Andreas Mühlbauer

When and how did you join Rädlinger Primus Line? What made you decide to join the company back then – and what keeps you here to this day?

I joined Rädlinger Primus Line in 2009 – on the recommendation of a friend and also out of curiosity. Pretty soon after, I stumbled across the famous ‘Primus Line Baby’, which is often mentioned internally.

And as is often the case with babies: they are a lot of work at first. But that is exactly what made it so appealing. Through many exciting projects, I was able to help the team turn that baby, step by step, into a young adult who is now 25 years old.

And in a way, it is like being part of a family – when you have been there for so long and grown up with it, you are happy to stay.

Which moments or projects do you particularly enjoy looking back on?

That was definitely the IFL project. Shortly after I joined, a huge oil company from Malaysia came to us in Cham. Together, we developed the in-field liner for offshore pipelines.

In doing so, we not only broke new ground technically, but also got to know a culture that was, for a Bavarian, somewhat unfamiliar at times. At the same time, it was an intense period with a lot of positive pressure within our small project team.

It was precisely because we worked so closely together that we were able to learn so much – and ultimately bring the project to a successful conclusion.

In your view, what has changed the most – in technical, organizational and/or on a personal level?

Looking back, a great deal has changed, particularly in terms of premises and organization. In the past, the administration was still located at the back of the ground floor of the engineering hall, and production was also carried out in a rather makeshift manner in an adjoining hall.

Today, we have our own office complex with really good working conditions. In Weiding, there is a state-of-the-art production hall tailored specifically to Primus Line^®, and in Chammünster we have set up a central warehouse and logistics center that ships all over the world.

This growth alone, achieved in such a short space of time, shows just how Rädlinger Primus Line has developed, and this is reflected just as clearly in the team: significantly larger, but still with the same motivation and energy.

Which developments in your department were real milestones for you?

In my field, the technical and hygiene requirements for the product have increased enormously. Initially, there were only two approvals for Primus Line^®; today there are around 30 worldwide.

With the steadily growing international sales, turnover is naturally rising too – though one thing is clear: without approvals, there can be no sales.

As Primus Line^® is a very specialized and innovative product, there is usually no suitable standard. The challenge therefore lies in reaching a consensus in each country, in collaboration with the authorities and testing laboratories, in order to gain approval for the product and obtain the relevant certificates.

Germany, as the country of origin, traditionally sets the highest standards.

Which skills or values from your early days are still important today, and why?

Especially in the early days, things were not always clearly defined. You simply had to get stuck in and improvise from time to time. That approach still helps me today, particularly with new or complex projects.

You are now an expert in your field. What does experience mean to you in your day-to-day work?

For me, experience in my day-to-day work means, above all, being able to assess situations more quickly. It helps me stay calm in stressful situations.

When you think about the future development of the company and/or the product, what are you particularly looking forward to?

Above all, I am looking forward to seeing all the different ways Primus Line^® will be used. Surprising new applications keep cropping up.

And, of course, the projects where you think at the start, ‘Let’s see if that works’ – and then it turns out to work after all.