The successful student exchange

More than 30 years ago, the idea of setting up a new location in France came about as part of a student exchange.

Anniversary at the emco Group in France

Lingen, January 2019 – More than 30 years ago, the idea of ​​setting up a new location in France as part of a student exchange took place. Anselme Hoffmann, Managing Director of the company based in Dampierre, commemorated this Franco-German success story together with emco Bau Managing Director Jörg Harbecke and Jochen Holzapfel, former CEO of emco Bau, on the occasion of the anniversary.

When the students of the Collège Fraisans and the Georgian Lingen met at the end of the 80s for language and cultural exchange, Mike Soblys had the Frenchwoman Isabelle Mauffrey as a guest. Even then, his father Peter was in charge of Sobly’s emco representative, and in conversation with Isabelle’s parents, thoughts began to form a branch in France as well.

The project actually became reality when in the year 2002 Harald Müller built a production facility in the small community of just over 1,000 inhabitants in Dampierre. Today, this company is one of the leading French manufacturers of entrance mats and swimming pool grates and offers 50 permanent employees a job.

In Dampierre, to celebrate the 30-year partnership, the two principals, community deputies and, as guests of honor, the former junior high school students Mike and Isabelle reunited. In addition, Hoffmann, who in turn has German-French roots, invited the current language teachers and their students to the premises of the Département Jura to revitalize and intensify international exchange.

Jörg Harbecke, Anselme Hoffmann and Jochen Holzapfel participated in the celebration.

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