DURAG GROUP celebrates 75th anniversary

Fabien, how would you describe your career to date?

I started my career in field service. Here I had the chance to discover different industries, countries and cultures with diverse and unpredictable challenges. A great opportunity to learn quickly. My first contact with the DURAG GROUP was back in 1996, when I took over the management of an international turnkey project and got to know Jeff O'Gorman and then Norbert Rink, who trained me on emission dust monitors. During this time, I also realized that I was particularly interested in the sales area, which I switched to in 2001.

On October 1, 2009, I joined the DURAG GROUP as Sales & Service Manager of DURAG France. My goal was to establish the subsidiary and market the entire portfolio in the sales territory. In 2014, I became Managing Director of DURAG France and in 2015 I took on the same role for DURAG Italia. In this function, the aim was to further develop the south-western European region for the DURAG GROUP. In 2019, I had the opportunity to move to the Hamburg headquarters and take over responsibility for our global sales and service management. An exciting task - both professionally and personally, as I moved to Germany with my entire family.

What factors have contributed to you staying with the company for so many years? And what is particularly  important to you as Managing Director in terms of team development? 

Over the years, the DURAG GROUP has always offered me opportunities for personal development. I really appreciate that!

In my eyes, team development means building trust, creating transparency, understanding each other, realizing projects together - and doing so with mutual respect and individual responsibility. In our ever faster changing world, the lifespan of skills is rapidly decreasing, so continuous training is more important than ever. However, not everyone can learn at the same speed. It is therefore important to develop tools that meet the needs of all of us.

In the long time you have been with the company, you have certainly had a lot of influence on the development of the company - how would you describe this?

A difficult question! From my first steps at the DURAG GROUP, it was clear to me that our sales department had to act in the sense of "one face to the customer" by marketing the entire portfolio and cross-selling across our various brands and products. Today, with our three business areas combustion and safety monitoring, process and environmental monitoring and tunnel and traffic monitoring we are able to bring transparency to our portfolio and communicate our offerings to the market in a clear and understandable way. Expanding our portfolio and adding strategic products is crucial to our development in order to maintain the interest of customers and employees. In 2017, for example, I had the opportunity to be part of the AP2E Merging & Acquisition team. This was a strategic move for the DURAG GROUP into the world of gas analysis to bring on board an innovative technology for process, emission and ambient air applications.

Furthermore, how has the DURAG GROUP changed over the years to remain competitive?

Having worked in environmental monitoring for more than 30 years, I have seen the positive impact of regulations and implemented standards to improve air quality. The limits for stack emissions have been drastically reduced. Thanks to the continuous efforts of our research and development teams, we have been able to overcome the technical challenges and offer instruments that can measure ever lower concentrations of dust, mercury and gases. Over the last four years, we have been confronted with numerous changes accelerated by the energy transition and environmental challenges. Our powerful innovations in laser technology enable us to achieve precise results in the measurement of fine dust and ultrafine particles as well as in the monitoring of greenhouse gases. The goal of decarbonization being pursued by various industries is leading to a need for alternative fuels, where our expertise in flame ignition and monitoring can play a key role. Hydrogen production and distribution as well as carbon capture require high quality purity. Our analyzers are able to monitor impurities and traces with high accuracy and high performance. OFCEAS technology is used by ¾ of European laboratories for H₂ purity monitoring. 

In summary, it can be said that the DURAG GROUP continuously accompanies the change in industry through the use of innovative technologies and plays a key and pioneering role for new market prospects. With our technologies, we contribute to a cleaner and safer environment.

An anniversary year often offers the opportunity for special occasions. What achievements or projects from the past year have been particularly memorable for you?

During the COVID pandemic, face-to-face meetings were a rarity. That's why we felt a strong need to get in touch with customers, partners and our employees again this year.

To mark our 75^th anniversary, we decided to organize several special events throughout the year: We held two partner meetings in Hamburg and Bangkok with more than 300 participants from our four regions EMEA, DACH, ASIAPAC and Americas. At the same time, we invited our employees to take part in environmental or social activities, such as the "Family and Friends Day", street and water clean-up campaigns, donations to charity and various sporting events. Our summary is extremely positive, as the majority of our employees participated with great commitment!

Finally, let's take a look into the future of the DURAG GROUP: what will the company's future strategic focus and goals be?

The world we live in is in turmoil due to climate change, the global economy, geopolitical interests and technology. We need to adapt quickly to these changes, as they also offer opportunities for our three business areas. At the same time, we need to maintain our high pace of innovation. On the one hand, by investing in new products to complete our portfolio and, on the other, by using digitalization wherever it makes us faster and better.

Björn, when and how did you come to DURAG GROUP?

It was by chance. In 1997, I decided to make good use of the waiting time for my electrical engineering studies by starting a commercial apprenticeship. Because of my initiative application I had the opportunity to get to know DURAG and brought my CV to the visit. After that everything went very fast, I was hired as the second trainee as an industrial clerk in the company. In 1997, DURAG had just 91 employees worldwide, onboarding was very different from today, there was much less effort. I had hardly any previous knowledge in the commercial field, but had already completed an apprenticeship as an energy plant electronics technician for plant engineering and graduated from the technical college for electrical engineering.

What was your working day like at that time and what does it look like now? 

In the early years, things were still very strict. Anyone who didn't use the time card on time at 7 a.m. had a problem. A bell rang punctually for the start of the breakfast and lunch break. Today, of course, it doesn't happen anymore because of flexible working hours and models. During my apprenticeship, I quickly realized that sales was my thing. I ended up in the still fairly new export department, which was pure pioneering work at the time. DURAG was little known outside Europe, DURAG USA had just been founded and HEGWEIN joined the group. Today we can look back on an expanded partner and branch network, fast and global communication with modern media determines everyday life. My current job is multi-layered, strategic and globally oriented.

How was your career path at DURAG? 

After my apprenticeship, I was responsible for the India/Asia-Pacific area in the export sales department and supported the only two globally active field sales colleagues at that time. Later I was Key Account Manager and was responsible for the launch in the tunnel sensor market and drove through Europe with the first prototypes in the trunk. During this time, I also organized the second and third international sales meetings in Hamburg and Berlin as well as in Mumbai for the first partners. After that, I was responsible as area sales manager for the northern region, i.e. from Flensburg to Kassel, and also for Spain. In 2009, I took over the management of the DACH region for sales and service. In the course of globalization and our incredible success story, we added further sales channels. I accompanied the former key account manager in his strategic activities in parallel and took over the job completely from him in 2018. This task is still very versatile and exciting today.

What were your biggest personal challenges?

As the saying goes, you grow with your tasks. It wasn't always easy, but it was always exciting to face new challenges and learn from them. Many things were completely new territory, both for me personally and for the DURAG GROUP, such as the launch of the new tunnel sensor product portfolio or the implementation of global account management.

How has the DURAG GROUP developed over the years?

When I started, there were only a few PCs, a lot was done with a typewriter. The introduction of modern IT equipment came quite quickly, but e-mails did not exist at first; we communicated with customers by telephone, letter and fax. At that time, DURAG was a typically conservative, Hanseatic Hamburg company; everyone knew everyone else. Fluctuation was a foreign word and short lines of communication were common. When things had to be done quickly, I wrote the order myself, went to the manufacturing department to get a flame detector from the shelf, packed it, drove it to the chamber of commerce and customs for documents and certifications, and the next day everything was ready for the shipping company. Over the years, as we grew, there were naturally more export regulations, and the organization became more extensive. Companies like VEREWA and ORFEUS, now P&ST, were added, as well as new processes. Above a certain company size, short official channels are effectively no longer possible. But the roots from back then are still the basis of our actions today. And team spirit has been our success factor from the very beginning.

Has being with the company for so long influenced you? 

I've grown with the company, which has certainly changed me. Today, people tend to change employers in order to gain experience. I wouldn't want to miss my own short external excursion into the world of automation from 2006 to 2009, but since the DURAG GROUP has been constantly changing until today, I have actually been able to gain all these different experiences here. And the topic of environmental protection has also become much more present for me privately through my time at the DURAG GROUP.

Which highlights do you remember most?

The list is long. At the top is the development of our partner networks; the regular international sales meetings in this context were impressive. Or my first business trip to India in 2001, where I met our only local employee at the time, who was in charge of the local partners. Since there were hardly any decent roads in rural areas, it was often pure adventure to get to the customers. In addition, the introduction of the D-LX 100 in 1998 and the D-RX 250 in 2000 were each a giant step forward for DURAG and one of the foundations for success in the national and international market. Last but not least, I like to think back to my first two major CEMS projects. Both were developed together at the customer's site as an idea on the whiteboard and are still part of one of the larger installations in the northern region today. We still benefit from this in the after sales.

What made you stay with DURAG?

Whether initially in the office or later in the field, it was always exciting. Especially the projects and the different people in the field. Not a single day was like the other. Where else do you get the chance to walk around in a refinery in the morning, a steel mill at noon, and a cement plant in the afternoon? There was never a dull moment at DURAG over the years. The company was always changing, not always as quickly as in other industries, but sustainably and continuously. I could always follow my interests and had many development opportunities. Measurement and control technology and automation were always my favorite topics. I can look back on many successful projects that I implemented together with great colleagues and solution partners.

Where do you see the DURAG GROUP and yourself in ten years? 

What we have achieved so far makes me proud and drives me to develop and implement many more projects. I feel connected to the company and wish that the DURAG GROUP will continue to assert itself courageously in the market, conquer new fields and develop into the world market leader in the field of innovative measurement technology. With the product areas we have today, a basis for this has been created.

Rolf, when did you join DURAG GROUP and what did you do before that?

Following my training as an energy appliance electronics technician, I worked for seven years in mechanical engineering in the field and in the office. After further training as a master electrical mechanic, the DURAG South branch in Bad Boll took me on 16 April 1989. I was responsible for the commissioning and repair of dust measuring devices and various combustion technology products, so for both service and support for the sales department. My area covered southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria. 

What are currently the most challenging projects for you?

Quite clearly: commissioning flame monitors in critical plants so that they also meet safety requirements. This is the case, for example, when several burners and different fuel variants are used. A current example is the installation at a chemical company in Ludwigshafen, where one of the two boilers has been completely free of natural gas and light fuel oil since January 2023. After extensive testing on the old heavy oil boiler, we recommended to the customer the optimum combination of flame monitors for this extremely complex task. As a result, eight D-LX 201 compact flame monitors were installed in parallel operation with eight D-UG 660s and are now operating very successfully. Now, preference is given to firing with liquid and gaseous waste materials from the company’s own production, sometimes in combination. As a result, one-sixth of the internal energy supply for a company with thousands of employees is secured. The identical conversion of a second boiler is expected to follow in 2024.

How has your field of work at DURAG GROUP developed?

A medium-sized company has become a large company and one of the leading companies in combustion and emission monitoring technology. The quality of our products has always been very high. My goal is always the optimum installation of our devices at our customers’ premises to ensure smooth, trouble-free operation and a long and sustainable equipment service life. 

How have you personally experienced your long tenure with the company?

I started my dream job at DURAG in April 1989 and have always been happy to give my full commitment. To this day, I enjoy it very much and like being able to provide advice and support to our various customers, sometimes getting creative to make production and products as trouble-free and safe as possible. The spectrum ranges from conventional power plants to producers of chemical products to food producers. I have been with the company for 34 years as of April 2023, and I’m still pleased to be able to give my best as a specialist in combustion technology. The varied work has always motivated me to do the job with all the energy and creativity I have.

And how are things on a personal level between people?

The corporate culture at DURAG GROUP is very informal, open and appreciative. I find the teams to be extremely friendly in their dealings with each other, and everyone takes their responsibilities very seriously. Overall, I consider our working environment to be extremely modern and future-oriented. We have innovative, good work structures, and the safety equipment for the service staff is perfect.  

What highlights do you remember?

The annual get-togethers in Hamburg with colleagues from the service and development departments are super. I also thoroughly enjoyed the summer events at DURAG GROUP. The absolute highlight was my 25th anniversary in 2014 in Hamburg, to which I was invited with my partner, which simply overjoyed me. In addition, my countless appointments with customers have resulted in some personal contacts that I wouldn’t want to be without.

Where do you see DURAG GROUP in ten years time, what do you wish for?

I hope that we continue to have motivated employees. It would be nice to be able to impress our customers with quick response times in the long run. I also hope that DURAG GROUP will become a leading supplier in the field of combustion and emission monitoring technology. Then I will be able to tell my grandchildren proudly and happily about my countless, varied and interesting assignments for my former employer, whose success I was able to help shape through my work.

Takeshi Saito, how long have you been with DURAG GROUP and how did that start?

My previous employer was one of DURAG’s distributors at the time. When I left there in 2004, DURAG management was visiting Japan, and that’s how my story at DURAG GROUP began – going back 17 years now. I had previous business development experience in the energy industry and was head of the Instrumentation business unit including analyzers. So the task of developing the Japanese market together with DURAG was just the right job for me.

What career path did you take at DURAG GROUP and were there any particular challenges? 

I was responsible for all sales and business development activities in Japan since the beginning. The biggest challenge was the development of marine applications, mainly for LNG tankers.

What do you like about working for DURAG GROUP, how would you describe the company culture?

The business and working atmosphere at DURAG has always been passionate, working with a smile and integrity. Passion, smiles and integrity – this work style fits my own philosophy of life. Besides that motto, I also like DURAG’s “Originality and Continuity” slogan.

Has your time with the company changed or influenced you personally?

Here in Japan, we have the saying “Even a stone gets warm when a person sits on it for three years,” which means “perseverance wins”. Continuity is a key to positive business development.

Which highlights do you remember most?

I look back with pleasure on the 60^th anniversary of DURAG and the international sales meeting held in 2008. I also have fond memories of the meeting two years later with a subsequent visit to the Stuttgart folk festival “Cannstatter Wasen”.

How do you see the future of DURAG GROUP, what do you wish for?

I am convinced that DURAG GROUP will continue to grow steadily and add new, unique technologies to its portfolio. In my remaining time with the company, I will fully support my son Satoshi in the spirit of DURAG Japan’s continued growth.

How did you come to join DURAG GROUP?

In the traditional way: in the summer of 2000, I saw a job advertisement for secretary and assistant to management in the “Niendorfer Wochenblatt” newspaper, applied and luckily got the job.  

What was your start like? Did you have any previous professional experience or was it all completely new to you? 

One nice surprise was that I met some friendly colleagues right at the beginning who I already knew personally. I had previously trained as a wholesale and export merchant and had worked as such for eight years at a company in Niendorf.

How has DURAG GROUP developed over time?

In 2000, when I started, there were about 70 of us employed here at Kollaustraße. The atmosphere was a bit more informal than it is today, because you knew just about everyone personally. I remember that in the early years I even used a typewriter! At that time, a gong also sounded regularly in the building: once at 9 a.m. for the breakfast break and again at 12:30 p.m. for the lunch break. So everyone on each floor or in each department had a break together, which was always a lot of fun and sometimes very loud.

What did your workday look like then compared to now?

Until September 2019, my workplace was located directly in management’s offices. My responsibilities included for example organizing and booking events and business trips as well as general secretarial jobs. For many years, I also personally distributed mail and payslips to colleagues based here at the location – that has changed with Covid. In the meantime, I have a variety of new responsibilities, and also a change in where I work: since fall 2019, I no longer report directly to management, but to the HR department.

What were your greatest personal challenges at DURAG GROUP? 

For me, it was always particularly exciting when there was a change in management.

What made you stay with DURAG GROUP for such a long time?

My area of responsibility gives me a great deal of pleasure because it is very varied. And there’s always something new. Regular positive feedback also contributes to my satisfaction. And I like the fact that there are still many colleagues from my early days with whom I can occasionally reminisce at an event. It creates a feeling of togetherness. Over the years, DURAG GROUP has grown considerably and new departments and areas have been added. Nevertheless, it has remained clear on the whole – also thanks to colleagues who have held their positions for many years.

Has being with the company for so long changed or influenced you personally? 

It has given me many personal friendships that I still have today.

What highlights have remained in your memory in particular?

Actually, all the celebrations were very memorable. I always had a lot of fun helping to organize them. It was also great to see or get to know colleagues from other locations with whom you had already been in contact for many years, either in writing or by phone. I will also never forget how we cleared out the mechanics hall, watched the World Cup games together and turned the premises into a dance floor in the evening. It was also spectacular to have the opportunity to be on a large sailing boat at the entry parade of the Hamburg Harbor Birthday in 2015.

Where do you see the DURAG GROUP and yourself in ten years? What do you wish for? 

I hope to be enjoying my retirement in ten years. Until then, I hope that DURAG GROUP here at the Hamburg/Niendorf location continues to be so successful. I am looking forward to many more interesting tasks and conversations as well as celebrations with old and new colleagues.