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Quite a big box: How is the timber industry in Heidenau doing?

After the death of the company boss over two years ago, two companies had to reorganize themselves. Their success is the best memory of the founder.

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Man sieht Mike Auris neben der Seefracht-Transportkiste
Big box, small man: Mike Auris looks tiny next to the sea freight transport box. It measures 5.3 meters by 2.7 meters by 2.55 meters. Mike Jäger

From Heike Sabel

If you want to send something, you need packaging. The bigger the item you want to send, the bigger the box. The Heidenau timber industry (HID) lives from large and very large boxes - and sometimes from smaller ones too. She moved here from Dresden to Dresdner Straße in 2011 and has been building and growing ever since.

The employees have already overcome many challenges. The sudden death of Maik Juppe at the age of 52 at the end of January 2022 was a turning point. He not only managed the timber industry, but also ProInn Beteiligungen GmbH, in which he brought together over 20 companies. His son Christoph Juppe has since taken over his father's role. HID and ProInn have stabilized and grown. Their success is the omnipresent memory of the company founder.

Everything from 50 kilograms to 120 tons is packed

One of the latest acquisitions is an automatic nailing machine. On one side, it is loaded with the timber cut to size for the crate and on the other side - no, not the finished crates come out yet, but the kit for them. The rest works a bit like at Ikea, the HID customer assembles the box himself. This is logical, because if the empty crate were sent out, it would be ineffective, says Sales Manager Mike Auris. And effectiveness is the key to success. In the case of the crates, it comes down to costs and safety. Costs should be as low as possible and security as high as possible. If the transport packaging, i.e. the crate, does not meet the requirements, it can be expensive for the builder.

Since 2011, the timber industry in Heidenau has grown hall by hall on the former site of the Baresel construction company.
© HID

With the new machine, the timber industry is serving a new branch of production, the manufacture of small and medium quantities of transport bases and crates. "We expect this to further increase our turnover," says Auris. "But it's difficult to make a forecast." Last year, the turnover of the 102-employee company was 13.8 million euros. This makes it one of the top 15 specialist companies in the HPE Bundesverband Holzpackmittel, says Auris.

The Heidenau-based company packs almost everything from spare parts weighing 50 kilograms to drive generators weighing 120 tons for the Aida cruise ship. The main customers are Saxon plant and machine manufacturers. The Saxon Porcelain Manufactory, for example, or private individuals rarely place orders. "We're not a substitute postal service," says Auris with a wink. Nevertheless, a motorcycle and a vintage car have been packed in such a way that they arrived safely in South America and the USA respectively.

A "tailor-made suit" from Heidenau for every box

The timber industry hardly has any problems with a lack of skilled workers and apprentices. In terms of skilled workers, the industry is benefiting from the weakening construction sector. "On the other hand, the profession of wood mechanic no longer appeals to schoolchildren," says Auris. He advertises the versatility of the specialist packer. The term isn't any more exciting, "but it's different when you know what's behind it". Auris likes to explain this by saying that "nobody walks around the yard with a square timber in their hand anymore". For him, being a specialist packer is a great, varied job that involves craftsmanship, technology, programming and manufacturing.

The design engineers are the company's project managers for the various types of packaging. They design a "tailor-made suit", as Auris calls it, for every system component, no matter how complicated. Anyone can build a box. "It takes at least two years of experience to design the required crates."

In Heidenau, the timber industry now has around 15,000 square meters of hall space, which is the equivalent of two large football pitches. And there is still room to expand, says Auris. "For the time being, however, we are well positioned for the next few years with the existing space and technology." That's probably exactly how Maik Juppe would have done it.

Open day, Friday, June 7, 3 to 6:30 p.m., access via Mügelner Straße between HID and Awo workshop, parking available on site, guided tours offered.

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