A family history

In 1906, the name of the entrepreneurial family changed. Andreas Bizer sold his business to his son-in-law Wilhelm Kraut, who – together with his son – went on to create a masterpiece: &through the First World War and the economic crisis, they built Bizerba into a successful company with 800 employees by the end of the twenties.
From Day One, innovation was a key part of the philosophy of Kraut’s company. For example, he built a new kind of table decimal scales with a sliding weight, by converting a platform scale that was normally used for larger loads into a table format. Other creators had already had the idea, but had failed to put it into practice. And they manufactured table scales with a sliding weight that made loose cast weights redundant – these were integrated into the device.
Wilhelm Kraut Senior handed down an anecdote about a photograph. It was an old photo, obviously in black and white, that he always carried with him, usually in an inner pocket of his jacket. The photo showed employees in his father-in-law's workshop, the „Mechanical Workshop A. Bizer“ in Balingen, and it came from the final years of the 19th century. century. Employees were still manufacturing scales completely by hand, without any machinery. Kraut Senior did not carry this photograph with him for sentimental reasons. He often showed it to both himself and others as a reminder of how quickly technological advances moved forward. His young company had itself undergone a rapid change in the early stage. It was a modern company that, inspired by the principle of „Fordism“ – the great industrial model from the USA – practised industrial goods production. Rational, efficient – and still with high quality. A groundbreaking method at any time, that laid the foundation stones for later success.

„If you do not burn yourself, you cannot ignite others.“ The fourth generation took over leadership of the company with Günter Kraut: he systematically advanced the globalisation of Bizerba and expanded the diversity of the products. Under his leadership, the switch was set for the necessary change from mechanical to electronic weighing and the basis for networked solutions. Until his premature death, he successfully guided Bizerba through the challenges of a constantly changing market environment. 
Entrepreneurs must possess many talents. They should have business sense, but not prioritise it over their vision. They must be creative, but also organised and disciplined. And in particular, they have the task of being able to lead and support people, because without the full commitment of multiple individuals, a mutual goal cannot be achieved. The entrepreneur Günter Kraut possessed these qualities. Employees euphorically spoke of a time when he managed to ignite a fire in his people, even many years on from his era. He had the gift of getting employees to commit themselves to mutual goals and motivating them to give their best performances. Because he exemplified passion for his company.
The greatest turning point in the last decade of the company’s history was Günter Kraut’s sudden death. The athletic entrepreneur, agile, dynamic and captivating, died in the summer of 1995 while playing tennis. Only three years after the Bizerba workforce had to say goodbye to the company patriarch Wilhelm Kraut Junior, who died at the age of 86, the company suddenly found itself without a boss and its role model. His passing sent shockwaves through the company, especially as it was going through a difficult economic phase. Uncertainty spread, rumours did the rounds. Would Bizerba be sold to an international group? Would parts of the company be sold off to competitors? Would the tradition end?
Günter Kraut’s family closed ranks during these difficult weeks and months. It became clear that there was a simpler way out: selling the shares – and with it, the end of the family tradition after 129 years. But the family decided together to take the harder way: Frigga Kraut and her three children decided to leave their assets in the company, which represented a significant risk. Other family members were paid off and the capital stock was raised by external investors. It continued. At this point, Günter and Frigga Kraut’s children were too young to fulfil their destiny at the top; all three were still completing their studies. External managers therefore took on this job for the first time in Bizerba’s history.