On February 12, 2025, we welcomed a special guest to SCHERDEL Wiesauplast: State Secretary for Economic Affairs Tobias Gotthardt. Together with entrepreneurs, he discussed current economic challenges and opportunities. You can find a detailed report on this exciting exchange in the following article, which was published by Oberpfalzecho.
“At the beginning of the visit, the guests were given a comprehensive presentation of the site and the internationally positioned Scherdel Group. Scherdel Wiesauplast has been part of the Scherdel family business from Marktredwitz since 2022. Wiesauplast Managing Director Wolfgang Beer and Marcus Bach, Managing Partner of Scherdel, presented the group’s core business areas and gave an insight into production.
Focus on innovative strength and economic initiatives
Tobias Gotthardt was impressed by the company’s efficiency and innovative strength. The company tour was followed by an open business discussion with representatives from ten regional companies, during which the State Secretary for Economic Affairs presented the Bavarian state government’s economic policy priorities. He addressed current initiatives and outlined the support available for companies in the region.
The invited companies represented a variety of industries. Craftsmen, energy-intensive companies, global players such as Cube and Scherdel, but also the beverage industry and IT services.
Dialogue between politics and business
Special attention was paid to the direct dialog between politics and business. In addition to Tobias Gotthardt, Hubert Schicker was also present as the direct candidate of the Free Voters for the electoral district of Weiden, Tirschenreuth and Neustadt an der Waldnaab. Key concerns and challenges were discussed with the entrepreneurs in order to promote close cooperation between business and politics and actively shape the economic future of the region. In addition to energy policy, the entrepreneurs’ main concerns were the reduction of bureaucracy; lengthy approval processes and completely unproductive documentation requirements represent a considerable competitive disadvantage in an increasingly fast-paced market environment. The topic of healthcare was also addressed critically.
The companies made it very clear that they feel connected to their home region and want to offer people in the region secure jobs. However, it also became clear that they need reliable and competitive framework conditions from politicians to achieve this.”