Corona has also affected Doemens
2020 has actually started out very well for Doemens. The brewmaster classes went well, and both the consulting and laboratory departments got off to a good start. Then foundation stone for the new building was laid and everyone thought: 2020 will be a great year.
Then the first critical reports from our partners in China reached us. At first we thought this was a Chinese problem. Then in March it became apparent that schools in Germany might be impacted. Our hope that our state-recognised Master’s programs, along with our technical academy, would not be affected, that we would be able to provide further training. But that hope was shattered.
On the day before the lockdown, we used our existing web platforms to provide content and assignments for all of our master classes through webinars. The response by our students has been more than 95 percent positive! We are very confident that all of our students will be well prepared for final exams. Furthermore, our lab was up and running as usual. In some other ways – as you can imagine – things have been rather difficult.
So far, new building construction is still on schedule. The companies warned us about possible shortages, but so far the building materials have been delivered as planned. But one thing is clear: we’re still driving in foggy conditions, because we all know the situation can change daily.
Economically, the current situation is worrying. We are grateful that all employees have agreed to the temporary introduction of fewer hours. This is a clear sign that Doemens employees do not see their employer as a simple means of earning money, but that they stand behind Doemens, that they ARE Doemens. A big THANK YOU to everyone!
What’s next? A question that many of us here in Germany are asking ourselves. Doemens, like other businesses, is looking forward to being allowed to open again, because we have to minimize the economic damage in 2020. You’ll be hearing from us again soon, hopefully in better circumstances. Yours,
Dr. Werner Gloßner
Doemens Managing Director