Martin Becker and the DNA of a Family-Owned Company
It’s a Saturday at some point in the 1960s. Martin Becker, who is still a young child at the time, is waiting patiently for his father to come home for lunch. The clock turns 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and then 6 p.m. and suddenly it’s bedtime. But on Sunday, Erich Becker is able to spend the entire day with his family. Martin Becker gets accustomed to this way of life. Later, when he’s reached school age, he watches as his father sits deep in thought at the table after a long day at work and he wonders what’s on his mind. “Today, I fully understand the weight of responsibility that was on his shoulders,” says Martin Becker. He himself is now a father of four and has, for 21 years, been the general manager of the international company group set up by Erich Becker all those years ago. Like father, like son, the family-owned KNF has been part of Martin Becker’s DNA for a long time.
But Martin Becker originally has other aspirations. After completing his mechanical engineering degree, he wants to find an internship in the USA and travel the country. “You’re an engineer now, son. It’s time to get to work,” said his father in response to these plans. So, Martin Becker moves to Princeton with his wife and their young son and spends two years setting up the engineering department at KNF Inc. There is no time for traveling. After that, Martin Becker sets his sights on applying for jobs at other companies to gain some experience outside of KNF. To tide him over in the meantime, he takes a position in the testing department at his parent’s company in Freiburg-Munzingen. But he finds the work so exciting that he soon forgets all about applying elsewhere. Martin Becker has never once regretted any of these decisions and is grateful for the responsibility and freedom he has been granted. “There was never a dull moment and the more tasks I was given, the more I grew,” he says, looking back. “Although there were some challenges where I was glad not to have known in advance what I was in for.”
His years spent in the sales department are a particular example of this. The young engineer has never envisaged himself working here either; his dream is to work at the drawing board designing pumps. But when Erich Becker presents him with the opportunity to restructure the sales department in the late 1980s, he gets stuck in. What he learns here from working closely with customers, solving tricky problems and working in a team with his young colleagues continues to shape him today. As Martin Becker once said, “Difficult times bring people together.” Overcoming obstacles creates a bond between the people involved and with the company as a whole.
In 2000, Martin Becker finally takes over the helm of the KNF Group. Under his leadership, KNF establishes itself as a technology leader in a wide range of markets around the globe. From opportunities presented by digital technology to the points of view of other cultures, Martin Becker’s openness to new ideas is undoubtedly a huge part of the group’s success. He listens whenever any of his more than 850 employees express concerns or opinions and he tries to understand, mediate and break down prejudices between countries and age groups. This is how Martin Becker keeps the growing international group together – all while leaving his mark on the family-owned company’s DNA.
Whenever he can, Martin Becker joins his family at home for lunch. His children know that he is always there for them despite the fact that he spends at least two months of every year abroad in one corner of the globe or another. His eldest son has already been working at the company for several years, and Martin Becker also likes to discuss his ideas and strategic decisions with his wife at home.
The family-owned company is just part of this family’s way of life.
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