DURAG GROUP celebrates 75th anniversary
2023 is a special year for us: we’re celebrating the 75th anniversary of DURAG GROUP. A good occasion to give you a deeper insight into our world. That’s why we’ll be regularly publishing interesting facts and things to know about DURAG GROUP here in our anniversary year: historical facts, field reports, what motivates us, what we make happen and much more. We look back proudly on 75 successful years and would like to share selected, unique snapshots with you here. You will always find the latest posts at the top of the page. We wish you interesting and inspiring insights!
Stronger together, experienced and young at heart!
When H. Wilhelm Schaumann founded the company Durag Apparatebau together with two nuclear physicists in Hamburg in 1948, the success story of the DURAG GROUP began! Travel with us to the beginnings in our video on the 75th company anniversary. Learn more about how the company name was created and how our logo has developed over time. Get to know a meanwhile international group of companies in an entertaining picture journey. For many years, the DURAG GROUP has stood for special, efficient, diverse and reliable products as well as solutions for a better future – for process quality and a clean environment, for safe industrial combustion technology and for safety in tunnels and traffic.
Discover the history of the DURAG GROUP in the video. Many more backstories and interviews around the 75th anniversary can be found below!
Documentation | Cooperation with Elbe-Werkstätten
Insight #19, 20 September 2023
To exhibit the numerous memories, milestones, special moments and events as well as historical documents on the occasion of our 75th birthday, we are cooperating with Elbe-Werkstätten. The establishment employs around 3,100 people with disabilities and promotes their integration into the labor market through a wide range of vocational training and job opportunities.
At the beginning of the year, as part of our anniversary celebrations, we started to sift through existing slides, photo negatives and file folders together with Michael Pencke, Head of Digitization at Elbe-Werkstätten. Melis Paragnik, Marketing Manager at the DURAG GROUP, took over the coordination with the Elbe-Werkstätten from our side. While handing over the documents, she also got a detailed insight into the digitization department. "During our research, for example, we came across a behavioral instruction for a Christmas party from 1953. It was very exciting to sift through the data and thus preserve and trace the development of the DURAG GROUP over the past decades," explains Michael Pencke.
In close cooperation with eight employees including Elisabeth Neubert from the Elbe-Werkstätten, over 19,000 pages of documents, almost 3,100 photos and 390 small-format slides were digitized in recent weeks using various digitization techniques - documents steeped in history from our founding to the present.
Partner Meeting 2023 | Asia Pacific
Insight #18, 19 September 2023
Together with almost 120 guests from Asia Pacific we look back on three professionally exciting days. Our second partner event in the 75th anniversary year took place in Bangkok. The conference program included vision and mission of the DURAG GROUP as well as presentations, workshops and insights. Alongside virtual tours through our European factories our guests were informed about our new products D-R 909, Flame Supervisor, ProCeas® AirPlus and EDM 280. In addition, some of our partners gave vivid user examples: oil gun replacement at a power plant, flame monitoring solutions for fired heaters, product tube monitoring in a NCC plant, CEMS total mercury analyzer and a PEMS success story.
In the evenings, the guests relaxed with joint activities: There was a boat trip as well as an exclusive gala dinner at the exhibition location Millennium Hilton Bangkok. A number of partners were honored for their outstanding cooperation at an award ceremony.
DURAG ENVIRONMENT | Searching for waste on the Alster
Insight #17, 18 September 2023
Last week, on one of the last summer evenings of the year, Kristian Hinz, Melis Paragnik and Michaela Weihs grabbed their nets and garbage bags: In a kayak, they went on one of the Alster canals in Hamburg in search of trash. The three members of the DURAG GROUP team were successful: the photo shows how much they collected in just one hour! Unfortunately, it should actually be called, because too much waste is simply carelessly left and thrown away by others – on our paths and streets and in our waters.
After all, in the spirit of “DURAG ENVIRONMENT”, the trio had fun while doing good in the free time. “We are of course happy that the DURAG GROUP has taken over the costs for the boat rental at the Supper Club at Isekai,” emphasizes Michaela Weihs.
DURAG Family + Friends | Family celebration at DURAG India
Insight #16, 13 September 2023
The 75th anniversary of DURAG GROUP is a great occasion to celebrate - for all employees and their families. Therefore, at DURAG India the colleagues organized a family party. To ensure that as many people as possible could participate, the event took place on August 15, 2023 - India's Independence Day.
"On the occasion of this special birthday, we gave our families an understanding of the history of the origins and development of the DURAG GROUP over the past 75 years. But also ventured a look into the future," explains Jayanthi Rozario, Administration & HR Manager at DURAG India. The day-long program, which consisted of various activities, kicked off with a talent show for children. Afterwards, the youngest ones could take part in a quiz and a drawing competition. "This produced great designs and ideas, which we rewarded with small prizes. Of course, every child got one in the end," Rozario says with a twinkle in her eye.
During a joint lunch with typical local dishes, the families of the DURAG GROUP employees got to know each other even better. "All in all, our family party was a complete success! We will definitely do it again," Rajendra Kumar, Managing Director at DURAG India, sums up the event.
Employees share their story | Rolf Kierstein
Insight #15, 11 August 2023
Rolf Kierstein, specialist for emission and combustion technology and sales support, regional office south
The 63-year-old master electrician Rolf Kierstein has been working for the DURAG GROUP in the field of commissioning and service for more than three decades. In this interview, he reveals how it all began and what the experienced service specialist for combustion technology would like to see for the future of the company.
Rolf, when did you join the DURAG GROUP and what did you do before that?
Following my training as an energy appliance electronics technician, I worked for seven years in mechanical engineering in the field and in the office. After further training as a master electrician, the DURAG South branch in Bad Boll hired me on April 16, 1989. I was responsible for the commissioning and repair of dust measuring devices and various products of the combustion technology, thus in the service as well as as support for the sales department. My area of operation covered southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
What are currently the most challenging projects for you?
Quite clearly: commissioning flame monitors in critical plants so that they also meet safety requirements. This is the case, for example, when several burners and different fuel variants are used. A current example is the installation at a chemical company in Ludwigshafen, where one of the two boilers has been completely free of natural gas and light fuel oil since January 2023. After extensive testing on the old heavy oil boiler, we recommended to the customer the optimum combination of flame monitors for this extremely complex task. Accordingly, eight D-LX 201 compact flame monitors were installed in parallel operation with eight D-UG 660 and are now operating very successfully. Now, liquid as well as gaseous waste materials from the company's own production plants are preferably fired, sometimes in combination. As a result, one-sixth of the internal energy supply for thousands of employees is secured. The identical conversion of a second boiler is expected to follow in 2024.
How has your field of work at DURAG GROUP developed?
A medium-sized company has become a large company and market leader in combustion and emission monitoring technology. The quality of our products has always had a very high level. My goal is always the optimal installation of our equipment at the customers to ensure a smooth, trouble-free operation and a sustainable longevity of the equipment.
How have you personally experienced your long tenure with the company?
I started my dream job at DURAG in April 1989 and have always been happy to give my full commitment. To this day, I enjoy it very much and like being able to provide advice and support to the various customers, sometimes getting creative to ensure that their production and products are as trouble-free and safe as possible. The spectrum ranges from conventional power plants to producers of chemical products to food producers. I have been with the company for 34 years since April 2023, and I am still pleased to be able to give my best as a specialist in combustion technology. The varied work has always motivated me to do the job with all my energy and creativity.
And what is it like interpersonally?
The corporate culture of the DURAG GROUP is very familiar, open and appreciative. I find the teams to be extremely friendly in their dealings with each other, and everyone takes their tasks very seriously. Overall, I consider our working environment to be extremely modern and future-oriented. We have innovative, good work structures, and the safety equipment for the service staff is perfect.
What highlights do you remember?
The annual get-togethers in Hamburg with colleagues from the service and development departments are super. I thoroughly enjoyed the summer events at the DURAG GROUP. The absolute highlight was my 25th anniversary in 2014 in Hamburg, to which I was invited with my partner and was simply overjoyed because of it. In addition, the countless customer appointments have resulted in some personal contacts that I wouldn't want to miss.
Where do you see the DURAG GROUP in ten years, what do you wish for?
I wish us to continue to have motivated employees. It would be nice to be able to convince the customers with quick response times in the long run. Furthermore, I hope that the DURAG GROUP will become the leading supplier in the field of combustion and emission monitoring technology. Then I will be able to tell my grandchildren proudly and happily about my countless, varied and interesting assignments for my former employer, whose success I was able to help shape through my work.
DURAG Sports | DURAG Korea on the „Peace Road“
Insight #14, 21 July 2023
"For the 75th anniversary of the DURAG GROUP, DURAG Korea wanted to do something special," says Ho-Jeong Lim, Branch Manager Korea at DURAG GROUP. "So we decided to hike together 75 of the total 770-kilometer Haeparang Trail along the east coast of the Korean peninsula." The team chose a section that led to South Korea's northernmost city of Goseong - and thus also to the so-called "Peace Road."
The tour took place every Friday between June 16 and July 7. The first three stages under the motto "75 years and we keep on running" led to areas with the cleanest air in the country. Ho-Jeong Lim: "There we realized once again how important it is to protect our environment and preserve it for future generations - not only as a DURAG GROUP company, but also as part of society."
The fourth and final stage was completed by colleagues from DURAG Korea together with some business partners from Woori Environmental Technology, ANPT, KPC System and Haneul. This particular section of the Haeparang Trail is named "Peace Road" because of the nearby Korea Unification Observatory.
He adds, "The entire DURAG Korea team would like to thank everyone involved in the campaign, not least the DURAG GROUP 75th anniversary organizing team. In particular, Miriam Pfeiffer, who is Head of Sales Asia/Pacific, has been very supportive." The trip together with the esteemed partners will long be remembered by the team as a very meaningful time, Ho-Jeong Lim concludes.
Memories | A quarter of a century DURAG India
Insight #13, 19 July 2023
The 75th anniversary of the DURAG GROUP is a good reason to celebrate for the entire company group. This naturally includes a look back. At DURAG India, employees have therefore selected old pictures that illustrate the company’s history. These were arranged attractively and displayed in the entrance area of the office in Bengaluru. This allows customers, cooperation partners and all visitors to reminisce with the team.
On the occasion of our big anniversary, the individual companies of the DURAG GROUP are looking back on their own big and small successes and steps. Thus, the history of DURAG India starts in 1997. Starting more than a quarter of a century ago with a small branch office in Securderabad, today it is an important subsidiary. In October 2022, the now 30 colleagues moved into their own premisis in Bengaluru. “When the DURAG GROUP decided to operate directly here on site, it was a big challenge at first,” explains Jayanthi Rozario, Manager Administration & HR. “It's not at all easy to cover a huge country like ours in terms of sales, with industries in every state.” Over more than 25 years DURAG India has grown steadily at all levels despite the huge task, he says.
“DURAG GROUP’s 75th anniversary is a significant milestone that makes us very proud and happy, as well as our own successes,” explains Jayanthi Rozario. “It is wonderful to be part of this celebration.” He adds that it remains DURAG India's stated vision to represent DURAG GROUP in the best possible way and to be the market leader in India with the best, most technically advanced and up-to-date products and solutions. Rozario continues, “Our employees have always shown the highest integrity and commitment in their relationships with customers, suppliers and all other stakeholders and will continue to do so. We go hand in hand with our owners, management and employees to achieve our goal. We warmly congratulate DURAG GROUP on its 75th birthday and wish it another 75 successful years and many more – may they be as exciting and rewarding!”
Training courses | Perfect combination of theory and practice
Insight #12, 14 July 2023
For more than 23 years we have been offering internal and external training courses. In addition to the internal team of the DURAG GROUP, the target groups mainly include our national and international partners and customers. Recently, we have been able to increasingly supplement the range of on-site training courses with digital variants or completely switch over to them. Our long-term goal is to create a flexible access to the diverse training program of the DURAG GROUP for everyone.
Initially, there were only on-site training courses for customers and partners, which were offered directly via the sales department. These have been published on the website for around ten years and have been supplemented by additional webinars since the pandemic phase (2021). Overall, the demand for training has increased over the years, and the requests and participant groups are becoming increasingly international. The reasons for the increased demand also include the growing complexity of applications and devices.
Our focus: Hands-on training courses
Our product and user training courses are characterized by a combination of theory and so-called hands-on modules. The aim is to demonstrate the product as practically as possible. In this way, participants learn everything they need to know directly – using demo or test devices. Depending on the device, application or module, supplementary special training courses such as explosion protection are available on request.
The topics of the customer training courses:
- Environmental monitoring
- Continuous mercury analysis
- Systems for combustion technology
- Environmental and process data management systems for users and administrators
- Gas analysis
Click here for our training courses.
Internal training courses: Comprehensive and flexible through blended learning
Our internal training courses are mainly in the area of personnel development, focusing on expanding methods and technical expertise as well as personal and social skills. In the area of professional competence, this offering is gradually being converted to a so-called blended learning approach: Self-generated e-learnings are used for preparation, followed by on-site seminars or webinars on individual topics, both conducted by internal trainers. The digital learning platform used for this purpose enables significantly more and more flexible employee training, for example in the areas of project management, communication techniques or healthy working.
We will be happy to send you further information on our external training courses. Simply send us an inquiry by e-mail to academy@durag.com.
DURAG Social | Charity Project by DURAG India
Insight #11, 13 July 2023
Under the motto "Community Service Bringing Hope and Joy", the DURAG India team is supporting an aid project for girls and women. It is a very special charity action as part of the 75th anniversary year of the DURAG GROUP.
Bright faces as a small ray of hope in an often-challenging everyday life: joy, hope and community make you strong for a better future. The DURAG India team therefore supports the independent, non-governmental Saraswathi Charitable Trust. "Community service is a very essential part of the life here in India," explains Binny Phabian from DURAG India. "There are a lot of people here in the country who are not blessed with all the necessities like ourselves."
The selected foundation provides orphans and child labor victims with food, clothing, medical assistance, education and shelter. DURAG India's donation will specifically benefit a home for 20 orphaned girls, child laborers and single women. "The girls of today are the women of tomorrow and should one day become strong pillars of society," emphasizes Binny Phabian. "The foundation had told us some specific wishes. With our voluntary donation, we were able to organize a washing machine and detergent, a water purifier as well as quilts and bath towels for the home. We are very happy that we were able to cover all the needs."
This should be just the beginning: Corporate social responsibility will continue at DURAG India in the future - a wonderful inspiration for the entire DURAG GROUP!
Further information on the "Saraswathi Charitable Trust" supported by DURAG India can be found here:
http://www.saraswathicharitabletrust.org.in/
Insight #10, 3 July 2023
The DURAG farm in Japan (see Insight #6) is growing and thriving! After the site had been carefully prepared, the DURAG Japan team could fully concentrate on the plants - with active support. Miriam Pfeiffer, Regional Director Asia/Pacific at the DURAG GROUP, planted young watermelons with the Satoshi family at the DURAG farm. The watermelons will be harvested in August and should be so juicy and delicious that we can hardly wait for the harvest season.
To view more pictures, please click on the image.
Family and Friends Day | Hamburg
Insight #9, 28 June 2023
More than 350 colleagues and guests had a lot of fun last Saturday at our “Family and Friends Day”! At the entertaining event celebrating the 75th birthday of the DURAG GROUP at our headquarters in Hamburg, old and young experienced guided tours through the production and simplified product presentations. Around 2 p.m., there was the official welcome by CEO Frank Uwe Schulz. In his speech he reported about the history and successes of the DURAG GROUP.
We are especially happy about the sale of 100 jars of honey by Kerstin Amissah and Julia Hoberg, collected by our busy Stadtbienen (city bees) at the Kollauhof. The proceeds from the sale, together with other donations, amounted to around 1,300 Euros. They will be doubled by the DURAG GROUP and donated to a charity project for children and young people in Togo. This is regularly supported and visited by our colleague Kerstin Amissah and her husband, a native of Togo.
Throughout the “Family and Friends Day”, there was a special childcare offer as well as an entertaining program with bouncy castle and rodeo riding in the courtyard. The well-being of all our guests was taken care of with coffee specialties and finger food. In the afternoon we ended the informative as well as relaxed day together with a buffet and drinks. We say thank you to everyone involved for a great event!
Partner Meeting 2023 | DACH, EMEA, AMERICAS
Insight #8, 27 June 2023
75 years DURAG GROUP: We also celebrated this aspect together with our partners from June 20 to 23 at our Partner Meeting 2023 in Hamburg. More than 100 guests accepted the invitation of the DURAG GROUP to the Privathotel Lindtner. There, the ideal setting was provided for what is now the tenth event of its kind - including morning yoga and running sessions and an exclusive gala dinner.
The anticipation for the event was great, especially after the successful welcome dinner on the evening of June 20. "Now we are looking forward to three days of professional exchange with more than 100 participants from the DACH, EMEA and AMERICAS regions," said CEO Frank Uwe Schulz following the kick-off event.
The conference program ranged from our vision and mission to proven technologies and reference projects from the three business units process and environmental monitoring, combustion and safety monitoring, and tunnel and traffic monitoring.
Highlights included our partners' contributions to joint projects as well as the presentation of our new products: the D-R 909 extractive dust monitor, the PROCEAS AIR PLUS® greenhouse gas analyzer from AP2E, the QAL1-certified EDM 280 aerosol spectrometer from GRIMM AEROSOL, and the Flame Supervisor from DURAG. In addition, the new certification for AP2E's LaserCEM® for HF, NO2, CH4 and a lower CO measurement range was addressed.
Another highlight of the Partner Meeting was the gala dinner. Fabien Burato, Managing Director of DURAG Sales & Service, was pleased about an all-around successful evening: "More than 190 international participants in elegant evening dress enjoyed the festive atmosphere at the private Lindtner Hotel." Incidentally, our celebration with symposium for the 50th anniversary of the DURAG GROUP also took place there in November 1998.
Once again we as DURAG GROUP could prove our team spirit - stronger together. We thank all participants for their support!
The next Partner Meeting is already just around the corner: from September 11 to 14, 2023, it will take place in Bangkok for the Asia-Pacific region. We look forward to meeting our partners from the region on site!
DURAG Sports | HafenCity Run 2023
Insight #7, 7 June 2023
In its 75th anniversary year, the DURAG GROUP is particularly fit: “We were 55 participants at the HafenCity Run this year, which is a new record for us,” reports Oliver Falkenberg, who organized the registrations for the Hamburg event last Saturday.
431 teams with more than 14,000 participants took to the starting line at northern Germany’s largest company run. “Among our team were many who had already completed the relay race at the Haspa Marathon,” reveals Falkenberg. In addition to our employees, some family members took part in the relaxed 4.5-kilometer route for a good cause through Europe’s largest inner-city urban development area. While the event itself has been taking place since 2002, we at the DURAG GROUP have been involved for 15 years.
Employees share their story | Jeff O´Gorman
Insight #6, 6 June 2023
Jeff O’Gorman, Complaints Manager DURAG GROUP, Hamburg location
DURAG milestones
- 15.12.1994 – 01.09.1995: Shipping Manager
- 01.07.1995 – 31.12.2014: Export Manager
- 01.01.2015 – 30.06.2020: Head of Sales Support
- Since 01.07.2020: Complaints Manager
Jeff O'Gorman, a native Londoner, has lived in Germany since 1983. A few days before Christmas, he began his career at the DURAG GROUP in December 1994: The 62-year-old started as a Shipping Manager and is now as Complaints Manager responsible for our international complaints management. Why this task fulfills him and what he considers to be the most important change in his almost three decades with the company, he tells us in an interview.
Jeff, how long have you been with the DURAG GROUP and how did it all start?
Back then, I applied for the advertised position of shipping manager, which is now 28 years ago. I had originally learned the profession of forwarding agent.
What did your workday look like when you started and what does it look like today?
At that time, the shipping department consisted only of me as the shipping manager and a packer. So every shipment that left our premises was handled by me. Today, I’m responsible for complaints management. The main goal here is: satisfied customers. I have contact with customers worldwide and with almost all departments within the DURAG GROUP when it comes to solving problems. It’s a fulfilling job, and most of the time it’s fun!
What career path did you take at the DURAG GROUP?
After I had been there for a few months, the position in export sales became available and I took it over. Before I came to the DURAG GROUP, I had often traveled abroad on business. This experience and my pleasure in dealing with people from different cultures provided a good basis for this. Then, I carried out the entire sales processing for the foreign business in close coordination with the managing director at that time. This ranged from quotations and consulting to order processing and preparation for shipping. In the process, I learned a lot about emission and combustion technology. DURAG USA had just been founded. So, together with Ton Hameleers, I accompanied the beginnings and also the establishment of the subsequent foreign offices, for example those in India, Japan and Korea.
How has the world of work evolved during this time?
In the beginning, letters and telex were still our main tools of communication. The introduction of e-mail communication was a big step. We proceeded very cautiously at the beginning, because up to now all correspondence went over the managing director’s desk.
Which highlights do you remember most?
The best memories concern the international sales meetings, where customers and cooperation partners from all over the world came together. The work content and the great team spirit and friendship with our colleagues from foreign countries have always given me great pleasure.
Communication | From the blackboard to Social Media
Insight #7, 15 May 2023
More dynamic, more immediate, more diverse, more transparent: The DURAG GROUP's communication has changed over time. The blackboard, the classic staff meeting and mailings still exist today. Letters, however, only exist to a limited extent, because the world of communication has changed fundamentally since the company was founded in 1948. In the early days, internal Christmas booklets and an employee newspaper were still published, which you can discover in the picture gallery accompanying this insight. In the anniversary year 2023, our communication is faster, more direct and primarily digital.
Direct exchange, dialog, is becoming increasingly important. Externally, we provide information on our website, but especially via social media. In the social networks, the most important communication channel is the international business network LinkedIn. In addition, the DURAG GROUP is present on Facebook, XING, YouTube and Vimeo. Our "Te@mNet" is the central internal communication platform. Recently, video messages from the Executive Board have also been posted there, professionally produced with our own video equipment.
The corona pandemic was a major turning point for communications as a whole: For many, office work shifted to the home office, collaboration to digital meeting rooms, and the number of webinars increased. Today, videoconferencing is as common for us as picking up the phone once was. The latter has now disappeared altogether on some desks, and this trend is set to grow.
At the same time, we at the DURAG GROUP naturally still like to focus on "real" gatherings: In addition to numerous trade fairs, congresses etc., where we meet customers and partners live on site, there are many internal company events and joint activities – also and especially in the anniversary year.
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DURAG Environment | DURAG Farm in Japan
Insight #6, 10 May 2023
Environmental thinking and action are an integral part of the corporate culture of DURAG GROUP. This is reflected in various activities to benefit the environment in this anniversary year. One particularly nature-oriented example is the “DURAG Farm” in Japan, where the DURAG Japan team created a garden especially for the 75th anniversary and are now gradually planting vegetables to be given away locally. The first ground was broken with various potato varieties, with carrots, edamame (young soybeans) and sweet potatoes to follow. Since the farm can only be cultivated on weekends, the vegetables were covered with a dark cover to protect them from cold, drying and weeds. The garden is completely surrounded by nature – including hungry herbivores, so the delicious vegetables are also protected by a fence.
Click on the image to open the DURAG Farm image gallery.
Employees share their story | Takeshi Saito
Insight #5, 8 May 2023
Takeshi Saito, consultant & advisor since 2021, Area Sales Manager Japan from 2005 – 2021
He’s almost as old as the company itself and has enriched our team for many years: Takeshi Saito was already a sought-after expert for energy and analyzers in Japan before joining DURAG GROUP. He was Area Sales Manager for Japan until 2021 and built up our business there. In order to stay up to date, he attended product training courses at our Hamburg location from time to time. As a consultant and advisor, he is currently taking care of a smooth handover of his former responsibilities into younger hands – those of his son Satoshi Saito. In this interview, he talks about his beginnings at DURAG GROUP and his future vision for us.
Takeshi Saito, how long have you been with DURAG GROUP and how did that start?
My previous employer was one of DURAG’s distributors at the time. When I left there in 2004, DURAG management was visiting Japan, and that’s how my story at DURAG GROUP began – going back 17 years now. I had previous business development experience in the energy industry and was head of the Instrumentation business unit including analyzers. So the task of developing the Japanese market together with DURAG was just the right job for me.
What career path did you take at DURAG GROUP and were there any particular challenges?
I was responsible for all sales and business development activities in Japan since the beginning. The biggest challenge was the development of marine applications, mainly for LNG tankers.
What do you like about working for DURAG GROUP, how would you describe the company culture?
The business and working atmosphere at DURAG has always been passionate, working with a smile and integrity. Passion, smiles and integrity – this work style fits my own philosophy of life. Besides that motto, I also like DURAG’s “Originality and Continuity” slogan.
Has your time with the company changed or influenced you personally?
Here in Japan, we have the saying “Even a stone gets warm when a person sits on it for three years,” which means “perseverance wins”. Continuity is a key to positive business development.
Which highlights do you remember most?
I look back with pleasure on the 60th anniversary of DURAG and the international sales meeting held in 2008. I also have fond memories of the meeting two years later with a subsequent visit to the Stuttgart folk festival “Cannstatter Wasen”.
How do you see the future of DURAG GROUP, what do you wish for?
I am convinced that DURAG GROUP will continue to grow steadily and add new, unique technologies to its portfolio. In my remaining time with the company, I will fully support my son Satoshi in the spirit of DURAG Japan’s continued growth.
DURAG Sports | Haspa Marathon Hamburg
Insight #4, 24 April 2023
Around 11,800 participants at the 37th Haspa Marathon Hamburg – and DURAG GROUP was right in the middle of it. Equipped with team shirts and a banner for the 75th company anniversary, around 32 DURAG employees from the Hamburg location took part under a bright blue sky.
The evening before the run, the teams got into the right mood with a shared pasta dinner and music. With this perfect preparation behind them, everyone was highly motivated for the starting gun on Sunday, 23 April 2023. However, the shared experience was much more important than the times run. The mixed running groups from all departments led to a noticeable increase in team spirit.
To open the image gallery please click on the image.
Employees share their story | Ulrike Barnutz
Insight #3, 27 March 2023
Ulrike Barnutz, Travel Manager / Internal Services, DURAG GROUP, Hamburg location
DURAG milestones:
- 01.07.2000 – 01.09.2019: Secretary / Assistant to the Executive Board
- 01.09.2019 until today: Travel Manager / Internal Services
Born in Örebro, Sweden, Ulrike Barnutz has been working at DURAG GROUP for almost 23 years now, in the meantime in the area of internal services / travel management. Reason enough to take a look back at this long time together with her on the occasion of our 75th company anniversary: how she came to the company, what has changed over the years, what she appreciates about her work and which events from her professional life she particularly likes to remember – you can read all about it here.
How did you come to join DURAG GROUP?
In the traditional way: in the summer of 2000, I saw a job advertisement for secretary and assistant to management in the “Niendorfer Wochenblatt” newspaper, applied and luckily got the job.
What was your start like? Did you have any previous professional experience or was it all completely new to you?
One nice surprise was that I met some friendly colleagues right at the beginning who I already knew personally. I had previously trained as a wholesale and export merchant and had worked as such for eight years at a company in Niendorf.
How has DURAG GROUP developed over time?
In 2000, when I started, there were about 70 of us employed here at Kollaustraße. The atmosphere was a bit more informal than it is today, because you knew just about everyone personally. I remember that in the early years I even used a typewriter! At that time, a gong also sounded regularly in the building: once at 9 a.m. for the breakfast break and again at 12:30 p.m. for the lunch break. So everyone on each floor or in each department had a break together, which was always a lot of fun and sometimes very loud.
What did your workday look like then compared to now?
Until September 2019, my workplace was located directly in management’s offices. My responsibilities included for example organizing and booking events and business trips as well as general secretarial jobs. For many years, I also personally distributed mail and payslips to colleagues based here at the location – that has changed with Covid. In the meantime, I have a variety of new responsibilities, and also a change in where I work: since fall 2019, I no longer report directly to management, but to the HR department.
What were your greatest personal challenges at DURAG GROUP?
For me, it was always particularly exciting when there was a change in management.
What made you stay with DURAG GROUP for such a long time?
My area of responsibility gives me a great deal of pleasure because it is very varied. And there’s always something new. Regular positive feedback also contributes to my satisfaction. And I like the fact that there are still many colleagues from my early days with whom I can occasionally reminisce at an event. It creates a feeling of togetherness. Over the years, DURAG GROUP has grown considerably and new departments and areas have been added. Nevertheless, it has remained clear on the whole – also thanks to colleagues who have held their positions for many years.
Has being with the company for so long changed or influenced you personally?
It has given me many personal friendships that I still have today.
What highlights have remained in your memory in particular?
Actually, all the celebrations were very memorable. I always had a lot of fun helping to organize them. It was also great to see or get to know colleagues from other locations with whom you had already been in contact for many years, either in writing or by phone. I will also never forget how we cleared out the mechanics hall, watched the World Cup games together and turned the premises into a dance floor in the evening. It was also spectacular to have the opportunity to be on a large sailing boat at the entry parade of the Hamburg Harbor Birthday in 2015.
Where do you see the DURAG GROUP and yourself in ten years? What do you wish for?
I hope to be enjoying my retirement in ten years. Until then, I hope that DURAG GROUP here at the Hamburg/Niendorf location continues to be so successful. I am looking forward to many more interesting tasks and conversations as well as celebrations with old and new colleagues.
DURAG Environment | Hamburg cleans up
Insight #2, 23 March 2023
From 24 February to 5 March, the annual waste collection campaign “Hamburg räumt auf” (“Hamburg cleans up”) took place. We also took part again, this time the event was held under our annual motto “75 years DURAG GROUP”.
A total of 30 employees set out in small groups to clear the area around company headquarters of waste. They were equipped with garbage bags, gloves and tongs. The varied “spoils” included leftovers such as liquor bottles, candy wrappers and lots of cigarette butts, but also shoes, old clothes and batteries and long-expired food. For the future, we hope that everyone will dispose of their waste properly and pay more attention to environmental issues.
In 2023, around 79,800 volunteers were involved in “Hamburg cleans up”, who according to the city cleaning department collected around 133 tons of garbage.
To open the image gallery please click on the image.
The beginnings of the DURAG GROUP | H. WILHELM SCHAUMANN
Insight #1, 6 February 2023
DURAG was founded in 1948 by the businessman H. Wilhelm Schaumann (see picture) together with the nuclear physicists Prof. Bagge and Dr. Diebner. The latter held electronic pentode amplifier valves in the turbulent post-war years and were looking for a use for a measurement device. Schaumann spent a lot of time with scientists at the time – including Nils Bohr, who later won the Nobel Prize. Thus, Schaumann quickly recognized the potential of these tubes and laid the foundation for today's company.
The name DURAG is thus also based on the DURATRON, a device for detecting gamma rays, which the founders had developed using the old electronic pentode amplifier valves.
