Insight
31.03.2022
Daniel Lörcks is not only managing director of Lörcks GmbH, which he founded in 1997 as a sole proprietorship, but has also been responsible for FABRI's business development since 2020. He is a master electrician and electrical engineer, has passed the technician examination in the heating, ventilation and plumbing trades and is a publicly appointed and certified expert for the plumbing and heating engineering trade.
We met Daniel Lörcks for a short interview.
CH: Hi Daniel, let's look back first. How did you get the idea to start your own business over 25 years ago?
DL: There are actually two reasons for that. I studied in public service and — you just have to say it like that — it didn't suit me. I'm more of a “maker” and I always have new ideas and suggestions for improvement. I simply had too little room for that in the public sector. So one day I simply resigned and signed up for the master school. At that time, there were two electricians in Blankenheim, who both retired. That's when I took the opportunity to invest all my money in an assembly bus and in tools — and just started.
CH: A strong step at 22 years of age. What happened next, when did the first employees join?
DL: The first employee was an apprentice, whom I met and then recruited. Next, I hired an employee for whom I had carried the tool bag before during an internship. The colleague is still in a management position with me today. Which makes me incredibly happy. It then continued piece by piece: another apprentice, another journeyman. Today, 35 employees and 6 trainees work at Lörcks.
CH: Speaking of trainees, you attach great importance to good training. Why?
DL: It's very simple: The best people are the people you've trained yourself — and they will continue to be the best people in the future. The topic is so close to my heart that I have also sat down with trainees on Saturdays and studied for vocational school. It is particularly important that you support the trainees, that you give them your own projects and that you send them off alone sometimes. With us, people must be able to do things alone by the 2nd year of apprenticeship — supported and controlled, of course. That is very motivating. And that also pays off: our trainees have been the best in the guilds and chambers of crafts several times in recent years, and one has even achieved 3rd place in the national ranking of the Central Association of German Crafts. I'm already proud of that.
CH: In fact, almost every craft business has complained about a shortage of skilled workers in recent years. How do you attract new employees to your company?
DL: Most of it is word-of-mouth advertising. Trainees, for example, talk about how good things are with us at vocational school. Then it is certainly also the events that we do together. We also show these actions on our Facebook and Instagram accounts. It's already noticeable that Lörcks is doing something for his employees. In addition, it is likely that we treat each other well and respectfully at the company. We are all on your own and we have short distances. If someone has problems, they come to me or my wife. We're talking on equal terms here. This is highly appreciated by our employees. They simply love coming to Lörcks — and word gets around.
CH: Is it perhaps because you are focusing on digitization? Does every fitter have an iPad instead of a pad and pen?
DL: That is certainly also a reason. Digital is absolutely important for young people. I'd almost say that's what they're asking for. Every fitter has a tablet with me. This saves a lot of time and people are simply proud of it. When I look at the other installers like that, very few people do it that way.
CH: Was it difficult to convince your employees of the usefulness of the tablets?
DL: Not at all. Employees see clear advantages in using tablets. A lot of annoying work is no longer necessary and it is fun to use.
CH: Since you are a sports enthusiast yourself, you built a gym for your employees on the company premises a few years ago. How is this accepted and what effects were you able to notice?
DL: Yes, that's true. I've been doing weight training for many years and then I came up with the idea of taking part in a triathlon by chance about five years ago. Through my experience of how good sport is for me, I came up with the idea of setting up a small gym in the company. A good half of all employees use it very regularly — right after work or on weekends. Some even bring their partners or friends along. Especially during the Corona period, when all other studios were closed, this was of course very well received. Although, of course, we posted plans and made sure that the studio wasn't too full. Sport is just a great way to balance out the stress of work. Colleagues know that too. And I'm noticing a significant drop in sick days; there is less complaint about back pain in general.
CH: You recently turned 48 years old. It's actually a very young age to put your business in new hands. What was your motivation to take care of the future at such an early stage?
DL: That's a bit of a long story. Five years ago, I sought intensive advice from the Chamber of Commerce on how to attract new employees. During the talks, the idea developed that I would join forces with other companies in order to be stronger together as a group. Since I was aware that this was a bigger deal, I looked for someone to support me. And then Jochen Waag came by and, what can I say, the chemistry was right away. It was not only the human aspect that was decisive, the concept also fits exactly with my idea: strong alone, even stronger in a group. In addition, I had reached a point where there was nothing else to optimize in my company. Personally, I always need a clear goal, another level to climb. And the next stage for me was to pass on my findings to other companies.
CH: That is exactly the keyword for the next question. In addition to the management of Lörcks GmbH, you are also a project manager in the FABRI Group. What does this job look like?
DL: First of all, I have to say that my motivation is even greater than before. I now have the nice goal of making the Group's businesses even stronger overall. As a project manager, I can share my experience in operations, managing employees, digitization and much more. In addition, I would like to promote FABRI's continuing education offerings. I am convinced that funding and continuing education are a decisive factor for operational success. Every employee should regularly attend training and continuing education. The FABRI Academy already offers first-class online coaching on various topics. In addition, I imagine a “training workshop” for all FABRI employees over the next few years in order to offer targeted seminars and workshops there.
CH: Daniel, thank you very much for the interview. We are more than happy that you are part of FABRI.
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