Tim-Alexander Karußeit, Managing Director of Hoffmann Messebau Hannover, has shown courage during the coronavirus crisis. Following the tradesman's motto: #simplydoit! (Photo: © KfW / Hoffmann)
Read aloud:
25 November 2020
When the coronavirus crisis brought his entire business to a standstill, Tim-Alexander Karußeit reinvented his trade fair construction company in record time. For this, the tradesman's business received the KfW Award for Starting a Business 2020 in the "Motivational" category!
Tim-Alexander Karußeit founded his company in January 2020. For him, it was a dream come true – he had spent three years intensively searching for an existing company that he could further develop. He was then able to take over Hoffmann Dienstleistungen für die werbende Wirtschaft GmbH in Höver, southeast of Hanover in Lower Saxony.
The successor at the helm of the trade fair construction company took over the entire team and looked confidently to the future – the industry seemed recession-proof. But just a few weeks later, events were cancelled due to the Corona pandemic, and the founder was responsible for 35 employees but had neither orders nor revenue.
The founder reinvented the company in record time, guided by the motto "We defy the crisis": He focused on Hoffmann's core competency – the carpentry trade – and sought new business opportunities within this sector. Initially, the company supported the healthcare sector, building COVID-19 outpatient clinics nationwide and an emergency room for the hospital in Hanover.
Such modular room systems were also designed for municipal retirement homes to allow visits from relatives while adhering to the necessary safety precautions. With the declining case numbers and the associated easing of restrictions, orders then decreased again.
Operations management
Operations management
Panorama - Society
Since then, Hoffmann has offered high-quality renovations and modernizations as a full-service provider of skilled trades . The company remains committed to trade fair construction .
Since 1998, the KfW banking group has annually awarded the KfW Start-up Award to a young company from each German state . This year, the decision regarding the organization of the competition was not easy, KfW writes.
This year's special prize was therefore awarded to an inspiring individual who remains undeterred even in difficult times and finds new solutions. The €5.000 prize goes to the trade fair construction company of Tim-Alexander Karußeit.
Vote for the audience winner! Each state winner receives €1.000 in prize money. All state winners have the opportunity to win an additional €5.000 as the "audience winner." Voting for the audience winner is open until December 14, 2020, at https://www.fuer-gruender.de/kfw-award-gruenden-publikumspreis/.
"After the initial shock, we were able to make the best of the situation. This was only possible thanks to the diverse team with its great talent," says the founder. "I can therefore only pass on the KfW award to the employees who believed in the company and placed incredible trust in me. We look to the future with confidence!"
Source: KfW
The national winner is ooia GmbH from Berlin. Hoffmann Dienstleistungen für die werbende Wirtschaft GmbH from Lower Saxony receives the special prize for encouragement , and Bracenet GmbH from Hamburg receives the special prize for social entrepreneurship.
Source: KfW
Newsletter
Write a comment