One of our products needed to be converted to a wearable. With the project, I was given a great responsibility directly, but at the same time I also had a lot of freedom in the development. Together with my colleagues, we were able to test a wide variety of technologies and evaluate possible integration, which I enjoyed and it greatly improved our knowledge.

Besides the work, ELOKON also provides highlights outside of the work environment. We have team meetings every six months with all the employees of the company with various activities that are always a lot of fun and help bring coworkers closer in a casual environment.

How I came to ELOKON

It all started after school with my training as a motor vehicle mechatronics engineer. After I finished the training, I moved to the forklift industry. I was particularly interested in the technical diversity of forklift trucks. The interplay between electrics, mechanics and hydraulics is of great interest to me.

Just over two years later, I moved to a company that specializes in industrial combustion plants. However, it was clear to me after finishing school that I wanted to return to the forklift industry. Why? The industry offers a wide range of possibilities: I am attracted to new technologies and working in a segment that is always on the cutting edge.

I came to ELOKON through a good friend of mine who is in contact with the company. I learned from him that the technicians at ELOKON are always in a good mood and experts in their field. After some research, I sent my application to ELOKON and was invited for an interview.

My responsibilities

My job change to technical project manager brings many new tasks and challenges. This includes both customer visits for sales and the subsequent development of projects on the basis of customer requirements. It is always exciting to manage a balancing act between a sales meeting in a suit with the board of a large company and a service assignment for problem solving in work gear at a customer site. Structures and processes that enable smooth day-to-day business must also be introduced at a new office location such as the one here in Atlanta. This brings a lot of new tasks, where the team and I grow together every day and work even more closely together.

What I like most about working at ELOKON

I particularly like the way we support our customers and the ever- changing day-to-day work. It's great to be a part of the USA team because it allows me to work closely with all departments and gives me a completely new perspective on a lot of things.

My personal highlights

Of course the biggest highlight was my move to Atlanta and the associated launch of ELOKON Inc. in America. This is not only a big challenge for me personally, but also for the whole company. I said "goodbye" to many colleagues in Germany, but realize every time I visit Germany that I am still an integral part of the ELOKON headquarter team.

How I came to ELOKON

After graduating, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I took some courses in public policy administration, but I quickly realized that wasn’t for me. I discovered that ELOKON offered a range of vocational training, which I thought would let me explore several possible careers. I ended up finding procurement very interesting. It requires research and quantitative analysis, but also involves building many different relationships.

My responsibilities

As a procurement manager dedicated to our customer support team, I support our installations, service contracts and maintenance activities. I also manage the appointments of all our sales representatives, including organizing international travel.

What I like most about working at ELOKON

I get new challenges every day, especially in scheduling. Meetings change, weather impacts travel plans, customers make new requests—these are just a few of the things that keep me on my toes. But that's what I love about my job: no day is ever the same. And I often have to think creatively to come up with the best solution to a problem—quickly—to provide the best possible support for our customers.

My personal highlights

Right from the start I was impressed with the confidence ELOKON has in its employees. I started work at a somewhat unusual time of year, based on when I graduated from school. But thanks to great mentoring, I was able to complete my job training in just a few months. So I was quickly able to start making real contributions to the team.