Fascinating impressions and high spirits: ONEJOON celebrated 125 years of experience in kiln technology
As the saying goes: postponed is not cancelled! After a one-year delay due to COVID-19, the time had finally come. On September 16th, ONEJOON celebrated 125 years of industrial furnace construction on the premises of the company headquarters in Bovenden, Germany. Almost 400 guests registered for this special event – and they needed space. Thus, a few days before the party, construction of the 750-square-meter marquee on the company parking lot and various pavilions for the entertainment program began.
"You could invent something new every day", Ernst Ruhstrat, one of the company's founding fathers, once said. To celebrate his groundbreaking invention of 1896 – the first resistance-heated high-temperature furnace with temperatures of up to 3000 °C – ONEJOON certainly invented something new, too: a party area that would certainly have pleased Adolf and Ernst Ruhstrat, and reminded many passer-bys on the nearby highway B3 of a big festival.
Mix of information and entertainment
At 10 a.m., the first guests arrived on the premises. Customers, cooperation partners, suppliers and representatives of the press started the day casually with a glass of sparkling wine or juice. Some colleagues from Böblingen were already on site as well. CEO André Görnhardt welcomed everyone, underlined the significance of this anniversary in his welcoming speech and briefly introduced the day's program. A balanced mix of information and entertainment was on the agenda.
The technical highlight was certainly the info points in the administration and production departments. Here, visitors were able to find out about exciting areas of our company. At a total of nine info points, representatives of the business units gave short presentations on kiln systems, processes and applications. With the help of a ticket system at the main entrance, guests were able to put together their own personal program. Select the talk and time, tear off a ticket and be prepared for exciting insights – that was the motto. The program seemed to be well received, because many guests gathered at the info points to learn more about ONEJOON and our technology.
At the same time, the set-up for the entertainment program began on the outdoor area. Whether Segways, a bouncy castle, flight and racing simulators or a game corner – the afternoon promised a variety of activities and fun for young and old visitors.
"It's great to have someone like you who dares to develop such technology"
No celebration without festive speeches! When employees arrived together with their families at noon, speeches started. Sung Je Lee, President and CEO of ONEJOON, kicked things off. In his welcoming address, he discussed how important it is for the company to develop technical solutions for changing markets and production conditions. The subsequent presentation by André Görnhardt also matched this. In his journey through the 125-year history of the company, it became clear again and again that innovations are at the heart of everything we do. "It's great to have someone like you who dares to develop such technology", Görnhardt quoted one of our customers. Trend-setting technology and innovation – that seems to be appreciated by ONEJOON's partners as well.
Industrial furnace manufacturer – that sounds abstract at first. In his presentation, Vice President Simon Schurr explained in a clear manner and with the help of many examples what great achievements industrial furnace builders accomplish every day. His conclusion was that this is a profession to be proud of, and rightly so.
Thomas Brandes, Mayor of Bovenden, also congratulated and outlined in his greeting how ONEJOON came to be located in the industrial area Area 3.
Variety of delicacies, cozy get-together, fun and music.
The rather changeable weather did not dampen the good mood on the grounds. The sun appeared behind the rain clouds and our guests used this time to talk outside the marquee or to try out one of the activities, such as the Segways or the flight simulator. A guarantor for the good mood was certainly the culinary variety. Lunch and dinner buffet left nothing to be desired. For those who literally wanted to sweeten the afternoon, there was ice cream and freshly baked waffles.
The afternoon also saw the second round of presentations at the info points. Many employees took advantage of this opportunity by taking their loved ones with them and showing them around the workplace. The Blue Flash racing team from HAWK Göttingen also demonstrated its new racing car – equipped with technology from ONEJOON. Especially the young guests were amazed. The crowning finale was certainly the live band, which created a great atmosphere in the marquee and lured one or the other onto the dance floor.
#onefamily – that was noticeable!
125 years of industrial furnace construction – this celebration will be remembered. Not only because of the great program, but also because it showed how nice it is to celebrate in a large group again after months of pandemic and to celebrate the motto #onefamily together with employees, relatives, suppliers, customers and friends. Here's to the next 125 years!
Video: Social Cinema, Photos: Julian Hahn
Download the press release for our 125th anniversary here.