Change at Hödlmayr

Next generation at the wheel: what makes the “new guy” tick

Johannes Alexander Hödlmayr becomes Managing Director of Hödlmayr International in July, putting him in charge of almost 1700 employees.

(Bild: Hödlmayr (2), Krone KREATIV)

1.9 million vehicles transported per year, 400 million euros in turnover, 600 transporters, 24 block train systems and 1700 employees - all this is on Hödlmayr International's business card. In July, the logistics company from Schwertberg will have a new boss: Johannes Alexander Hödlmayr takes the helm. What makes the new man tick.

"Do what you want" - Johannes Alexander Hödlmayr, his two sisters, his cousin and his cousin grew up without the pressure of having to run the family business one day. Nevertheless, the now 32-year-old was drawn in the direction that suits Hödlmayr perfectly: After graduating from the Europagymnasium Baumgartenberg, he studied Logistics and Logistics and Transport Management at the University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna, followed later by a Master's degree in Communications Management.

In July, he became the head of the family business and is now responsible for around 1700 employees. "It feels right to do this," says Hödlmayr and spoke to the "Krone" about...

• dealing with expectations: "The role as a family member working in the company is always a special one. People are not just looking at me now, but have been looking at me from the very beginning."
• how he differentiates himself from his father, who was at the operational helm of Hödlmayr until July 2020: "I never tried to imitate him, because that would be inauthentic in a second. We are different, that's no secret. You'd think that wouldn't work out at all, but that's not the case. We have a very good basis for discussion as equals."
• Looking to the future: "We think long-term. For me personally, I'm looking at the horizon of what should happen between now and when I retire. Basically, we know where we are strong and what we are good at. We have our core business in the automotive world, but we have to make sure that we are even more present as a mobility provider."

We have had photovoltaic panels on carports in Belgium for a long time. In Schwertberg, construction of such a project is scheduled to start this year. We also have two hydroelectric power plants that produce electricity.

Johannes Alexander Hödlmayr, zukünftiger Geschäftsführer von Hödlmayr International

• Sustainability goals: "We have set ourselves some pretty strong and ambitious targets for the future and will pursue them accordingly. By 2030, we want to operate ten percent of our trucks with alternative drive systems, and 90 percent by 2040. We want to increase the proportion of vehicles transported by rail from ten percent to 20 percent."

• Challenges: "Although everything has become more dynamic and much faster, I am relatively relaxed. I know what makes us tick as an organization and as a company. I know what we can do. We tackle things, we always have a solution ready in one form or another. You can really feel that with us."

• Sport as a teacher: "I used to be a short-distance swimmer. As a club, we were a bit of a dwarf in comparison, but I always liked it when something was difficult to achieve. If you get a cramp in your calf while swimming, you have to get to the edge of the pool somehow. That has always been a significant thing in my life."
• Personal defeats: "I was always known among my fellow students as a very ambitious student. I was one of the first to take the final exam in front of the committee and suffered a real defeat. In the end, I graduated with distinction."