Herzogsägmühle: Much in motion despite the crisis

Created: 05/02/2022, 16:00

By: Christopher Peters

The two managing directors of Diakonie Herzogsägmühle, Hans Rock (left) and Wilfried Knorr, provided information about their company in the annual meeting.

Obligation to vaccinate causes concern Wood chips instead of gas © Peters

Corona crisis, Ukraine refugees and a 20 million euro construction project: At the annual meeting, to which the Diakonie Herzogsägmühle had invited, there was a lot to report for those responsible.

Herzogsägmühle

– Last year, the annual meeting had to take place virtually because of the corona pandemic, but this time it went back to the traditional stage at Café Herzog.

Of course, the virus was still an issue: After all, the crisis in the past two years has also left its mark in Herzogsägmühle.

While the deficit in 2020 was still 1.3 million euros, it rose to 1.7 million euros in 2021 with an economic volume of 121.4 million euros.

350,000 euros alone had to be spent last year on protective measures such as masks, partition walls or the operation of the vaccination and test station, reported Hans Rock, managing director of Diakonie Herzogsägmühle alongside Director Wilfried Knorr.

The crisis hit the workshop area with its 470 employees particularly hard.

If the net profit, which is paid as wages, was 1.2 million euros in 2019, it was only 300,000 euros in 2020 due to production losses.

"Other companies would have applied for short-time work, which makes no sense in a workshop for the disabled," said Rock.

However, the salaries of the employees have not been reduced, which is reflected in the balance sheet.

Facility-related vaccinations are a concern for employees

Even though many restrictions have now been lifted, those responsible continue to worry about the facility-related compulsory vaccination.

"Eleven percent of our employees are unvaccinated," Knorr said.

If the legal situation does not change anymore, they are threatened with entry bans from July.

The first employees, especially from the craft sector, have already drawn the necessary conclusions and resigned.

"We can't actually do without any employees," Knorr made clear, who continues to hope that politicians will give in.

"We're not alone in that, it's a nationwide problem."

Despite the pandemic and the resulting difficult economic situation, there is no shortage of large projects in the diaconal village.

Last year, the new building for addiction help was completed, and the new support center with 24 places for people with severe or multiple disabilities is nearing completion.

The expansion of the Alfons Brandl School is also progressing and is scheduled to be inaugurated in September this year, just in time for the new school year.

Skyrocketing construction prices are worrying those responsible

The light and wax manufactory, which, as is well known, was badly damaged in a fire, will finally be finished this year.

In this way, the building was energetically brought into shape, which of course was reflected in the costs.

The project cost 1.7 million euros, only two-thirds of which was covered by fire insurance.

You have to come up with the rest yourself.

Compared to the new building of the Schöneckerhaus, the amount is of course manageable.

In view of the exploding construction costs, Knorr assumes that up to 20 million euros will have to be raised for the new nursing home.

The architectural competition has ended and we are currently waiting for the grant notification.

By the end of 2024, the new building with 72 care places should be opposite the nursery.

The former Schöneckerhaus is then to be used as accommodation for employees.

Living space, as is well known, should also be created on the Roter Berg.

But according to Rock, the plans for a subsidized social housing project have collapsed because of the high construction costs.

You are now looking for a partner to realize cheap apartments in another way.

"This is an important building block for the place," emphasized Rock.

The future energy supply of the place is also important.

Considerations have been going on for some time to replace the existing combined heat and power plants, which supply the local heat, with a wood chip system.

The project is now gaining momentum as a result of the Ukraine war and the resulting sharp increase in energy prices, because the CHPs run on gas.

There are still longer-term supply contracts, Rock said.

With 1.3 million euros currently being spent on gas and electricity, a price increase would make itself felt.

Arrived on site, the consequences of the war have long since been felt in other ways.

According to Knorr, 16 refugees from Ukraine are currently being cared for in Herzogsägmühle, and another 28 are accommodated in a facility in Steingaden.

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