Interview with Michael Schindel
When did you join F&U and what has your career path been like so far?
As a trained master gardener, I started at F&U in 1983 as a foreman. After three years on the construction site, I moved to the office, where I took on new tasks as a site manager. In 1991 I became a co-partner and in 1996 I took over the entire company together with my colleague Georg Firsching.
How did you decide to hand over your company to an external partner?
I knew that my retirement was imminent, but I also wanted to know that my company was in safe hands. That’s when the first contact was made, and I saw the sale of my company to Greenovis GmbH as an opportunity to set the company up for the future.
How were we able to convince you to become part of the group?
I had a good relationship with the Greenovis team right from the start and a good feeling that my company was in good hands there. I also happened to read an article in a trade magazine in which Ringbeck GmbH, which was already part of the group at the time, reported on its integration into the Greenovis Group. That sounded very positive to me, so my decision to become part of the group was reinforced.
What was the biggest challenge for you during the process leading up to the notary’s signature?
We have a very open corporate culture here at F&U. Going through the whole process with just a few selected people and only gradually getting other employees on board was a challenge for me.
What were you most worried about?
“Worried” is perhaps not the right word. Basically, I was very positive about the handover, but of course you do think about it. I was most concerned about what changes were coming and how we would manage to take along the employees during the reorganisation.
And what changes have come?
The biggest change is certainly that we now have or are developing a detailed reporting system. As an individual company, we also had a reporting system, of course, but it was a much ‘slimmed-down’ version.
It now includes key figures that are more complex and detailed than before. But I know that these are particularly important from the perspective of the Group and for Greenovis’ investors, as well as offering new opportunities for corporate management, not least for our work within F&U.
‘By joining the group,
I know my company is in
safe hands and will make
it fit for the future.’
MICHAEL SCHINDEL
Was there anything you imagined differently?
Not necessarily what I had imagined, but rather a different way of getting there.
We have gone from being a sole proprietorship to a member of a professional group of companies with investors in the background. Changes such as reporting, for example, were not on my radar.
I am very happy that the Greenovis Group team is always at our side and that we are developing and pursuing a common goal together with a great deal of mutual understanding. That’s a great way to manage the changeover.
How did your employees and business partners react to the sale?
Some employees were sad, but not so much because the company is now part of a large group of companies, but rather because I personally will no longer be the owner and managing director. But to be honest, that would have happened soon anyway, and we then developed a plan together with Greenovis to ensure the succession plan with people from our own ranks. We were able to reassure our colleagues through open and honest discussions.
It was never a big issue with our business partners. The business continues to run as normal.
What would you say is the biggest advantage of being part of the group?
A huge advantage is that we can apply for completely different projects as a group. For example, we have now been able to apply for a major project together with two other companies in the group. That would never have been possible for us alone.
What’s next for you in the company?
I will step down as Managing Director at the end of 2024. After that, I’ll be travelling, sailing and taking more time to read. I will remain with the Greenovis Group as a consultant for the time being and then we’ll see what happens next.
We have one last question for you: Do you have any advice for shareholders who are thinking about becoming part of the group?
As soon as you publicly announce that you are selling your company, stay in dialogue with your management team and your employees. Give them the assurance that you will ensure that there will be a long-term perspective for the company and the employees as well as a successor in the management.
You should also realise that changes are coming. A group of companies is not the same as an owner-managed company. But you don’t have to be afraid of that. Changes will come, no matter who you hand over your company to.
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