Walter Horsch celebrated his 80th birthday
On 28th of June 2010 Walter Horsch celebrated his 80th birthday.
Being one of the founding partners and long time managing directors of HORSCH Maschinen GmbH, he has left his mark on the company and played a major role in its growth and development to become one of the leading manufacturers of agricultural machinery.
Walter Horsch’s original profession was a farmer. In 1953 he had rented a farm in Burgstall near Straubing, then in 1958 Gut Attenberg near Pfarrkirchen and in 1968 the distillery farm Bayerbach near Landshut. The changeover to commercial matters started in 1967 when the commercial company HORSCH OHG Landau / Isar was founded. He and his cousin Helmut Horsch became directors, after which Walter Horsch became responsible for chicken farms and the sale of eggs (GoldEi). While being a director of the Landwirtschaftliche FrischEi GmbH managers took care of his rented farms.
On 1st of January 1984, together with Michael‘s father Dankwart Horsch and also Eckhard Eyer and Hans-Ulrich Horsch, Walter Horsch founded the HORSCH Maschinen GmbH for which Michael and he were appointed as directors.
Here too his field of activity was the commercial part. All staff members particularly appreciated his straightforward consistent character and his personal interest in the individual always being top priority. At the end of 2000, at the age of 70, he passed on his position as managing director to Horst Keller.
For many years, Walter Horsch was a member in various DLG-committees and in the main committee for 12 years, accounts auditor of the DLG. In 1996, his commitment was honoured with the silver Max-Eyth-medal.
Walter Horsch is an active and committed member of the Mennonite church in Regensburg. He acts as a counsellor for the HORSCH Foundation. In the private domain he relaxes within the circle of his family, within the Mennonite church, in the sauna club along with cycling every morning.
Walter Horsch is known for his meticulous, straightforward and consistent personality when pursuing an aim. He always managed companies that involved family members and friends. One of his excelling characteristic is his personality that he could contrive to bridge the gap between entrepreneurial interest and the interest of the individual. He succeeded in integrating the involved persons without any difference so that everyone felt accepted, represented and fairly treated.
Even after his retirement Walter Horsch is still in touch with HORSCH Maschinen GmbH. He is still present at shows at home and in the neighbouring countries and a tour of the company is always part of his visits at Sitzenhof. Therefore he not only celebrated his birthday with his wife Gudrun, their 5 children and 9 grandchildren as well as with numerous friends. To celebrate his 80th birthday Walter Horsch also invited the employees of HORSCH Maschinen GmbH for lunch at Schwandorf and Ronneburg. For the Ronneburg colleagues there was a simulcast from Schwandorf to Ronneburg.
In his speech Walter Horsch particularly thanked his wife and his family for always supporting him in all the very busy years. Despite the considerably grown number of employees the HORSCH company is a big family which he still feels part of.
Michael Horsch thanked Walter Horsch for the unconditional support that he got from the “non technician“ at the foundation of the company and during all the following years. He particularly praised the real life honesty and the resulting credibility as the main features of Walter Horsch’s character. With these principles Walter Horsch has left his mark on the company and this spirit still lives on in the company.
Horst Keller, Walter Horsch’s successor as managing director, emphasized that it was the merit of Walter Horsch that times of crisis could be the survived. He expressed his admiration and his thanks for the fact that at his retirement Walter Horsch succeeded in making a clear cut, passing on all the tasks without any reservation and nevertheless, stay in contact with the company.
Two of the most long-standing employees of HORSCH Maschinen GmbH, Herta Pitz and Anton Grauvogl, confirmed that Walter Horsch set an example as head of the business and as a person who acted with natural authority, but at the same time full of kindness and warmth.
Finally, Cornelia Horsch conveyed the congratulations of the various HORSCH plants.
Following his wishes the HORSCH employees handed over a cheque for 800 EUR as a donation for the Mennonite organisation “Helping the hungriest“.