40 years of company life. Are you proud of this?
Feyzi Yesilirmak: I honestly feel very honoured, as LAPP was my first company and will also be my last. I am delighted to have been able to work at LAPP for so long. These 40 years have been and remain great times for me.
WHow did you come to LAPP back then?
Feyzi Yesilirmak: I came to Germany in the 1980s and learned German at school. The employment office sent me directly to LAPP. The interview lasted less than five minutes. This was probably down to my great education, as I had graduated as an electrician from the vocational secondary school in Turkey at the time. This impressed them immediately. Mr Baric, who was the operations manager at the time, literally said to me at the time: “Come to work on Monday at 6 a.m. You can start right here”.
Was the job at LAPP what you had wished for?
Feyzi Yesilirmak: I originally wanted to stay in Turkey and study there as I wanted to become an electrical engineer, but my father took me with him to Germany and said that I could study here, too. Unfortunately, this was not possible for a number of reasons. Sadly, life doesn’t always work out the way you imagine it – but I’m still happy. I have a job that I enjoy and I feel satisfied showing up every day.
What does your daily work typically involve?
Feyzi Yesilirmak: A lot has changed in Germany. For me personally, however, my professional life has developed in a more positive direction. You can’t stay stagnant in one role – and that’s as it should be. Back in the 1980s, we had between 100 and 160 employees at Schulze-Delitzsch-Strasse. I can’t remember the exact number. Today, we have more than 4,500 employees worldwide. This is a great success for the company and also for me, as I was able to witness this growth.
What are your challenges today?
Feyzi Yesilirmak: Every day, we set ourselves a daily target that we want to achieve. Here, quality is the top priority – especially in the department where I work, known as the end station. We want to work with absolutely no errors.
What have been the most defining moments for you over the past 40 years?
Feyzi Yesilirmak: The move in the mid-1980s to what is now Oskar-Lapp-Straße. At the time, we were delighted to have a completely new hall with state-of-the-art machinery. Other defining moments were the economic crises of 1993 and 2009. Jobs have also been cut at LAPP. Mr Lapp came to our department at the time and I asked him how he was doing and he replied, “Mr Yesilirmak, I would be far happier if I didn’t have to lay off anyone.” – I replied, “Mr Lapp, time is the best medicine and heals all wounds.”
What has changed at LAPP over the past 40 years?
Feyzi Yesilirmak: Unfortunately, many of my former colleagues are no longer here, some have left or retired earlier. Almost 90% of our colleagues now are new. I am probably the employee who has been at LAPP the longest. We now have a new generation of colleagues. They imagine the future in a completely different way. It’s up to us long-established employees to steer them in the right direction and we do this as best we can.
Can you remember any particularly pleasant experiences?
Feyzi Yesilirmak: Yes, the 2007 LAPP football tournament in my home city of Istanbul. We won first place with our football team. Mr Lapp was also present. I then showed him around the city, the bridge, the ships and, of course, told him about the history. I was delighted to have had the opportunity to drink a glass of beer and eat some fish with my employer. It was a moment that I will never forget.
Why have you remained loyal to LAPP for so long?
Feyzi Yesilirmak: I really enjoy going to work and giving my best every day. I’m very satisfied.
Does LAPP also have an impact on your family life?
Feyzi Yesilirmak: Of course, I have always told my children about LAPP. My son was interested in technology as a child. That’s why I’m delighted that he applied to work at LAPP here and was given the job.
Could you have imagined that you would both be working at LAPP for so long?
Feyzi Yesilirmak: Of course, I can’t predict whether he will work here for quite so long. But when I see him and talk to him, I see that he is content and that’s how I always imagined it. If he has the same attitude as me, I can easily imagine that he will be working at LAPP for years to come.
Did you want to follow in your father’s footsteps?
Mete Yesilirmak: When I was a little boy, I wrote in a book that my dream job was to be an electrician. My dad was always a role model for me. He always spoke only positively about LAPP. That makes an impact. That’s why I applied to LAPP. In addition, I knew many of my colleagues already from playing football with them. I have been playing football on Saturdays with the people from the cable factory and my dad since I was 13 years old. I still do.
Do you have any crossover in your day-to-day work?
Mete Yesilirmak: Less with my father. Since I got married, I have been living a little further away from my parents, which is why I like to use the breaks at the company to talk to my dad.
How did you celebrate this long service in the family?
Mete Yesilirmak: My father was really happy at this awards ceremony. And he was proud of what he has achieved. Our family is naturally also incredibly proud of my father. That’s why we topped off the awards ceremony with a nice dinner with the family.
What are your personal wishes for your future at LAPP?
Feyzi Yesilirmak: I only have one goal: to retire from working life in good health. That’s why I have applied for partial retirement. I hope it will be approved. However, I would like to add a few words. Behind my 40 years at LAPP is a true hero and that is my wife. She has always supported me. I am also very fortunate to have three amazing children. It was my wife who raised them.
Mete Yesilirmak: I can’t predict what will come tomorrow. But for today, I want to be very clear: I have a fantastic team, I work in a great company, I am content with what I have and I see this being long-term.
