The weather was perfect, as was the atmosphere, on this Friday at the end of September, when around 400 colleagues met up for a very special celebration in the grounds of Innomotion Park.
From milk churn to high-tech company
The day was dedicated to a sense of community: Markus Krauss looked back on the origins of Thomas in 1905 as part of his welcome address. From a milk churn, the very first Thomas product, he symbolically conjured up other products from the company’s history to impressively illustrate its technological advancement since 1962.
Christoph Thomas then turned the spotlight on, among other things, the company’s identity as a family business as well as its values and principles. Last but not least, he emphasized the importance of a well-balanced approach to internationalization. Finally, he addressed those present directly:
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Thank you very much for the many years of trust, your tremendous commitment, the Thomas family spirit embraced by everyone, and your tireless efforts in pursuit of excellence.
Event with many highlights
Business before pleasure, as the saying goes: It was time for the senior executives to plant an oak tree before the official part of the event came to an end. No sooner said than done: The new tree was planted near the pear tree that Hermann Thomas had planted on the occasion of the company’s 25th anniversary. Time for the celebrations to begin!
Those with an appetite were well catered for, especially thanks to the energetic efforts of the management team behind the gas BBQs.
The hours that followed also had a lot on offer, including the opportunity to write down your thoughts on the future and slip them into a time capsule that is to be reopened for the company’s anniversary in 2037. There was a photo booth, football darts, table football, a Segway course, and a live illustrator. This was complemented by a hat full of awards: Grill master, professional footballer, and participants in the 2022 corporate run – they were all acknowledged.
Above all, however, it was about those special little moments: meeting up with others at the various bar tables, at the BBQ, or at the bar in Herdorf or in the United States and China, where the teams celebrated at different times – that community spirit was to be felt everywhere. There was a sense of openness, exchange, and interest beyond the confines of business and work. And that, after all, is the very thing that has always made the difference at Thomas.
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