Employee development at Blumer Lehmann in Germany - "Anyone can become anything"

Site manager Alexander Holl explains what employee development means at Blumer
Lehmann’s German site in Grafschaft and how the planning team meets customer needs with FSC services and modular timber construction. In this interview, he talks about his career and why at Blumer Lehmann Germany, ‘anyone can become anything’.

Alexander, how did you get into timber construction? What about it fascinates you?

ALEXANDER HOLL ‘Probably because of my family background – my grandfather and uncle were carpenters and my father is an architect. Wood is simply an incredibly wonderful material. You can make so many things from it, from handcrafted furniture to complex buildings. This versatility, the different types of wood, the whole complexity from A to Z – it’s impressive.’

What has been your career path at Blumer Lehmann?

‘During my time in London, where I was working in timber construction due to the
bleak career prospects in Germany at the time, I came into contact with Blumer Lehmann.
I started out in Free Form, then switched to the GC department and then back to Free Form, including as project manager for the Swatch project in Biel. In 2017, I returned to Germany for family reasons. After three years of planning at engineering firm Pirmin Jung, I was keen to get back into execution. Advancing digitalisation and internationalisation at Blumer Lehmann led us to set up a sales office together in Grafschaft near Bonn in 2021 – with me alone in a single office. We gradually developed the location and added project development. Today, I manage the site with around 20 employees in sales and planning for timber and modular constructions for the German market.’

What do you do in this role?

My responsibilities are varied – from organisational development and operational activities in sales and planning through to site management. Staff development in particular is an important task. After all, we see advancing our employees as a goal rather than a side-effect. Young people in particular often don’t know what field they want to work in after their studies. That’s why we offer them the opportunity to start out in sales, for example, and then maybe switch to site management, until we find the area where they can make best use of their strengths

«In job interviews, I like to say: You can become anything with us.»

What development opportunities do you see for ambitious employees?

ALEXANDER HOLL In job interviews, I like to say: “You can become anything with us.” Development opportunities depend heavily on the individual. We do not place any value on whether someone has a doctorate, but rather on whether he or she has the right professional and interpersonal skills. Then you can develop in so many different directions.

What services does Blumer Lehmann Germany offer that are particularly impressive?

ALEXANDER HOLL We are good at FSC projects – from project development to key handover. We have identified a high demand for buildings that can be constructed sustainably and on a turnkey basis within a short period of time, particularly in the education sector and in urban areas. That’s exactly what we can offer:
worry-free, fast and sustainable construction. In particular, if aspects such as dismantling, fire protection or sound insulation are involved, the building is best completed by a general or full-service contractor. Recent examples of temporary buildings that can also be dismantled are the schools in Cologne (see page 37). These were built extremely quickly, thanks to excellent collaboration with the client.’

Can you give us three reasons why someone should work at Blumer Lehmann?

ALEXANDER HOLL At our site in Germany, we have a kind of start-up vibe and are very agile. Our working atmosphere is incredibly dynamic. You can get involved and feel appreciated as a result. What’s more, you get feedback quickly and there are lots of opportunities for development. In short: the company is dynamic,
innovative and offers good development opportunities.’