The KNF Group – A Close-Knit Company
Payday used to be the highlight of the week. In KNF’s early years, employees are handed their pay envelopes on Fridays, and many then go out for a beer together. Often, they have worked overtime or weekend shifts. The challenge that KNF faces at that time can only be managed through a concerted effort: The new company has only just begun producing diaphragm pumps, and the order books are not yet full. But, of course, the company’s highest priority is to be able to pay employees the money they have earned. That is why head of accounting Dieter Herzog gets on his bike on the 15th of each month to collect the invoiced money in cash from major customers, which he then uses to fill the pay envelopes.
This close-knit feeling is still palpable across all management levels at KNF. An atmosphere of trust, commitment, accountability and open communication is what makes the KNF family what it is. This also includes many benefits and flexible working hours. As an important tenet states, “Only together can we be truly successful.” This togetherness has always meant more than receiving the pay.
In the early 1970s, KNF creates a company support fund for those in need. As a family-owned company, KNF has deep roots in the life of the local community. Both in Freiburg-Munzingen and in Sursee, KNF supports clubs in which employees are members. In the USA, a KNF social committee regularly organizes charity events to benefit the local community.
Since the early years, KNF has become more than a renowned market player for diaphragm pump solutions – it has also grown considerably. This creates new challenges for the sense of togetherness within the company family, which has long since become a large and colorful one. Digital technology helps to maintain connections across time zones and cultures, as do joint strategies and workshops. It is a few years now that KNF has established an internal social media channel which allows colleagues from all over the world to communicate with each other. The Group Board, KNF’s international management level, is responsible for strategically connecting the different locations around the world, and the individual KNF companies’ executives work closely together and regularly meet in person.
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