I have started my first business as information broker during my studies of industrial engineering.

I had been connected to the major database hosts in 1989 (e.g. Dialog, FIZ Technik) and
focused my activities on information management for marketing purposes.

This focus had been reflected by my diploma study for Raychem company where we tried
to select  potential customer for a new application of heat-shrinkable rubber.

I finished my study in 1990 and started as personal assistent of Richard Langlechner.

Richard Langlechner had been the founder of Cartec company, a leading manufacturer of
inspection equipment for the automotive aftermarket.

After one year I qualified for the position as distribution manager for North- and Eastern
Europe.

At this time a very challenging job because the „iron curtain“ was fallen in 1989.

My task had been to find business partners in Eastern Europe - where young people had
to ask their grandmother what it means to run a business in a free market economy and how
to do bookkeeping.

I have achieved to locate business partners and helped to set up the business.

In 1994 I took the chance to become co-founder of Sherpa company.

Sherpa company acquired an „existing“ product of INES Electronics.

INES company supplied at this time electronics, strain gauges, software and engineering
to the big players in market of inspection and service equipment like  Beissbarth, Hofmann
and Bosch .

As sales manager of Sherpa I had to launch our “new” product against the market leader.

I have announced our “new” product and started with demonstrations at the International
Tyre show in Essen in 1994. During the last day of the show I received the reaction of our
competitor: an immediate provisional injunction because of trade mark violence.

When we purchases the product and associated rights for development, production and
sales we did not think about that this product had have an history already such as a
protected design.

As share holder I had to learn what it means to sign responsible for the company as a whole.

I became managing director in 1995 and one of my first tasks had been raising fresh money.

The market prices slumped and we had to bring down the cost of manufacturing.

Additional we had to invested in software to customize our product.

Beside our marketing activities in Germany we started to export our product.

We found sales partner in China, Thailand, Indonesia, Ireland, Spain, Brasil, Argentina,
Finnland, Russia and the Tschech Republik.

In 1998 we have re-launched our product for inspection organisation successfully and were
able to lift our sales price because of a customer tailored solution.

Sherpa had been recommended by one of the big inspection organisations and this had
been the breaktrough for Sherpa.

But I had to learn how difficult it is to break existing prejudices and habits.

It took years to persuade important key decision maker and a continous presence on the
market.

I left Sherpa company in 2003 because of disagreement with the main share holder
concerning the company manufacturing strategy.

When I left Sherpa had been the market leader for our product with a market share of more
than 50% and a good profit.

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