Between two worlds: working at Bosch and running a mountain hut

Reiner has now been working at Bosch for over 40 years. It all began with his apprenticeship in Waiblingen near Stuttgart: “My father and my brother both worked at Bosch at that time and I knew I wanted to join them. So I started my training as a toolmaker and was then employed as a machine setter,” says Reiner.

Over the course of his time at Bosch, he repeatedly changed his area of responsibility from toolmaking, to mechanical engineering to production. And he gradually took on more and more responsibility for managing personnel — until he went to Thailand for four years as department head: “After a test trip to get to know the country, I moved to Asia together with my family in 2011. The local project was a great opportunity for me personally. I had already been involved in the strategy process back in Germany. Alongside a growing team of colleagues, I helped establish a new plant and its entire infrastructure. After about a year, we manufactured the first machines there. My time abroad was a great experience for me, both professionally and personally. For instance, my wife became fluent in Thai and explored Ayurvedic cooking, yoga, and Thai massage during her time abroad. She gained a lot personally from the experience — something she still benefits from today,” Reiner shares enthusiastically.

Upon returning to Germany, Reiner spent three years working in Schwäbisch Gmünd. Then, an opportunity came up to move to the Allgäu region in Bavaria, where he provided managerial support in special machinery construction. What’s great about the Blaichach/Immenstadt site near the Bavarian Alps? “When I head to work in the morning, I look forward to seeing my colleagues. We have a highly motivated team here in a region where others go on holidays. I think we're all grateful to have the opportunity to live and work in the Allgäu,“ emphasises Reiner. “And of course, each day brings fresh excitement with new topics, challenges, and solutions. I think that's great.”

Reiner has remained loyal to Bosch since his apprenticeship in the 1980s — and has continued to develop in this time, both in technical expertise and leadership skills. In addition to the great teamwork with his colleagues, it was especially his passion for the topics and the meaningful work that ultimately kept him at Bosch. Immediately after being hired in the Allgäu region, he told his boss: “I will get to 40 years at Bosch.” This has always been a big milestone for Reiner: “I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to change, but I knew one thing: when I hit this milestone, I wanted something to be different. I no longer had the drive to keep climbing the career ladder.” However, Reiner didn’t yet have a clear plan for what would come next.

Although they were excited about the prospect of getting the hut, they were not very optimistic about their chances: “We actually firmly assumed that it wouldn't work out anyway. So we were all the more surprised when the owner of the hut called us and told us that we had been chosen. After a few sleepless nights, where we went over everything again and again, we finally made our decision,” Reiner recalls. That marked the beginning of their current life at the mountain hut.

From the very beginning, Reiner and his wife didn’t just want to run the hut, they wanted to live there too. Before everyday life in the hut could begin, the couple started renovation work in spring 2022. “Instead of travelling around Europe by bus during the sabbatical, we used it to transport materials for the hut renovation. As part of the renovation, the first thing I took care of was electricity and water - because the hut has no access to the local grid for either. As it was already clear to me during the renovation that I wanted to stay with Bosch, I made sure that everything I needed was available — for example, a strong internet connection for remote working. Among other things, my wife took care of the culinary concept and completely revamped the menu: instead of traditional hut food, we serve delicious dishes from Ayurvedic cuisine. As the manager of the hut, she now looks after the food, overnight guests and groups who come to us for yoga courses and company workshops, for example. I like to think of myself as the technical manager who takes care of everything else — from the fences around our site to our solar panels. I also like to take on the service and chat to guests or help out in the kitchen doing the dishes,” says Reiner.

Reiner decided early on during his sabbatical to continue working at Bosch: “On the one hand, I stayed at Bosch because I’m passionate about the topics. On the other hand, I value security highly, and Bosch provides that for me.” However, running the hut and its responsibilities also made Reiner realise that he wanted to reduce his workload at Bosch: “I came back as a group leader instead of a department head. I also started working part-time to support my wife even more, especially in the initial phase. I received a lot of support from my colleagues for making this intentional shift in focus.”

Another thing that has changed as a result of the move to the hut is Reiner's journey to work: “In winter, I put on my skis and ski down the mountain. My car is then waiting for me at the bottom, which I use to drive to the Bosch site. After work, I park in the same spot again and walk back up the mountain on my touring skis — it clears my head on the way home, which is great,” says Reiner happily. Reiner also stays active in summer and often uses his bike instead of skis to get to work.