Interview with Krones AG

In an Interview with Michael Kozak, International Recruitment, Human Resources

1.     In which market(s) does your company operate? What products / services does it offer?
KRONES AG, headquartered in Neutraubling, Germany, is the world’s largest manufacturer of bottling and packaging equipment. The company employs almost 13,000 individuals worldwide and the revenue rose 6.9% to 2.41 billion Euros in 2014. The company designs and manufactures customized machinery ranging from bottling lines, packaging and labelling machinery to inspection and monitoring systems. The company also manufactures high-speed stretch blow-molding machines and provides production-line planning. Most of the company's business stems from the food and beverage industry.

2.     How long has your company been active in China? In which locations in China is it currently active?
The first KRONES branch in Hong Kong was founded in 1989. Since 1995 KRONES operates its first representative office in Beijing and another one in Shanghai. KRONES Machinery (Taicang) Production was founded in 2004. In 2006 KRONES Trading (Taicang) Co., Ltd. started its operations in the Jiangsu Province.

3.     Why is your company also an attractive employer in Greater China?
KRONES combines the stability of a German family firm with the advantages of a world market leaderby offering long-term, international development opportunities for its employees. The company is an ideal employer for anyone who wishes to work in an international environment, as frequent interaction between the various international locations takes place. Fair working conditions and respectful cooperation are just as common for us as a goal- and solution-oriented approach to work.

4.    What skills are you looking for in a candidate for your China business?
As a world market leader in machinery and plant construction, KRONES primarily seeks professionals with an engineering background, especially in the fields of electrical or mechanical engineering as well as mechatronics.However, we are just as open to young graduates with great interest in technical careers and a knack for craftsmanship. Their strengths rest less in theoretical work than in understanding and implementing practical solutions. Furthermore, we expect good English skills from all of our employees as well as the willingness to cooperate in multinational teams.

5.     Why are candidates with an EU-China background especially interesting for your company?
KRONES is especially interested in graduates and professionals who have already gathered experience in the EU or even in Germany. Optimally, they see China as their primary future residence and remain in contact with both German as well as international colleagues. We are convinced that a successful international cooperation requires mutual understanding of one's coworkers. This basic quality will give the candidate with an educational background from Europe a great advantage over other applicants.