Kärcher put its support behind the UK operation as delegates from 65 countries arrived for its ‘world meeting’. Guests from all across the globe arrived for the 2017 Kärcher ‘world meeting’ to talk innovation, strategy and growth.
The three day event saw the coming together of some 150 guests, comprising leaders of the 100 subsidiaries and 65 countries Kärcher operates in today, as well as the Kärcher supervisory and management boards and members of the Kärcher family - the children and grandchildren of the company’s founder, Alfred Kärcher. In a dual location event, guests split their time between central London and the new Kärcher UK headquarters in Banbury, Oxfordshire.
The delegates toured the new 7802m² facilities ahead of the morning session. For key note speaker Hartmut Jenner, global chief executive and chairman of the Kärcher management board, this was the second visit in as many months, having presided over the official inauguration of the building including onsite conference centre, flagship Kärcher Center retail store and Kärcher Academy training facilities in May.
It is customary at the ‘world meeting’ to show international guests something of the host country’s culture. The UK chose to celebrate the pioneering engineering heritage so delegates were treated to a journey leaving Banbury Station to travel back in time aboard the luxurious vintage carriages of the Belmond British Pullman, sister train to the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Onboard dinner, period music and scenic views of beautiful countryside rounded off the best of British experience en route to London.
There followed a series of seminars and workshops focusing on future opportunities, corporate culture, growth potential, and introducing new product and service innovations. Simon Keeping, UK managing director and region president, said: “It's been great having the Kärcher family and Kärcher's top management from around the world here in the UK. The opportunity to showcase our new purpose-built facility and, more importantly, the committed, talented team who work here, has been a real privilege.”