Mask makers from Bavaria ask the government for help, but politicians adorn themselves

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By: Armin Forster

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With Corona masks from Bavaria, three founders have written a success story.But now her entire industry fears for the existence.She is now appealing to politics.

Moosburg/Essenbach - "We can write in our memoirs that we have chartered a complete Boeing 747," says Orhan Söhmelioglu.He laughs at his forehead with his business partners Sabahattin Incekalan and Volkan Akoglu in the office of their factory near Landshut and remembers the adventurous beginnings of the business.

CORONA in Bavaria: Offers for millions of orders - without your own mask stock

"The seats were expanded.Also in the fuselage everything was full of mask boxes for us."This anecdote dates from spring 2020, when all of Germany ranked after oral nose and three friends from Moosburg and Landshut made up for breastfeeding this demand.With daring, happiness and hard work, Söhmelioglu (41), Incekalan (34) and Akoglu (32) have written a real success story since then.Now, however, you have to fight for it not to be a short story.

but one after anonther.When Corona pandemic in the pliers for the first time in early 2020, the protective masks are rare in clinics and at doctors.The government is in a hurry tenders.It is also the time when Orhan Söhmelioglu sells students for hygiene and gastrobed needs in his Moosburg trading company SWS day and night: 20 trucks full, as many roles as his company did not act in two decades.

The fact that the Germans like Wild hamsters feders Söhmelioglus remaining the other sales burglaries.These days, his friends Sabahattin and Volkan report to him: The two self -employed people want to get one of the federal tenders, three of them see greater opportunities.It is probably also some high spirits in the game when the trio finally submits two offers for millions of orders.Because: You still have no masks at all.

Corona-Lockdown: Company from Moosburg receives surcharge- 100.000 FFP2 masks until the end of April

A few days later, the contract is actually - for both orders.Now they should have five million surgical masks and 100 by the end of April.Get 000 FFP2 masks.And from mid -August 500.Produce 000 pieces a week.At that time the goods are only available in such quantities in Asia.The men get in touch with a Chinese manufacturer via the messenger app Wechat.

Buying the masks for the first tender and flying to Germany costs, including the freight flight - the Boeing from the "memoirs" - two and a half million euros.Akoglu, Incekalan and Söhmelioglu scratch all their fortune and still borrow money from their banks.Without having a real security of the supplier, they transfer 2.5 million euros from the Sparkasse Landshut.They have a lot of abdominal pain - and luck: Ultimately everything goes well, the goods are delivered, the first order is fulfilled.

Corona: Mask Made in Bavaria realized at a hurry - founders are on the tape themselves

With the profit from this deal, the trio immediately ordered the first seven production facilities at a machine builder in Thuringia.On the 29th.May is founded in May Medicare GmbH.The three entrepreneurs look for Bavarian fabric suppliers, build and check the first prototypes.

At the same time, they drive up an industrial hall in the Essenbach community and take care of the CE certification of their masks.Then the first 24 employees are hired, machines and high shelves are set up - everything is in a hurry, of course.At 3.August spits out the first mask Made in Bavaria.At that time the three founders are still on the tape.

In the first week you will introduce a night shift, recruit other staff.Finding workers was the least problem, Sabahattin Incekalan recalls today."Many were unemployed by the crisis."The job interviews were held every quarter of an hour.In mid -September, the company now has 110 employees, the space is no longer sufficient.A further 1,500 square meters are rented in the neighborhood, plus a branch in Moosburg.The company also has its own test laboratory.

Corona-Lockdown in Bayern: Am Höhepunkt arbeiten 217 Beschäftigte für „Bayerns Masken-Könige"

And then the three business people once again prove their real nose: Over three corners, they have learned that the government is probably preparing for a hard lockdown.When you sit together and leaf through the calendar, only one option seems plausible to you: it is no longer loosened before Easter!So order masses in stock in order to be able to produce until April.And lo and behold: the forecast was right.

SWS Medicare is experiencing the previous climax at the turn of the year when mask vouchers for pharmacies are distributed to the population.There are 217 people in the company who now rattle twelve machines and hisses day and night.Nationwide, the start-up is now among the top 3 manufacturers of mouth-nose protection, in newspaper and television reports they are celebrated as "Bavaria's mask king", "The three mask animals" and their company as "Masken-Mekka".

Half a year later.SWS Medicare has now produced a good 50 million pieces.But the euphoria has evaporated.As Sabahattin Incekalan, Orhan Söhmelioglu and Volkan Akoglu roamed through their production hall in early June, it still rattles and hisses properly.But part of the machines are now quiet, and only 130 of the 217 employees are left.

"Two of our competitors have already closed," says Incekalan as he lets his gaze wander through the hall.And Söhmelioglu complains: "The companies sell their machines and betray their masks." Why?"Because the market is overcrowded at the moment with 15 cent-Asia goods."Söhmelioglu says that these sales prices cannot even be produced in this country.

Corona masks from Germany: Mask association wants to save companies and secure care

But the three makers also want to overcome this hurdle.And so the "Maskenverband Germany" is founded especially.Around 45 manufacturers and suppliers are already organized in order to represent common interests with the most powerful voice and use synergies.Orhan Söhmelioglu is the chairman of the association based in Landshut.

His appeal to politics: "In need, there were entrepreneurs here who followed the call for masks made in Germany."Because a little calm has now returned," and because it is the incidents with Nüßlein, Sauter and Co.has now given away from our industry ".But right now a support must follow, politicians have to take the producers by the hand, demands Söhmelioglu."So that these companies will still be available in the future, and the basic supply in Germany is guaranteed."But also so that quality, traceability and liability are guaranteed by local producers.

Sure, he knew that there is the free market economy."You can't say to Deichmann either: We are now helping you to sell shoes because your heel has dropped."The association does not expect that all manufacturers are fully utilized."But" says Söhmelioglu, "maybe there is a regulation with which we can secure our productions in a base load."

So that you can still afford the shop.Specifically, he has a subsidy model: "We wish that, for example, hospitals, coffers or municipalities are paid a certain surcharge from the government if they order German masks." Das sei die einfachste und schnellste Möglichkeit, das Problem zu lösen.

Corona: Masken-Macher aus Bayern in Not - „Wenn das so weiter geht, haben wir ein Problem"

According to Söhmelioglu, all members would have to sign a code in the mask association.The latter stipulates that the main production in Germany and 80 percent of the machines and materials came from domestic. Außerdem verlange man von den Beteiligten eine Erklärung, „dass die Mitglieder anständige Arbeitslöhne zahlen und nichts mit Bestechungsgeldern zu tun hatten", betont Söhmelioglu.

When asked whether SWS Medicare had been in connection with commission payments to politicians, Sabahattin Incekalan shakes her head: "Never ever!And we are damn proud of it." Dass sich die meisten Abgeordneten inzwischen scheuten, in einem Atemzug mit dem Thema Masken genannt zu werden, erschwert dem Verband allerdings die Lobbyarbeit.Only a few decision -makers reacted to invitations to information talks. „Wenn das so weiter geht, haben wir ein Problem", sagt Söhmelioglu.

Last year, a few local politicians were happy to be photographed with the founders of the SWS Medicare, as a look at the manufacturer's Facebook page shows: Some mayors from the region and, for example, Landshut's district administrator Peter Dreier gratefully took pallet-like masksin reception that the company had presented as a donation.

Corona in the Freising district: 350.000 masks donated - at schools, fire brigades, municipalities and old people's homes

A total of 350.000 pieces went to numerous municipalities, schools, old people's homes, homeless aids or fire brigades - from Lower Bavaria to Munich.An auxiliary convoy for earthquake victims in Croatia, organized by the State Fire Brigade Association, also had 55.000 masks from Essenbach on board."When we were asked for help, we donated. Und wir spenden immer weiter", verspricht Söhmelioglu.

Beim Gang durch die Firma liegt dem 41-Jährigen dann noch etwas auf dem Herzen: „Inzwischen haben wir hier bestimmt schon sechs bis sieben Millionen Euro investiert", sagt Orhan Söhmelioglu."We could have left it at three.But we always acted in such a way that we could still exist after 2021."

The company today has a company doctor and successful ISO certification so that large companies can also be supplied.He stops in the canteen in which a few workers are lunch."The snack car that came here would have been enough.But we have for 50.Bought a canteen and made two cooks.If you only want to exist for a year, you don't need it all."

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