working for one and the same company for 25 or even 40 years is hardly the norm in times of project-based work. Over 150 REWE Group employees cracked precisely these marks last year. And as it turns out, very few of them have worked in the same job throughout their careers.
Oliver Holler, Head of HR National Centre
On the terrace of the Wolkenburg in Cologne, where the anniversary celebration took place on 21 March, around 110 REWE Group jubilarians and their superiors gathered under a cloudless sky and toasted each other. All of them were "vaccinated, tested, washed and combed", as Oliver Holler, Head of HR National Headquarters, introduced the official honour shortly beforehand. A lot of thought had been given to whether the event could be justified at all, given such high incidence figures. "But when I saw them chatting in the courtyard earlier, I think we made the right decision," said Holler.
The anniversary celebrations normally take place every year in November. All those who attended these celebrations up until 2019 still rave about the wonderful winter atmosphere. This year, postponed from November for well-known reasons, the celebration fell at the beginning of spring.
Ballroom of the Wolkenburg
More than 25 years at REWE do not go by without anecdote. Ralf Serwoy, who is in his twenty-sixth year in Purchasing, also knows that this is the case. During this time, he first moved from dairy products to non-food, then from Domstrasse to Stolberger Strasse. It never gets boring there. Especially not when someone shoots at the office you're sitting in. "That must have been in the early noughties," says Serowy. A man had fled from the police and barricaded himself in a guesthouse opposite Serowy's office. It was lucky that the bullet was stopped by the slat on the window. "He wasn't after us, but fired indiscriminately," said Serowy, "but the shock was deep."
In the 40 years that Dietmar Schmitz has worked for REWE Group, things have never been quite so dangerous. However, he also had a story in which the police played a role. "They came to us and asked if they could conduct surveillance from our office," said Schmitz. A drug deal was supposed to take place on the opposite side of the street. And it was. "Of course, we had watched it all from the windows. It was impressive how quick the police officers were." Many years have passed since this story at REWE Systems, where Schmitz works. "And many more names and abbreviations for our departments," he says with a grin.
Lionel Souque, Chairman of the Executive Board
Ralf Schmitz has spent two thirds of his life at REWE Group. "Working for a company for so long is very impressive," said CEO Lionel Souque in his speech. However, he was not only present in his role as CEO, but also as a jubilarian himself. Souque celebrated 25 years with the company in 2021. "The fact that someone can make it from trainee to CEO is a great message," said his longstanding colleague and deputy, Jan Kunath. "Today it is important to us that we honour each individual," added Kunath.
Heike Osken is one of them. "1 April '84," she said, when she started at DER Travel and Tourism in Frankfurt. "I came from the countryside to Frankfurt, to the big city," she recalled. Osken worked in payroll accounting. "Without a computer at the beginning." When the REWE Group joined the company in 2000, many things became more modern. "Over the years, I grew into my tasks. In the end, we had 6,000 payslips to process," says Osken, who later became head of department.
"You shape the REWE Group," said Lionel Souque about the jubilarians present. "Young people often tell me they are so fast. But we," he addressed the audience, "we know the shortcut."
Both German and English comments appear here.
...4 years 11 months and 48 days to go, then I can celebrate too ;-)
I find the grumbling comments here disconcerting. Of course it's a shame if something is cancelled because of corona. But hundreds of people in Travel and Tourism have lost their jobs during this time. Shouldn't we just be happy that we're healthy and not living in a war zone?
@Claudia M. what does that have to do with complaining, they are simply statements or opinions!
It's a pity that news like this doesn't spread at all in the north. Unfortunately, not even through a letter. I find this disappointing.
very nice to see what you missed in 2020 pity we were not invited...there was no other nice niceness apart from a nice letter....
that's how it was... for me too...at least there was an Aktion Mensch ticket enclosed...
..... whether there will be another event for the retirees who worked at REWE for many years?
@Judith - my comment did not refer to the entire group but rather to the company RZAG and REWE Markt - GmbH at the Cologne site...
Hello H.E., we can't answer that. There are several tens of thousands of long-term employees at REWE. It will be difficult to organise a joint event for all of them. Please enquire directly with the unit where you worked. There may be corresponding considerations there. Best regards from the one_editorial team
Hello, it's just a pity that the jubilarians from 2020 were not invited ...
yes, I also think it's a pity ... unfortunately I'm also a corona victim.... would have liked there to have been a nice solution for us too.....
Hello Monika, you're legal. You should have thought of that. Congratulations belatedly! It will be my turn in two years' time ... unbelievable, isn't it? I would never have thought that. I'm still at the HR competence centre at REWE West and am very happy there. :)