Our team
The team at
Our success can be measured by the satisfaction of our customers. We always owe the success of our products to the personal contribution of every single employee.
Order Processing, Accounting and Housekeeping
The secretary's office is the control centre of every company. Nothing would work at Holm & Laue without our colleagues there, either. They not only answer and forward telephone calls, but above all process orders, prepare shipping documents and issue invoices. International business in particular requires good foreign language skills, sensitivity in dealing with a variety of cultures and flexibility in planning deliveries. Of course, all our customers receive friendly and competent information in response to their questions.
Payroll accounting and HR planning are playing an increasingly important role in the company's internal processes as the team grows. And naturally it wouldn't work at all without bookkeeping and financial accounting.
Our "Housekeeping " colleagues are responsible for looking after our guests: they prepare our meeting rooms for visitors, courses and events, paying great attention to detail. They are also committed to taking care of everything to do with cleanliness, hygiene and good order in our offices, training facilities and meeting rooms.
I'll do that for you!
"My name is Kerstin Möller. I am a qualified administrative assistant and have been working at Holm & Laue since August 2018.
My responsibilities include writing orders and invoices as well as handling customs clearance for our customers all over the world. I have also taken on a few tasks from marketing and am responsible for organising the dispatch and procurement of our hire equipment, for example.
One of the main things I like about my job is that we always have a certain degree of continuity despite daily issues such as changes to customer requests. As a team, we support each other in every minor crisis and we all have fun at work together."
Warehouse Logistics and Shipping
Our colleagues in logistics and shipping ensure that the products we produce are ready for shipment. They handle storage and order picking of the products we produce and of those we buy in. They load trucks with outgoing deliveries and are responsible for securing the load. They accept freight consignments and perform goods receipt, where the incoming shipments are checked for quality and completeness. The most important tools for them are forklifts, lifting carts, pallet trucks and our ERP system. As a manufacturing company, we receive dozens of packages every day that they need to accept and distribute.
When it comes to shipping our products all over the world, our packaging specialists ensure that the goods are securely packed, which is particularly important when transporting heavy goods halfway around the world. Our logistics department always strives to find the optimum and most favourable mode of transport for our customers. It is therefore always important to keep an eye on loading metres, weights and hence costs for the benefit of our customers.
Existing processes in this area need to be repeatedly adjusted, especially in times of strong growth.
I'll do that for you!
"My name is Rainer Schirrmacher and I've been working in logistics at Holm & Laue since 2010. I pick the large orders with calf igloos, verandas and other calf housing elements. I'm also responsible for loading and unloading trucks and keeping our forecourt tidy. I enjoy working outside on my own the most. And when things get stressful, we can always rely on each other as a team, because it goes without saying that we help each other in special situations.
If I do my job well, you will receive your goods intact and undamaged. You will then have no problems later when you set up the calf pens. That is my incentive to do a good job. I know the products like the back of my hand. I'll notice immediately if something is missing.”
Production
In the beginning, our only customers were farmers in northern Germany. However, our colleagues now adapt to the needs of our global customers on a daily basis. For example, they need to take into account different power grids, different language versions and different regulatory requirements. Each piece of equipment is manufactured individually in accordance with the customer's wishes. The many different options of the CalfExpert calf feeder and the MilkTaxi make it almost impossible to build up stockpiles. Our guys have to satisfy customer wishes "just in time" every single day. We sometimes even make the impossible possible, but always with a smile.
I'll do that for you!
"My name is Ihab Shaban. I joined Holm & Laue at the beginning of 2020, where I assemble the CalfExpert calf feeder. But I also help out in other areas, such as the spare parts store. I feel like I'm part of a family here among my colleagues. I get a lot of help from all my colleagues and I like that very much.
I like the fact that we produce good quality. Everyone here in the team pays attention to that and I also aim to do a good job. And the feeders are also checked again at the end of the process. That's important to me.”
I'll do that for you!
"My name's Alex Scheuerer and I've been working at Holm & Laue for 9 years. Before that, I worked as a machine operator in a feed mill producing animal feed. This gives me a certain long-standing affinity with agriculture. Before I started here, I took a very close look at the company and what it does. I'd urge anyone else thinking about working for us to do the same.
Today, the main part of my job is assembling the mechanical parts of MilkTaxis. My colleagues then take care of the electrical wiring. There are four of us in the team. We can cover for each other in all our roles, so there's no stress even when someone is off sick or on holiday.
I am fascinated by the engineering we have developed here at Holm & Laue and are now producing for customers around the world. Even after 9 years, I still can't quite believe what we've achieved here.
It's important for me to do a good job. Our customers recognise this by the fact that our MilkTaxis work so reliably for them."
Thore Schütt and Frank Bischoff jointly manage our sizeable production department. Thore is responsible for the production of feeders as well as for the spare parts warehouse, while Frank organises MilkTaxi production.
Both enjoy leading people and managing the organisation: "It's important to us to create a pleasant working environment within and between our teams and to optimise work processes. This is the only way we can maintain delivery performance and supply high-quality end products that satisfy customers and calves alike. Holm & Laue has an open-door policy throughout and prioritises teamwork.
What makes our work particularly interesting is the wide range of product options: different features can be selected in different combinations for each unit, meaning that no two end products are the same. The storage and picking of incoming parts is therefore one of our most important tasks, as it’s the only way that allows our colleagues to work quickly and efficiently. When we finish work for the day, we are happy to see a large number of high-quality end products, whose specific benefits are appreciated on so many dairy farms each and every day.”
Organisation, ERP, IT and Controlling
A number of conditions need to be met if a large number of people are to work effectively: what is needed are lean processes, an efficient enterprise resource planning system (ERP) and careful controlling and monitoring. Given the size of our company, this is only possible with a well planned IT infrastructure with a fair number of computers and servers in a fast network. This is provided by the colleagues from IT who, with their patience and expertise, also support users with all their hardware and software requests.
An ERP system provides the necessary data basis to support and monitor the company's processes. The resulting reports provide an objective foundation for decision-making by the company's management. Besides day-to-day routine, organisational tasks include a wide range of projects: from site development to an online shop for our trading partners, from generating regulatory notifications to managing our patent and trademark rights. This calls for broad-based expertise and multitasking skills.
I'll do that for you!
"My name is Heino Hansen. I've been part of the Holm & Laue family since 2014 and am now responsible for organisation, ERP, controlling and a number of projects. Sometimes also for the projects that no one else wants to undertake, because somehow everything is "a question of organisation" and so falls within my area of responsibility.
At its heart, it is about bringing departments, staff and tasks together in order to achieve common goals. One tool for this is our ERP system, which we use to turn smart ideas into effective processes. My goal is to ensure that our employees' work processes are consistent and dovetail optimally with each other. This means after we complete our work, we’ll always have satisfied employees and customers.
My daily motivation is that I have a great many opportunities to shape things as an authorised representative. I really enjoy the variety provided by the wide range of different tasks – like taking on the responsibility.”
Purchase
Every commercial employee knows the importance of the purchasing department: it ensures that there are always enough goods in stock for production and it is constantly looking for dependable suppliers – both for new products and for existing inventory. It is always important to find exactly the right supplier among the many suppliers on the market who can deliver the required quality at reasonable conditions.
Other important criteria have also arisen for the selection of our suppliers, especially in recent times: reliability of delivery and product availability. Our colleagues in purchasing have a high degree of flexibility and commitment and can therefore always adapt to new circumstances.
Software/Electronics Engineering
We all live in a world that is becoming increasingly digital. Many of the functions and possibilities of our products are inconceivable without intelligent control. Innovations are increasingly happening at the digital level. Moreover, data and information are becoming increasingly important.
It makes us very proud that we develop all our software in-house. This brings huge benefits to us – and ultimately to you, our customers: short communication paths from the idea through to implementation as well as an excellent dialogue between our development department and the farms that cooperate with us help to optimise the development of the equipment from prototype through to the final product.
However,
I'll do that for you!
"My name is Nadine Wudtke. I’ve been with Holm & Laue since 2018 and develop user interfaces for web applications, apps and our website. So I am the person who made it possible for you to read this text.
I attach great importance to user-friendliness and prefer a minimalist design and clear structures in order to make it easier for you to use our digital products.
I am extremely happy at having almost free rein in the implementation. The close collaboration within our team and the short lines of communication enable me to work efficiently, while the complexity of the hardware and software we develop both challenges and motivates me every day."
Mechanical / Electrical Engineering
It is familiar from Q's laboratory in the James Bond films: there are many needs to be met when new things are being developed – functionality, design and quality to name but a few. Our engineers and technical draughtsmen are not only committed to developing new products, but also to optimising existing items. And of course they are fully aware that it won't happen without trial and error.
We are in the fortunate position of having our company headquarters in the middle of an area of intensive dairy farming (Holstein). Many dairy farmers in the region agree to test prototypes and pre-series products for us. Our products continue improving thanks to candid feedback from the field to the point where we are able to sell them all over the world.
And then you can be sure that our products will not let you down in your everyday work, any more than Q's inventions let James Bond down in his pursuit of criminals.
I'll do that for you!
“I' m Stefan Balzer and have been working at Holm & Laue in the engineering department since October 2020. I particularly enjoy the variety of my many types of task – from concept creation and 3D design work to prototype construction in the workshop, where you sometimes get dirty and sweaty and have to turn up the radio. What I also appreciate about our team is that we help each other to push forward together.
My work means that we can always present something new to you. You can rest assured that Holm & Laue products are built robustly and function reliably. Even when we encounter inconsistencies in components, we check them and fix them immediately. Our products ultimately make your work easier and optimise the processes on your dairy farm."
I'll do that for you!
“My name is Hans Ehlers. I started working at Holm & Laue in 2009 on a temporary basis, then completed the dual study programme here as well and have now been working in the engineering department since 2017.
My tasks are extremely varied. They include classic product development, from concept creation, planning and communication with suppliers to prototype construction and the series launch of new products. I also like to weld prototypes myself or try things out in practice.
I try to relieve you of some of your work on your farm through our products. I pay particular attention to all the little details, which we continue to tweak until both you and we are truly satisfied. And there are in fact always things to optimise, because we always see special use cases where we wish to further improve our products for you.”
Service
Even the best equipment needs regular maintenance. Our local service partners handle this, ensuring that your operation runs smoothly. Every member of our service team around the world who looks after your H&L equipment is trained by our technicians and receives regular refresher training.
Our partners can also access a multilingual expert system via our web service portal that assists with troubleshooting and provides them with all the necessary documentation. Of course, all our service partners maintain close contact with us and are supported by our own international service team with staff in various locations around the world – for example, also during the initial installation of our calf feeder.
Our service colleagues in Westerrönfeld provide technical support for our farmers in Schleswig-Holstein and liaise closely with our engineering department. Together we can solve any problem.
I'll do that for you!
"My name is Matthias Mahler. I have been working in the service department at Holm & Laue since the end of 2014. I look after the technical hotline and schedule the local service team. On my business trips I support our dealers with training, assist with local problems and provide support with the initial installation of the CalfExpert calf feeder.
I endeavour to isolate as many error messages as possible over the phone so that a lot of problems can already be solved by you on site, often making service visits unnecessary in many cases. It is important to me that your equipment runs well and that we, together with our service partners, always find a satisfactory solution for you.”
Consulting and Sales
"We want you to succeed” A platitude? No, it is precisely what drives our sales team: we feel responsible for our customers' success and often work closely with them to develop custom solutions for all aspects of cattle and calf husbandry.
We share a passion for healthy calf rearing and strive to use our knowledge to improve conditions for rearing calves worldwide. At
I'll do that for you!
"My name is Miguel Sa. I live in Portugal and have been responsible for sales of our products in Portugal, Spain, Israel and South America since 2014.
My job involves a lot of personal contact with customers and dealers. I like to listen and explain the possibilities our products offer.
I very much enjoy seeing farmers who have performed well since they started working with our products. And I like it when farmers increasingly enjoy working with their calves.
It takes a lot of teamwork to achieve these results. So it's not me alone. The rest of the Holm & Laue team as well as our dealers also play their part. And when you, as my customer, find that everything works smoothly and without stress and you get the results you want, you will realise that you have some of the best equipment on the market – well, the best, actually.”
Marketing
Communication is the key to success. After all, an audience can only benefit from important information if it actually reaches them. This is why our marketing team sees itself not only as a simple advertising department, but first and foremost as an information broker. They are the ones who bring together and present information about healthy calf husbandry, our products and news from the cattle breeding sector. For example, we prepare presentations and technical articles or advertisements for print media in many different languages.
This always requires extreme flexibility. At trade fair times, our marketing department feels like an event agency; when designing a new calf manual, our colleagues work with the same concentration as authors; in social media, they take on the role of film directors and YouTubers; and as instructors, they are always preparing the next user and customer training session.
You guessed it – there's never a dull moment, and that's the reason why our colleagues in marketing love what they do.
I'll do that for you!
"My name is Stefanie Kurzbein. I have been working in the marketing department at Holm & Laue since 2016. My tasks include developing all kinds of advertising materials, organising trade fairs and events, looking after our sales partners in the field of marketing and supporting our international sales team.
The best thing about my job is the creative freedom. In the best case, we succeed in producing smart and informative output following brainstorming sessions, meetings and concentrated intellectual effort – for example, this website or a particularly effective trade fair stand. The most important thing is teamwork, because without sharing ideas, the best among them will not succeed. And no event would ever get off the ground without everyone pitching immediately prior to the event.
If I do my job well, you will perceive Holm & Laue as a strong brand and associate us with profound expertise in all topics relating to calf husbandry.”
