2012 to 2022: Starting with two employees, Uwe and Matthias, the managing directors of EVOMOTIV Ulm GmbH, with its now 50 employees, looks back on 10 eventful years. To mark the 10th anniversary, Matthias and Uwe talk about their special Evo highlights, their wishes for the future and show that spontaneous ideas can have a big impact.
Dear Matthias, dear Uwe – 10 years EVOMOTIV ULM GmbH – congratulations!
Can you give a brief insight into how the EVOMOTIV Ulm GmbH came into being?
Uwe: “It all started with a project in Ulm and a casual question. Lukas was the project coordinator and I was the designer. We were sitting in a meeting and he asked me casually whether I had ever thought about hiring someone because of the amount of work here in Ulm. I flippantly answered with a counter question and asked him whether he could imagine EVOMOTIV in Ulm. And so one thing led to another and from a flippant counter-question the idea of the EVOMOTIV “Ulm GmbH”.
How do you two know each other?
Uwe: “After the plans for the new location in Ulm became more concrete, Matthias, who worked at EVO as a sales team leader in Stuttgart, was brought on board. So we met for the first time in Echterdingen at a meeting to plan the new Evo location, where we were immediately on the same wavelength and have been building the location's success together ever since.”
What are you most proud of when you look back on the last 10 years?
Matthias: "I am particularly proud of many things. But above all of our seven team leaders and their development. In recent years, their entrepreneurial perspective has continued to develop and they act as entrepreneurially minded leaders every day, which makes me very proud."
Uwe: "From a business perspective, I am proud of the decision we made in 2017. Together we decided to expand to Friedrichshafen. That was a big step for both of us. I also think it's great that we have more and more doers and visionaries at EVO who want to make a difference. At the beginning, the economic factor, i.e. the fact that we have to grow quickly in order to implement the projects, naturally had an influence on our recruitment process. But we very quickly distanced ourselves from this and have since then focused on finding employees who combine their personal development with our ideas and values."
What were the biggest challenges of the last 10 years?
Matthias: "One of the biggest challenges was our initial phase in 2012. During this time, we only had two people in the office, could only hire three people and did not come anywhere close to achieving the goals we had set for ourselves. We have now grown to 50 employees, which makes me even prouder when I look back on the initial phase."
Uwe: "For me personally, one of the biggest challenges was the transition from freelancer to managing director and the new tasks and responsibilities that came with it. As a freelancer, I was only responsible for myself and the project. From a personal point of view, this was a big task for me and is an ongoing process in which I am constantly learning new things."
What are the top events of the past 10 years for you?
Matthias: "Firstly, the notary appointment for the establishment of our GmbH and secondly, the fact that we decided about 2,5 years ago to sensibly expand our spectrum with software and consulting. Two subject areas that have an incredible amount of potential and represent a very good path for the future."
How would you describe your collaboration?
Matthias: "What we have learned over the years is that Uwe and I think very differently. We complement each other very well in many decisions. For example, I tend to be the one who quickly has an opinion on a topic. Uwe is then the one who takes his time and slows down my activism at the right moment and makes a considered decision together with me."
What are you passionate about in your free time?
Uwe: "All topics related to the stock market, trading and stock dealing. I also enjoy doing manual work. In autumn and winter you can often find me in my parents' forest, where I reforest destroyed areas and thus find a balance to my office work."
Matthias: "Windsurfing. But since it's difficult to do in southern Germany, I restrict myself to the holiday season. Otherwise, I like to work around my garden and house and try out lots of things myself."
What do you wish for the future in terms of EVOMOTIV in Ulm?
Uwe: “For the future, I hope that we will be able to grow with our team by giving them the freedom they need to be able to fulfil their potential with us. Each of them is different and everyone has their own personal vision of what they want to achieve with EVOMOTIV together. This project is definitely not easy, but we are doing our best to achieve it together."
Matthias: “I agree! Our wish is to grow sustainably and to do so in line with the visions of our employees.”
Thank you for the interview. We look forward to many more years together with the EVOMOTIV Ulm GmbH and are excited about what the future will bring.
