“The future is here” – Opening ceremony for Austria’s most advanced switchgear manufacturing centre

Almost 700 guests, including high-ranking economic and political figures, accepted the invitation to attend the opening ceremony at PMS,for which purpose the impressive new production hall was transformed into a state-of-the-art event location.

The two Managing Directors, Alfred Krobath and Franz Grünwald, welcomed all guests in person as they arrived before the celebrations kicked off with a drumming display from Drumatical Theatre. A simulated “power failure caused by a lightning storm” and immediate rectification of the fault by PMS staff showed how important our company is for our customers. Host Thomas Schmid officially welcomed the guests, and he, Krobath and Grünwald took the opportunity to look back on the major milestones in the PMS journey since it was founded in 2005. A time lapse video of construction of the hall brought to life the scale of the new investment, and in a video message the CEO of PORR AG, Karl-Heinz Strauss, sent his best wishes for the occasion. Paul Lamprecht, PORR Carinthia Site Manager, and Robert Wuggenig, PORR Carinthia Building Construction Manager, then presented a symbolic key to the two PMS Managing Directors.

Interviews with Kurt Gschweitl, Global Business Segment Manager at AVL List, Alexander Bouvier, Chairman of Treibacher Industrie AG, Gottfried Joham, Managing Director of Mondi Frantschach GmbH, and Karl Sagmeister, Managing Director of Schneider Electric, illustrated the main reasons behind the many years of successful cooperation with PMS.

Christian Menard from the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences discussed the new partnership with the PMS Technology Centre and the new opportunity for students in the Lavanttal valley to take a “Systems Engineering Extended” course, a flagship project which he views as having potential for other regions within Carinthia. Claudia Mischensky, Managing Director of the Federation of Carinthian Industries, expressed her delight at the success of industrial firms in the Lavanttal, which has included winning awards in two categories in the “Austria’s Leading Companies” competition. Mayor Hans-Peter Schlagholz highlighted the productive working relationship between politics and the economy in the Lavanttal and reiterated that all districts in the valley were firmly behind the partnership with the university, as they recognise the benefits it offers the region as a whole. District Commissioner Daniel Fellner also made clear his pride in the successful growth of PMS.

Three PMS employees – Gudrun Bierbaumer, Nico Grünwald and Manuel Pichler – gave a talk offering insights into the work they do, the training and professional development opportunities they have at the company, and the benefits of the new course of studies which can be taken at PMS itself.

This was followed by a prayer of thanks from Father Maximilian Krenn from the nearby St. Paul’s Abbey for the accident-free construction work and a blessing for the new production hall. The official ceremonies concluded with a short film outlining the company’s mission statement and narrating its history, followed by another show from Drumatical Theatre.

The buffet then opened, giving guests the chance to enjoy delicious food and drink while chatting in a convivial atmosphere, maintaining existing friendships and making new contacts. Guests could also take a tour of the new, state-of-the-art office spaces to get a glimpse “behind the scenes” at PMS and marvel at all the awards previously won by the company, and the band “Tollhouse” kept everyone entertained into the early hours of the morning. We wish to thank the me-evento agency, who were a pleasure to work with and provided the best possible support for arranging this event!