8
At 80 years old, Hartmut Dörrie
belongs to the ‘old guard’, and he
knows this is something that
dealers value. To this day, he still
needs the “smell of the stable” and
the discourse. And as long as no
one says: “Stay at home Grandpa,
and feed the seagulls at the Neckar
River”, the Independent Sales
Rep for TECNOLUMEN and
TECNOLINE since 2003 will still be
on task, and just as inspiredas
he was fifteen years ago.
“It was the cherry on top of my
professional career!”, he raves.
Although at the time, the switch
was not an easy one, as he
remembers.
“I came from a large corporation.
From one moment to the next,
I found myself at a family-run
company. Suddenly everything that
used to apply didn't anymore.”
Of course this wasn't necessarily a
bad thing. “The tone is always
set from above”. And with Walter
Schnepel and Carsten Hotzan,
it was always outstanding. Getting
hired here was the best thing
that could have happened to him.
With fantastic products, fantastic
employees, it was consistent and
very honest. “Complaints aren't met
with long discussions – they are
managed in a generous manner.
Customers really appreciate that.”
He says this with a hint of pride.
And he loves the challenge.
“TECNOLUMEN and TECNOLINE
are two very cultural companies.”
It isn't exactly easy bringing these
two brands together that don't
go hand in hand. A different
approach is required when it comes
to door handles, window handles,
and fittings, especially for
TECNOLINE. “In this market it's all
about technology, not culture.
The hardware market finds it difficult
to understand our products.” But
Hartmut Dörrie is happy to explain
himself. “Gropius, Wagenfeld,
Kramer – I am a big fan of these
classics and an enthusiastic door-
to-door salesperson in the best
sense”, he stresses and laughs.
Whereas his professional life could
have taken a very different turn.
After his vocational training,
Hartmut Dörrie worked for 3M and
Koss. He was also fully dedicated
to his passion for photography. He
shot his first motorsports photos
when he was twenty-three years old
- and was so good at it that he has
been capturing the Hockenheimring
GmbH's races and events as the
official photographer for over 50
years now. A start.
The Munich Olympics followed,
the soccer world championship, and
as the years past there were
commissions for ski racing, hockey
and the bobsleigh team. In addition
to sports and their speed, Hartmut
Dörrie discovered music, in
particular Jazz with its emotional
power. He photographed John
Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, as well as
the Rolling Stones and Michael
Jackson. With his sense for defining
moments, he quickly advanced
to become a heavily booked
photographer. “I was able
to approach everyone with the
camera!” Only it remained a hobby.
Even back then, his second passion
was for design. “We have several
Wagenfeld lamps at home, says
Hartmund Dörrie with a smile.
“Everyone in the family has them.”
He purchased his first one from
TECNOLUMEN in 1983, together
with his wife. Two years prior,
he had switched to being the Sales
Director with American furniture
manufacturer Knoll, bringing
high quality furniture onto the
market from that point onward.
Perhaps it was the direct proximity to the Fagus Factory
designed by Gropius in his native city of Alfeld.
Perhaps it was the apprenticeship at the Wittekop chemist.
Or was it simply the coincidences of life and the
luck of the times? Whatever it was that made Hartmut
Dörrie into who he is today – his accurate view is definitely
the basis of his success.
Photo above: On August 2, 1970, the history of
the Formula 1 began at Hockenheimring.
This photo, taken by Hartmut Dörrie documents
Jochen Rindt at the finish line. That race is
still considered to be one of the most
spectacular and exciting Formula 1 Grand Prix
events that took place at the high-speed racing
circuit.
Photo below: Hartmut Dörrie wasn't only
known for his good eye at major sporting
events. He also had personalities from
politics and entertainment in front of his
camera throughout the years.
