2023-11-29 03:02:00
But now for real: After 55 years and numerous positions in the family business, Voglauer supervisory board member Sepp Zwilling has retired.
Sepp Zwilling is retiring just in time for his 77th birthday on December 5th. In 1967, at the age of 21, he joined his father’s business, then Voglauer Gschwandtner & Zwilling GmbH, as one of the youngest master carpenters in the state of Salzburg. “I went through almost all the departments once. At that time we didn’t have that many employees, we were only 28 employees.” In 1972 he took over purchasing and technical management, replaced his father David as managing director for technology, purchasing and finance in 1987 and ran the furniture factory for 18 years together with Toni and Rudi Gschwandtner as managing partner. In 2005, the three handed over their agendas to the current managing director, Peter Grünwald.
“Peter was a native, he did his commercial apprenticeship with us and then became an accountant. The chemistry in management was just right, that’s extremely important.” From 2006 to March 2023, Zwilling sat on the supervisory board. “In the 1994/95 financial year, Voglauer had the best operating result in the company’s history with 649 employees and sales of 816 million schillings (approx. 59.3 million euros). The employees all came from Lammertal, from Niedernfritz to Golling and Kuchl.”
“We also had difficult times”
He is of course proud of Voglauer’s success, but also emphasizes: “We also had difficult times. Country house and farm furniture were our strength, but then that went out of fashion and our business collapsed. We had to keep up with modern programs . But the most important thing was that all shareholders agreed and stood behind the company.” He was also responsible for the company’s real estate purchases in the mid-1990s for the then partners, which subsequently proved to be very useful. The Voglauer furniture factory in Abtenau is still one of the largest employers in the region, with around 440 employees.
Zwilling has long since handed over his shares in the company to his sons David and Josef. “I wish the Voglauer family all the best and success for the future and would like to thank everyone once more for the good cooperation.” He won’t be bored in the future either: now, as an active retiree, he indulges in his hobbies of skiing and golf, as well as agriculture, forestry and yak breeding.
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