
Grand Gala for an All-Around Success Story
The 35-year company anniversary and his own milestone birthday gave Herrenknecht AG Chairman of the Board of Management Dr.-Ing. E.h. Martin Herrenknecht a good reason to celebrate in style. More than 2,000 guests from politics, the customers, the tunnel industry and his company's workforce joined him last Saturday to enjoy a high class evening gala in the Baden-Arena in Offenburg.
The colorful program of the gala, hosted by well-known German personality Barbara Schöneberger, included numerous show acts, performances by top artists such as Helene Fischer, entertaining film clips on the company's history and an exceptional Swiss fireworks display. Comedian Andreas Müller imitated prominent congratulations from around the world – from Winfried Kretschmann to Pope Benedict. The menu for the evening was created by the Adler restaurant in Reichenbach. Hundreds of service personnel accomplished a masterpiece of logistics and spoiled the over 2,000 guests with a meal of several courses. A particular highlight of the evening was the very first performance of the specially composed Herrenknecht song "The Lightening Rule". In this music video the employees presented their boss's motto "Think positive" in a musical setting. More than 600 men and women from Schwanau and the Chinese branches in Guangzhou had been involved as protagonists in the video, as well as more than 30 kindergarten and school children from Allmannsweier. Martin Herrenknecht was obviously thrilled.
It was important to Martin Herrenknecht that the anniversary should be used to help people in need: "At this time too we should also think of those who are not on the sunny side of life." Instead of gifts, Herrenknecht had asked for donations to be made to the Förderverein für krebskranke Kinder e.V. in Freiburg (Society for the Support of Children with Cancer). All in all, including his own donation, he will shortly pay a sum of 60,000 euros into the Society's account.
Quotes from the speeches
Prof. Dr. h.c. Lothar Späth, Chairman of the Herrenknecht AG Supervisory Board:
"With his company and his people Martin Herrenknecht sets a pace rarely seen anywhere else."
„Martin Herrenknecht and his family are at home everywhere in the world, but their home is in Schwanau“
Dr. Gerhard Schröder, former German chancellor:
"Martin Herrenknecht is not only a company head and an entrepreneur, he is also head engineer and head salesman."
"Martin Herrenknecht is one of the important people in this world who have achieved something and are willing to share."