Following the special summer party for all employees in July, Göpfert held another festive ceremony in September to celebrate its 75th anniversary with an exclusive event. Numerous invited guests, including long-standing local and international business partners and friends of the family, accepted the invitation.
After the official welcome by André Göpfert, the day’s programme began with an exciting tour of the factory. Visitors were given interesting insights into production and were able to experience the latest machines up close.
In the afternoon, guests enjoyed a varied programme with musical entertainment and culinary delights. Florian Göpfert also presented an informative review of the company’s eventful history and Mr Ludwig Paul from the Chamber of Skilled Crafts for Lower Franconia conveyed his congratulations on the anniversary and expressed his appreciation for the company. The relaxed atmosphere provided plenty of opportunity for personal conversations and exchanges.
The festive highlight of the evening was the stylish gala dinner, where guests toasted the company’s successful history in an exclusively decorated setting. In his speech, Mr Karl F. Göpfert thanked all employees, partners and companions for their support over the past decades: ‘75 years of success cannot be taken for granted. This anniversary represents not only our history, but also 75 years of innovative strength and our shared future.’
The keynote speech was given by Dr Wolfgang Palm, a long-standing and valued companion of the company. In his speech, he recalled numerous anecdotes from past years, providing many personal and moving moments.
District Administrator Tamara Bischof also praised the company in her speech, emphasising the great importance that Göpfert has for the region.
A particularly pleasing part of the programme was the presence and speech by Ms Gudrun Schröder, whose family first brought Göpfert into contact with corrugated cardboard in the 1950s – an important milestone in the company’s history.
Another highlight of the evening was the appearance of Mr Adrian Dalgleish, who travelled 16,000 km from Australia with his colleague Peter Cleggett especially for this anniversary. In his speech, he presented a collage showing all the machines that Göpfert designed, manufactured and delivered to Visy Industries in Australia. Remarkably, all of these machines are still in use today. The partnership with Visy marked the beginning of Göpfert’s international expansion beyond Europe.
Markus Haupt and Robert Zehnpfennig, together with Marie-Luise Göpfert, also provided special entertainment: in an expertly rehearsed sketch, they presented the advantages and latest developments of a Göpfert machine in a humorous and informative way. The successful performance not only made the audience laugh, but also impressively demonstrated the creativity and commitment with which the company works.
The emotional highlight of the evening was the presentation of the ‘FEFCO Lifetime Achievement Award’ to Mr Karl F. Göpfert by Mr Ralf Schiffmann. Together, they have been a well-coordinated duo for over 35 years, affectionately referred to internally as the ‘dream team’ of the corrugated cardboard industry. No one could have presented this special award more appropriately than Mr. Schiffmann, who honoured Mr. Göpfert’s life’s work with great appreciation and personal words.
The anniversary was not only an occasion to celebrate, but also to pause, look back and look ahead. The successful event impressively demonstrated that Göpfert will continue to stand on solid foundations in the future.
