Location development and tourism under one roof

Created: 03/27/2022, 08:00

By: Stephen Hank

Cooperation agreement: As early as 2017, (from left) Harald Gmeiner and Alexander Schmid agreed to close cooperation between ATS and SMG.

Now the companies are merging.

© Archive Thomas Plettenberg

The district council approved the merger of ATS and SMG to form the new municipal company Regionalentwicklung Oberland (REO).

There were warning words in the direction of the dual leadership.

District

– Olaf von Löwis (CSU) the relief was noticeable.

Two years after taking office, the district administrator has completed one of his most important projects: the merger of the location marketing company (SMG) and the tourism organization Alpenregion Tegernsee Schliersee (ATS) to form the new municipal company Regionalentwicklung Oberland (REO).

During the vote in the district council, however, it also became clear that the work is only just beginning.

The tenor of the statements from the parliamentary groups was similar.

The merger is a sensible thing, as location promotion and tourism go hand in hand and have many overlaps.

The planned dual leadership of SMG managing director Alexander Schmid and ATS board member Harald Gmeiner still has to prove itself.

So came the demand for "regular reporting" (CSU parliamentary group spokesman Christian Köck) and "constant controlling" (Georg von Preysing, CSU) as well as the reminder to review the contracts in good time before they expire.

“A company like this actually only needs one board,” said Elisabeth Dasch (SPD), for example.

Executive Board contracts limited until May 2025

Löwis had previously justified the agreement on a dual leadership.

He himself was also skeptical, but was then convinced that ultimately no new company would be created, but that two functioning structures would be merged with existing ones.

"Leaders need to keep operating and leading their teams," he said.

However, a corresponding sign is being set by both board members receiving fixed-term contracts until May 2025.

"The board of directors will meet in good time before the end and consider how to proceed," promised the district administrator.

The two should now first get the chance together to accompany the merger process.

This is also important for the new company, remarked CSU spokesman Köck, despite all the skepticism.

"Both companies have competent people

who have projects that are difficult to stop,” he said.

Changing management now carries the risk that employees will leave.

For now, savings of around 80,000 euros a year

Preysing also allowed the two organizations to complete ongoing projects.

In the case of future projects, however, you have to check carefully whether they will help the district.

This is the task of the board of directors because the district council “has nothing to do with it anymore”.

Not quite right, Löwis clarified: "The district council decides the budget and thus has a decisive influence on how much money is available to the municipal company." Speaking of money: According to Löwis, the merger will initially bring about the elimination of duplicate structures, for example in auditing, only an annual savings potential of 80,000 euros.

However, further synergy effects are to be expected.

By the way:

Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Miesbach newsletter.

"Respect and recognition" for Löwis came from the Greens, who, according to Robert Wiechmann, were very critical of the original process.

They credited the district administrator with responding to the suggestions from the parliamentary groups and allowing improvements to the statutes.

"This is not a sign of weakness, but of strength," said Wiechmann.

"The result is now a much better one."

The binding information from the tax office is still missing

However, the project is not yet over the finish line.

The so-called binding information is missing, i.e. the green light from the tax office.

District Treasurer Gerhard de Biasio, one of the architects of the merger, reported that the authority had verbally confirmed the legal opinion to him.

As soon as the information is also available in writing, the articles of association are made public.

Biasio: "Until then, the foundation of the municipal company will not be implemented."

Do you really need a dual leadership?

A commentary by Stephen Hank.