Being an entrepreneur – what does it mean? Practical experiences | Mag. Norbert Zimmermann

It is a matter of trust, and then you assign people accordingly. I saw the biggest problem was that people were selected and promoted not by qualification but by club membership. That could not end well. We had to cut 20% of the workforce to get a cost structure that fits. I wanted to know which 20% were at the bottom of performance. We sorted them out top-down, regardless of party color. That was the decisive culture change: only what you do and are capable of counts. The state is a poor entrepreneur; I am a firm believer in private enterprise. The state should focus on education, security, justice, and its role in Europe. We turned a subsidy operation into a profitable company, paying 25% corporate tax for 30 years. The state benefits from business success.

I walked through the plant and asked workers at the machines. Often they said: 'The state pays my salary.' That mentality came from the Kreisky era, where the nationalized industry created a closed system of dependence. In Berndorf, the SPÖ provided jobs, housing, and school support. When we changed that, the cultural shift also affected politics: Erwin Pröll, a conservative, won the district where the SPÖ used to get 85% because people became free to vote based on merit, not party membership.

I was president of IV Lower Austria for one term. I always spoke my mind, which was unusual. Cronyism exists in Austria: the same circles influence policy, but the danger today is more that the state overreaches. The state should stick to its core tasks and not try to manage business. Networking is natural, but it shouldn't replace merit.

We introduced 24% employee participation via non-voting preferred shares. I don't want an employee parliament, but I want employees to build wealth and share in profits. This gave us a talent edge. After 15 years we reformed it to let employees cash out. The works council chairman is a shareholder, so he understands the business. During COVID, works councils helped enforce safety measures. Trade unions were skeptical but now see the benefits. This is the fairest way to achieve distributive justice.

Europe is a fascinating, unique construct. I was born in 1947 and saw its creation. For 30 years I've criticized its democratic deficit, but we must be convinced Europeans. Our company grew from 15 foreign employees to 3,500 across the world: USA, Latin America, Europe, China. It's a cultural mix. Regarding globalization limits, we are cautious in China – we only reinvest earnings there because of political risks. Distance brings unpredictability. We prefer predictable environments like Europe and the USA.