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From Sebastian Beutler
Stephan Dreher is full of praise. Dreher is head of the Brewes GmbH in Markersdorf is responsible for milling and lasers. A new portal milling machine has been in his hall for two months. It replaces an older machine. "It's like making the leap from bicycles to autonomous driving," says the Görlitz native, who has been working at the Markersdorf-based company since 2012 and was one of the faces of the district's Unbezahlbarland campaign three years ago.
Dreher raves about the advantages of the new machine: the automatic tool change, the almost complete extraction of chips, the much larger work surface, the programming capabilities and even the increased safety: if the machine notices that something is wrong, it disconnects itself from the power supply.
After some searching, the Markersdorf team found what they were looking for at the Neukirch-based company Portatec. The machine costs around a quarter of a million. The Neukirch-based company specializes in such machines and supplies them worldwide, especially to the aviation industry.
Brewes trains the next generation itself
Brewes is not responsible for this area, but produces all types of signs, from inspection stickers to highway signs, from safety signs to warning signs. But the machine from Neukirch fits in with the strategy of the Markersdorf-based medium-sized company: consistently high quality, larger quantities and efficient use of employees. Simon Günther, who started his apprenticeship as a media designer at Brewes on August 1, is now also learning this.
He is one of two new trainees, the other will become a foreign trade clerk. A total of nine young people are learning their trade at Brewes, ranging from warehouse logistics specialists to IT specialists and industrial clerks. This is why Managing Director Tobias Czerwonka is also very pleased with the new vocational training plan in Saxony. "It incorporates a lot of things that we have put forward," he says. Above all, schooling close to home is important to him.
This is an advantage when it comes to attracting skilled workers and keeping them in the region. It has become more difficult, admits Czerwonka, but so far Brewes has always been able to fill its vacancies - either through the young talent it has trained itself or through targeted advertising. In the coming months, Martin Breck intends to step up his advertising on social networks and professional networks such as LinkedIn. The 40-year-old is part of the Brewes founding family; his father and uncle founded the company in Görlitz in 1990 and soon afterwards moved to Markersdorf.
New generation has taken over at Brewes
When he looks over the depot now, Martin Breck realizes just how quickly the company has grown in recent years. Building after building has been constructed, with the last major expansion completed in 2021.
After completing his studies, Breck joined his parents' company and has spent the past 16 years preparing for his future role. He worked his way up from product management to marketing manager and authorized signatory to managing director. In 2022/2023, the founding generation handed over the management of the company to him and Tobias Czerwonka and retired to an advisory board. Czerwonka previously worked for a tax consultancy firm in Görlitz.
However, the new management is also investing heavily. Around one million euros in machinery and equipment as well as in an extension with a cafeteria and sports studio. This was inaugurated just a few weeks ago. The rooms do not have the charm of a company canteen, but rather a feel-good atmosphere with armchairs and bar stools. And underneath the cafeteria is the company's own sports studio, while part of the courtyard has been designed as a green space.
It was a mixture of the wishes expressed by the workforce in the employee surveys and their own considerations, says Breck. Ultimately, 105 employees are now on the payroll of the company, which is aiming for a turnover of 13 million euros this year, around one million more than last year.
Large customer list promises growth
Brewes intends to continue this double-digit growth in the coming years. And is relying entirely on his active customer list. It contains 26,000 addresses. "That's our potential," says Martin Breck. Many customers don't want 20 suppliers, but one that solves their problems. And that's why Brewes offers more than just the production of signs for industrial companies, which are produced using screen or digital printing. "We also offer many other things that people don't associate with us," says Breck. This ranges from barriers for operational safety to helmets or gloves for personal safety or furniture and tables for company equipment. Only a fraction of customers would be aware of and make use of Brewes' entire range.
The company's digital store is essential for this. A new one was launched in 2023, after Brewes had already launched its first one in 1998, making it a leader in its sector.
In order to be able to do business with large industrial customers, Brewes also undergoes the necessary certifications, most recently a special audit for the company's sustainability. This involves questions such as what is done with the material waste, what is done with the waste water, is electricity generated from solar panels. All of this takes place at Brewes. Other certificates confirm that Brewes products are food-safe and can therefore also be used in the food industry or can withstand or resist abrasion or high temperatures.
It is precisely the seals associated with such tests that open the doors to cooperation with renowned industrial partners. And it is precisely these customers that Brewes relies on. "We can't compete with the cheapest suppliers," says Martin Breck. "But the quality of our products and our fast order processing set us apart from others." This is another reason why new equipment is now being used in the warehouse to enable orders to be dispatched more quickly.
