Behind the Mixer – Rüdiger
Technology, experience, and a deep passion for the water—Rüdiger at MIXACO
Some people just have to understand things. Not just on the surface, but really down to the last detail. Rüdiger is definitely one of them. Technology has always fascinated him: mechanics, electrical systems, electronics, materials, programming. There was hardly anything he hadn’t taken apart and put back together. And most of the time, it even worked again afterward. If not, he at least knew why.
This curiosity and this drive to truly understand how things fit together continue to define him to this day. At the same time, he brings something to the table that is particularly valuable in his role at MIXACO: experience. A great deal of experience. And the ability to derive very specific mixing tasks from customer requirements and processes. This is supported by hundreds of mixing trials he has overseen in recent years. For him, one thing is particularly important in this process: communication. Knowing who can contribute what information, how to properly prioritize requirements, and how to ultimately arrive at the best solution together.
From Bochum to Neuenrade
Rüdiger studied mechanical engineering with a specialization in design engineering at Bochum University of Applied Sciences, where he graduated in 1992. After a brief stint at an engineering firm, he went through a lengthy job search until MIXACO came into the picture. Looking back, he recounts this story with a good dose of humor: MIXACO was simply faster than the police in Münster back then. Otherwise, the recruitment test at MIXACO would have been scheduled for the day after he started there. As it turned out, however, he chose Neuenrade, even though the area seemed very rural to him at first during his initial job interview.
Half a career at MIXACO
With over 30 years at the company, Rüdiger has personally witnessed and helped shape a large part of MIXACO’s history. He started out as a design engineer. After a few years, he gradually transitioned to the sales department as its first sales representative. This was at a time when many things were still very different from today: no regional assignments, no marketing department, no inside sales team… but plenty of personal responsibility and a lot of energy. Looking back, he describes those years as “really crazy.”
Today, he oversees markets such as Spain, Portugal, Israel, Greece, Tunisia, Morocco, France, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as various key accounts operating internationally. His work takes him to local offices in these countries, but also brings him into direct contact with customers. From the initial conversation at trade shows through mixing trials and quotes all the way to the final order, he accompanies projects throughout their entire course. Over the years, this has fostered a very direct relationship with customers and partners. If there’s a problem anywhere, he’s often one of the first people people turn to.
When Experience Becomes the Solution
Rüdiger particularly enjoys working on mixing trials. For him, that’s exactly where technology, experience, and imagination come together. He’s fascinated by delving into mixing processes, imagining what happens inside the mixer or what needs to happen differently, and deriving new approaches for tools or processes from those insights. When this ultimately results in a solution that does exactly what’s expected of it, that’s a special moment for him.
Equally motivating for him are situations in which a new customer, after successful blending trials, sits down at the table and says that the product and the company are convincing and that all that’s left is for the price to be right. When the order comes in a few days later, it shows him very directly that technical expertise, experience, and trust have all come together.
After more than three decades at MIXACO, what has remained special to him is precisely this: witnessing how the company and its products have changed—for the better, and sometimes through challenges—and knowing that he himself has played a part in that. This feeling of having been part of half of MIXACO’s journey so far is something very special to him.
Between the mixer and the mast
Even outside of work, much of Rüdiger’s life revolves around technology and water. In the summer, he loves nothing more than to go sailing. On the Sorpe, the IJsselmeer, the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, or the Mediterranean. For him, it’s a real privilege to be able to drive down to the Sorpe after work and spend a few hours on the water. Whether it’s a relaxed cruise or a regatta: the main thing is being out on the water, on the boat, with the wind and the waves. It’s especially nice because his girlfriend shares this passion.
In the winter, when the boats are out of the water and he has more time for other projects, he designs and builds remote-controlled model sailboats entirely on his own, “from scratch,” as he puts it. It’s hardly surprising, then, that he’s also built a small CNC machine for woodworking along the way. Building, repairing, and improving things himself—that’s just part of who he is. He’s a designer, after all.
He finds peace and inspiration exactly where you’d expect him to: by or on the water, in harbors, and on boats. And, of course, there’s one little ritual he can’t do without in his daily life: he always drinks his first cup of coffee in bed.
Proud of the Journey We’ve Taken Together
For Rüdiger, being part of the MIXACO team means a lot. He takes great pleasure in watching the company continue to grow and is proud to have played a small part in making MIXACO what it is today. Especially after so many years, it’s this perspective on the journey we’ve taken together that stays with him: seeing what has been achieved and knowing that he played a part in it.
Good luck.
