"Because the people from here are important to us" - this is the motto of the leading food retailer WASGAU Produktions & Handels AG, which is immortalized in many places at the Pirmasens headquarters. We had the pleasure of being guests here as part of the Leadership Connect program, and it was also the first visit in the series to a company in the food industry. This not only promised many new aspects on the topic of leadership, but also showed how seriously WASGAU managers take the company's mission statement - both for customers and employees.

During the visit, it became clear that WASGAU's ties to the region were as important to the company then as they are today, as is the issue of sustainability, which is particularly evident in the close cooperation with local producers. This is also reflected in the company's history, which began in 1925 with the merging of 19 merchants in Pirmasens and was already based on in-house production: the company has had its own butchery since 1967 and its own WASGAU bakery since 1992. Both the butchery and the bakery work with regional partners. This is a USP that American guests also recognize, especially in light of the fact that many Americans living in the region prefer local and regional products. As there are many discount stores in Germany, this also means tough competition for WASGAU.

The topic of sustainability will also have an impact on WASGAU's vehicle fleet in the future: CO2 emissions are to be reduced by up to 45 percent by 2030, and this figure is even set to be doubled in the years thereafter. One way to achieve these goals is to replace diesel trucks with electric ones. This is a major undertaking that requires extensive planning. WASGAU drew up a timetable at an early stage in order to achieve the targets set. However, there are both technical and logistical challenges to overcome. Energy costs will rise significantly as a result of loading the trucks and the question arises as to the most efficient times to load the trucks without causing too many breakdowns. There are plans to build solar panels to power the logistics center with energy and thus cover at least part of the energy costs.

After the managers from both sides got to know each other, they took a tour of the logistics center, where 180 trucks arrive and depart daily and some 32,000 pallets are stored. They also visited the fresh produce warehouse, where they were able to escape the hot summer temperatures for a short cool down at around 5° Celsius. It was particularly interesting to see how the products are stored according to the nationalities of the customers and how preferences differ in some cases. For example, an entire hall is dedicated to products for American customers, which are also delivered to the commissary in Ramstein and are very different from the products for German customers.

The challenge for WASGAU's management, as for many companies in the industry, is the shortage of truck drivers.
On the other hand, the seniority of the managers present, some of whom have been with the company for up to 36 years, was remarkable. The company attaches great importance to maintaining and improving its attractiveness as an employer. For example, it offers flexible working hours, employee discounts and many other benefits, as well as excellent training and development opportunities for its employees.

We would like to thank all the managers at WASGAU who welcomed us and who gave us an insight into the various facets of the industry!