Tobias Frank, Head of Central Logistics at LAPP, thinks back with a smile to when he received his certificate for successfully completing his dual study program at LAPP in 2012. Ursula Ida Lapp, co-founder of LAPP, gave him the following words to take home: “If it’s fun, then the work is successful”. And she was right. Tobias Frank enjoyed a successful career at the company: “In 2009, I started at LAPP as a dual student in the field of business administration and trade management,” he recalls. This was followed by the takeover and specialisation in logistics, his first management position in 2016 and his promotion to Head of Department in Central Logistics in 2021. At LAPP, Tobias Frank can help shape and make a difference. That has always been important to him. Even as a trainee, he was allowed to contribute his ideas. He has long appreciated this openness and trust at LAPP: “I’ve been with the company for 14 years now and I’ve always been able to support and manage exciting topics and projects. I am therefore looking forward to the coming years” he explains proudly.
Training with a long-term effect
Matthias Lapp, Chairman and CEO of LAPP, is delighted with successful career paths such as Tobias Frank’s: “We need employees who enjoy working here, who can grow and develop,” he says. But how can a company achieve this? For LAPP, the answer lies in retaining its trainees in the long term with high-quality training and exciting prospects. And it succeeds, as Matea Vidakovic, currently trainee as a warehouse logistics specialist, makes clear. “I can still see myself at LAPP in ten years’ time,” she says with conviction. She is currently working in the incoming goods department, where she is responsible for receiving, checking and booking incoming goods. During her training, she passes through many departments at LAPP in order to gain as broad a view as possible of the company and its processes. Accordingly, Matea Vidakovic has already familiarised herself with other areas, such as shipping and export, order picking and quality management. She particularly enjoys working with modern IT systems for goods management, which she uses in her daily work. She cannot yet say which area she would like to work in later. After all, she will be familiarising herself with a few more departments on the way to her degree. “After that, I’ll definitely be able to say which department is my favourite,” she smiles.
Nidi Kumar is also currently a trainee at LAPP. She is training to be a digitalisation management assistant. Friends of hers who live in India recommended her to apply to LAPP at the time, as they knew the Swabian family business to be a very good employer and trainer. This decision has so far proved to be the right one for Nidi Kumar, as she is really enjoying her training! She is currently working in the Digital Workplace team on various projects and is already creating training documents and presentations on her own initiative. She has also already familiarised herself with various departments. “I’ve found the Marketing Communications department particularly exciting so far,” she says.
As different as the two training paths of Matea Vidakovic and Nidi Kumar may be, they both agree: they would recommend training at LAPP. “Not only because of the quality of the training content, but also because of the varied work,” says Matea Vidakovic. Nidi Kumar agrees and adds: “I think it’s really great that you can take on responsibility right from the start and are given a lot of creative freedom.”
Many benefits
Nidi Kumar and Matea Vidakovic agree that LAPP offers its junior staff many plus points: the opportunity to spend time abroad at LAPP subsidiaries, flexible working hours, subsidies for train tickets and the canteen, as well as a Christmas bonus. “LAPP offers a lot that you don’t get elsewhere,” says Matea Vidakovic. Secondly, the two are impressed by LAPP’s corporate culture: “Familiar and friendly,” says Nidi Kumar, describing the working relationship. “We see ourselves as a team here, where we as trainees work as equals with our experienced colleagues and are allowed to take on responsibility”.
Keep up your courage – even on rocky roads
Betül Korkmaz has also successfully completed her training at LAPP and can now officially call herself an industrial clerk. She was recently taken on in sales for special lines. “That was a great feeling,” she smiles. She looks back fondly on her training. But there were challenges: She started her journey at LAPP during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Of course, we were very well looked after, given laptops and everything we needed,” she explains, “but when you’re new, you usually don’t know exactly how things work and how best to network with colleagues from home. You couldn’t just turn round and ask someone for help – because there was no one sitting there,” she jokes.
Growing with the challenges
But Betül Korkmaz made a virtue out of necessity: “I simply contacted my colleagues and arranged to meet them virtually,” she says. “I was actually rather reserved and had to jump over the famous shadow first,” she laughs, “but I quickly realised how much fun it is to meet new people. And I realised how everyone was willing to help – it was very easy to establish and maintain contact.”
Industrial clerk Adamo Maggio, who completed his training at LAPP at the beginning of 2022 and has been working as a Finance Accounts Receivable Specialist in LAPP’s accounting department ever since, can confirm this: “Of course, everything is new and unfamiliar at first,” he says. “But then I also realised that you don’t need to be shy at LAPP, you can approach your colleagues openly.”
With joy it succeeds
Adamo Maggio can particularly recommend trainees to take part in the LAPP events. He was especially impressed by the annual football and volleyball tournament. It’s a fun way to make international contacts with colleagues from foreign subsidiaries and expand your network within the company. “ With exciting events like these, LAPP not only promotes good cooperation within the company, as we live it as a OneLAPP culture, but also definitely sets itself apart from other employers,” he says. “It’s a very special experience.”
After 14 years at LAPP, Tobias Frank can also only recommend that future trainees be open to all topics and challenges. “It’s normal to make mistakes from time to time. You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs,” says Tobias Frank with a relaxed smile. “But you learn from them and do better next time.” And when you’ve achieved your goal and have your certificate in your hand, “then you’re happy,” enthuses Betül Korkmaz. And so nothing stands in the way of a successful start to professional life – according to Ursula Ida Lapp’s words, which sound like a motto: “With joy it succeeds!”