Wolfgang Grupp sometimes seems to be out of date, but the success proves the Trigema boss right: his company is still making profits. Why? Greed often becomes a problem, reveals Grupp on “Biz & Beyond”. But she doesn’t come to his house.
Wolfgang Grupp has been at the helm of the Swabian clothing manufacturer Trigema for more than half a century. With his tough and ruthless analysis, the 81-year-old businessman always causes a sensation, including in the successful ntv podcast “Biz & Beyond”. Among other things, Grupp reveals the secret of his success, but also explains why he is consistently against a quota for women.
Around 700 seamstresses take care of the production of the products for Trigema boss Grupp: T-shirts, sweatpants, underwear. Grupp also promotes women to managerial positions, but not because of a quota for women. “They have to get into the position through performance and what they show the others,” says Grupp at “Biz & Beyond”. At Trigema, it’s not about quota, it’s about ability.
Some people rub themselves against these hard-hitting analyses. Bankruptcies, bad luck and breakdowns? Neckermann, Karstadt and source? Wolfgang Grupp knows them all, including the mail order kings of the past. “A Neckermann was successful, but was buried as a failure,” Grupp calculates with the greed for ever greater profits. There is no art in being successful, he said. Many of the big names in his industry could have done that. “Only get through success, that’s what very few do.”
Trigema writes profits
His antidote? Recognizing and solving problems in good time. “Anyone who tells me they have a big problem is automatically a failure with me.” Because if small problems were solved quickly, no big ones would arise. Out of time? Might be. But success seems to prove Grupp right. Because while many of his other competitors and former clients have stumbled, the sewing machines at Trigema are purring inexorably. The company makes profits.
“The world has gone mad,” says Grupp. Decency doesn’t count anymore. “The decent one is often the stupid one.” That has to change again – by society concentrating on earlier values.
His advice to people who want to be professionally successful: show performance and strengthen strengths. “Everyone who is in a managerial position with me was an apprentice,” says Grupp. He is critical of external applicants for management jobs who contact him week after week: “If he’s as great as he writes and has been to Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich, and now he’s ready to come to Burladingen with me to come to the Swabian Alb? It can only be a bottle.”
“Biz & Beyond” is the business and success podcast that Germany has never seen before. The transatlantic podcast team Sandra Navidi and Ulrich Reitz talks to powerful decision-makers, international experts and extraordinary personalities. They give insights into their business, their successes – and also into personal setbacks.
Biz&Beyond – the business podcast with Sandra Navidi and Ulrich Reitz. From now on RTL + Music and wherever there are podcasts.