Bernhard Schmidt is a graduate engineer and one of the three managing directors of Nepata. Nepata is a medium-sized company based in Wolnzach which has been serving its international clients in the fields of advertising technology, textile finishing and digital finishing for around 20 years. As well as its own machinery manufacturing facility in Wolnzach and an online shop, Nepata also represents international manufacturers across Europe. In this short interview, Schmidt tells us about his company – and why it was able to respond so quickly and professionally to the coronavirus situation.
1 | hallertau.de: Hello, Bernhard! It’s great that you’ve been able to spare some time for us at such short notice. As an entrepreneur with global connections and business processes, you must certainly have your hands full at the moment. Which tasks are you focusing on most right now?
Bernhard Schmidt: We’re actually trying to carry on with our business as normal, despite the changed circumstances. We’ve moved a large proportion of our workforce to working from home. Those who are still here are keeping their distance from one another, and offices are occupied by just one person at a time. Hygiene rules must be observed. Thanks to this, we’ve so far been able to process all customer orders as normal.
2 | When did you start taking serious measures to tackle the spread of the coronavirus? And why were you able to do so so quickly and effectively?
Through our daily communication with our partners in China, we learnt very early on how circumstances were changing for businesses and families there – what it means when, from one day to the next, you can no longer go to work or even have to go into quarantine with your whole family. That is why, several weeks ago, we began upgrading our employees’ home-office equipment and filling any gaps. For departments unable to work from home, we started considering specific ways from early March onwards to protect our staff and maintain business operations. All measures have been in place since 9 March.
3 | How do you think the whole situation will affect your sector, and what does the pandemic currently mean for your company?
At the moment, from the outside, our company seems to be operating relatively normally. We are processing orders, advising customers and dispatching goods. Our staff communicate internally largely via video conferences. However, key trade fairs for the sector have been cancelled; the Italian market is currently inaccessible, and further markets will be closed off in the coming weeks. The priority now is to reach customers through digital channels, maintain personal contact with them using new media, and, overall, make the best of the situation. Sitting back and doing nothing has never been our strong point. Once the crisis is over, we’ll roll up our sleeves and get stuck in. For now, however, our top priority is protecting the health of our staff and their families.
Link: hallertau.de