This year the MGG subsidiary Mü-Gu Kft. in the outskirts of Budapest celebrates its 25-year anniversary. The ideal occasion to discuss the current developments and future objectives with Managing Director Nándor Hoffmann.
left->: CEO Mag. Christian Müller-Guttenbrunn, CFO Mag. Michael Kimmeswenger, Nandór Hoffmann
Mr. Hoffmann, you will celebrate a small anniversary with your company this year …
NÁNDOR HOFFMANN: Yes, indeed, we have been active in Budapest for 25 years this year. Many do not know this, but the foundation of Mü-Gu Kft. officially took place three years before. The original property, however, had no infrastructure, so everything had to be built up from scratch. It was in 1992 that the regular operation started under the first managing director Jozsef Mathe. We are very grateful that he is still available as consultant and guide, even today.
When did you join the company?
HOFFMANN: I joined Mü-Gu Kft. back in 2011. Before that I worked in an foundry. I worked as project manager in this foundry, after I finished my economic studies. At Mü-Gu Kft. it was my task to start building up a new department for activities in the non-ferrous metals business. It was great fun to buy and sell; activities for which I unfortunately have little time today. I was asked to take over the management of the company at the end of 2012. The initial phase was a big challenge, because the entire plant had to be restructured. Therefore, I am still grateful to all the people who were at my side back then. Most of them now form the core of our current team.
Talking about the team. How is the Mü-Gu Kft team set up today?
HOFFMANN: At Mü-Gu Kft. in Budapest we have over 70 employees and are set-up pretty similarly to the way how our parent company in Austria is organized. We are processing around 100,000 Metric Tons of scrap a year with a large shredder, a hydraulic shear and various other types of treatment equipment. Our strengths are the treatment of ferrous and non-ferrous metals as well as e-waste. If customers wish, we can also offer complex solutions for other waste streams.
Where does the raw material come from?
HOFFMANN: Mainly from the region around Budapest and from the central areas of Hungary. In order to source the material, we operate an own fleet of 20 trucks continuously.
How does the cooperation with the other companies within the Müller-Guttenbrunn Group work?
HOFFMANN: The collaboration with the other companies in the Group, especially in Austria, is part of our daily work. The beauty of this is: no matter where the companies are located, all speak the same language. We have a daily exchange of information and continuously look for areas in which we can work together. An very clear example of this is in the area of sales. Together as a group, we have of course much more material available compared to the volumes we generate ourselves and of course this largely expands the number of outlet channels available to us in this market of secondary raw materials.
What are the current challenges that Mü-Gu Kft. is facing on the market?
HOFFMANN: A constant challenge is the Hungarian bureaucracy. We are also struggling to expand our great team. This is not so easy, because it is really difficult to find the right workforce at the moment. Of course, it is generally important to keep up with the market, to adapt constantly to new circumstances and to improve the efficiency.
What are the improvements planned for the next few years?
HOFFMANN: We have now reached our capacity limits at the current company premises. Efficiency is therefore an extremely important keyword in our company. This means we will have to further optimize and modernize our processes. An important aspect for the future will be the expansion of our 32,000 square meter site. With our property neighbours everything is already clarified and it is now necessary to work out the formalities.
Thanks a lot for the interview and we wish you a continued success!
