Reinhard Paul played a key role in shaping the face of Stadtwerke Giessen for 35 years - as Technical Director since 2002. On Friday 29 May, he handed over the baton to his successor Matthias Funk. Numerous companions from the past decades came to the Ringallee swimming centre for the farewell ceremony.
Very few people know that the energy turnaround in Giessen and the region began on the grounds of the Ringallee bathing centre. At the beginning of the 1980s, a young engineer had the idea of building the first combined heat and power plant (CHP) of Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) there; it went into operation in 1982, is still working today and became the forerunner of countless other plants in the decades that followed.
Who was the visionary and pioneer back then? Reinhard Paul, who began his career at SWG in 1980 as assistant to the Technical Plant Manager and from then on played a decisive role in steering the fortunes of the company - from 2002 until a few days ago as Technical Director. On Friday 29 May, the 65-year-old bid farewell to his well-deserved retirement at a ceremony on the grounds of the Ringallee swimming centre and handed over the baton to his successor Matthias Funk.
Visionary, doer and pioneer Reinhard Paul
Jens Schmidt, Commercial Director of SWG since November 2014, was at the helm of the company together with Reinhard Paul for around six months. At last Friday's ceremony, he thanked Reinhard Paul for the good cooperation during this time - but especially for everything he had achieved beforehand: "Together with my own predecessor Manfred Siekmann, you, dear Reinhard Paul, have done an outstanding job over the years. Thanks to you, Stadtwerke Gießen is now a modern company with a progressive, forward-looking strategy. In such an excellently organised company with stable foundations and strong walls, it is a pleasure to take responsibility for the future. Today, however, we want to take a look back for good reason. This is particularly exciting for me, as I will certainly get to know a few more things about Reinhard Paul."
The 130 or so guests were told what characterises Reinhard Paul as an engineer and a person by SWG Supervisory Board Chairwoman, City Councillor Astrid Eibelshäuser, among others: "An inquisitive, committed, intelligent young man full of drive joined Stadtwerke Gießen in 1980. He put all these qualities to good use from the very beginning - first in the construction of the adventure and wellness world in the Ringallee bathing centre and then in the construction of SWG's first combined heat and power plant."
Reinhard Paul was ahead of his time with the idea of a CHP unit. After all, not all experts were convinced by combined heat and power (CHP) and even within his own company, the young engineer had to fight against a lot of resistance. "You never let doubters get in your way and always believed in progress," emphasised Astrid Eibelshäuser. She described Reinhard Paul as a visionary who had already initiated the energy turnaround in Giessen and the region in the early 1980s with outstanding foresight. According to Astrid Eibelshäuser, Reinhard Paul's character also includes a pioneering spirit: "Breaking new ground, thinking outside the box, questioning everything, accepting setbacks, dealing with resistance, being consistent - you unite all of this." In addition, the Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board described the long-standing Technical Director as a doer who is not afraid of anything and has always rolled up his sleeves. "You are someone who gets stuck in."
As a visionary, pioneer and doer, Reinhard Paul has built up the heating network in the city over the course of his career at Stadtwerke Gießen, launched local heating networks and CHP plants in neighbouring municipalities and campaigned for the use of alternative fuels - whether in the TREA or the first biogas plant in Großen Buseck. So it's no wonder that the district heating network in Giessen is now one of the ten largest in Germany - and one of the ones with the lowest primary energy factor.
Inspiring and involving people
Reinhard Paul himself pointed out that he alone was just one cog in the wheel of Stadtwerke Gießen: "Without enthusiastic colleagues and employees, none of the milestones of the past 35 years or so would have been possible." According to Astrid Eibelshäuser, this cooperation is also characteristic of Reinhard Paul: "You never forgot the people, convinced them of your ideas, were able to take them along with you and always found the right balance of 'encouraging and challenging'." Last but not least, Reinhard Paul and his fellow Management Board member Manfred Siekmann have repeatedly adapted the corporate strategy of Stadtwerke Gießen to the requirements of the energy industry and set new standards with "SWG 2015" and "SWG 2020".
Wilken Gräf, Chairman of the SWG Works Council, also agreed with this in his speech: "From the very beginning until today, you have taken into account the challenges of the economic and ecological change process in our working world and have worked in a goal-oriented manner to ensure that Stadtwerke Gießen is where it is today. Our cooperation has mostly been very constructive and harmonious - not something that can be taken for granted between the Works Council and the Management Board of a company. I am convinced that it was a good time for SWG with you and also a good time for you with SWG."
Reinhard Paul added in his speech: "Past experiences often seem much better in memory than they were in reality. But without having to embellish anything, I can say that the past 35 years have actually given me an incredible amount of pleasure. It's fun when you work together with other people to successfully realise common goals."
Acting in the service of the municipal utilities
Since joining SWG, Reinhard Paul has not only been one of the pioneers in terms of CHP and heat supply, but has also been committed to the continuous expansion and modernisation of Giessen's swimming pool landscape. "From the giant slide and the sauna area to the water playground and the aqua fitness pool - with your ideas and projects, you have done a great deal for the leisure facilities for the people of Giessen. This makes the Giessen pools something special, something different," summarised Uwe Volbrecht from the SWG pool management.
In keeping with this, Astrid Eibelshäuser thanked the long-standing board member on behalf of the city of Giessen and all citizens for his commitment and emphasised: "We will miss you and your direct, open manner, dear Reinhard Paul!"
He himself expressed his thanks for these "many great words" and confessed: "The best thing for me is to look back on a good, fulfilling time at SWG. There was never a dull moment and we always got things moving - even if we had to overcome a few hurdles along the way. That's exactly the conclusion everyone wants to be able to draw when they retire."
Matthias Funk, his successor as Technical Director, believes he is more likely to enjoy a "restless retirement": "Anyone who knows Reinhard Paul knows that the professional topic of energy efficiency is also one of his hobbies. Before travelling, he researches in advance where there is a power plant near his holiday destination that can be visited." It was precisely this passion that infected him like a virus when he started working in the heat supply department for "boss Mr Paul" at the end of 1988. "You introduced me back then with the sentence: 'This is Mr Funk, he's doing the heating now. Short, concise, clear, straightforward - results-orientated." Matthias Funk emphasised that Reinhard Paul always broke new ground - but never without checking how the new idea would develop over time. "His passion for efficient energy conversion, his ideas and his engaging personality have always set the pace. And fast enough - he was never really fast enough. At the same time, you were always a boss who never stopped to think," said the new Technical Director, describing his predecessor. The list of personal qualities is endless, but Matthias Funk wanted to emphasise: "Reinhard Paul always stood up for the good cause, he always fought for it and accepted many a setback in order to continue with plan B a little later. For me, you are the driving force behind Stadtwerke Gießen, the father of the regional energy transition in Central Hesse." Matthias Funk then thanked Reinhard Paul on behalf of SWG and the "team".
The same team and the invited guests had then prepared a big surprise for the long-standing member of the Executive Board. After Matthias Funk had spoken his closing words, an SWG employee dressed up as a trainee and drove onto the site in a van. Some guests - including Reinhard Paul - looked questioningly as the ignition key was handed over to the new Technical Director. "I don't think it's meant for me," said Matthias Funk. "You, dear Reinhard, know the vehicle quite well. After all, you've driven a few kilometres in it so that you're always on site and even check the facilities at the weekend. We thought: when the boss retires, we'll send the car into retirement too and bought it for you. Our little gift and an ideal vehicle for your 'retirement'."
At the end of the official ceremony, the guests honoured Reinhard Paul with a song - a version of the well-known classic "Mit 66 Jahren", written especially for him. As we all know, life only begins at this age.