In 2018 we celebrate 40 years of KRONEN and on occasion of the anniversary we have decided to focus on the people behind KRONEN. After all they are the actual makers of our company‘s success story!
We introduce: Frank Wickersheim, Head of IT
Just as in every company the IT structures have changed a lot at KRONEN over the last decades. Eventually, hardly any other realm is as fast-moving as the digital one and hardly any other realm has changed the way of working as quickly and widely. No wonder that much has happened within 40 years of KRONEN. For almost two decades Frank Wickersheim has supported the KRONEN IT now – and you can say that he continues developing together with it:
Who is Frank Wickersheim?
Frank Wickersheim is a butcher originally. At least he was one: Since he was 13 he had worked in the butchery as a sideline, and after his high-school diploma he finished his apprenticeship there, too. He also liked the job. But it is a tough craft starting every day at 2.30 am in the night. Besides, there was his strong preference for all logical processes, numbers and explainable facts. For these things he has had a penchant since school already. His thinking habits fit perfectly with the “0-1“ logic of digital technology, he says.
Thus, it was kind of obvious that he applied for the apprenticeship to become an information technology officer at KRONEN, when he heard about it. Exactly 18 years ago, on 1 September he started his career at KRONEN and since that his way from a trainee to the head of IT department has been unprecedented. Since 2004 he is in charge, instructs the IT team and nowadays the trainees, too. Actually, if you ask him KRONEN is too far away from his hometown, it is a drive of over 45 minutes. But this he puts up with. He is passionate about being an IT professional and he has got to know and built up a lot here – and there is still enough to do for him.
What is Frank Wickersheim's job?
When Frank Wickersheim started at KRONEN, this was still at the old head office in Eckartsweier. Production and administration buildings were physically divided and technologically linked by a 2 Mbit line. Back then three servers were located at two different places. When KRONEN finally moved to the new site in Kehl, he planned and supported the implementation of the completely new IT infrastructure. To the last detail Frank Wickersheim defined which cable and which connection shall be lead to where. Telephone, internet, server room – everything needed to be build up. Today, there is a 1000 Mbit network, data is stored at 50 virtual servers, in 2016 an extra fast internet line was laid and in 2017 one integrated Wi-Fi net was established for the entire company.
And the tasks of the IT department grow due to the continuing digitalization and together with the infrastructure. Furthermore, new topics are coming up: KRONEN works on Internet of Things solutions. Now, also the KRONEN machines themselves are to be made “smart”. Therefore, hybrid systems are to be introduced, which allow data to be stored in external “clouds” instead of being stored locally. Cloud applications, analysis of big amounts of data – so-called “big data” – and IT safety are side topics. So, it has never been boring - and it won’t become boring for sure. But this is exactly what Frank Wickersheim likes.
This is what Frank Wickershein says about his work with KRONEN:
„My work with KRONEN is very various and hardly predictable, and that’s good. Furthermore I am quite free in finding and implementing solutions for any problems coming up. This is what I really enjoy!
The company is not just a family business, but it is also very family-friendly. “Work-life” balance, flextime, long weekends – all these words weren’t part of my vocabulary during my work as a butcher. Since 2016 I have been part of the "Executive team" of KRONEN and I appreciate that things can be discussed in an argumentative manner and that the opinion of each of us is respected and heard.”
PS: Why finding another employee at the September calendar sheet of your printed KRONEN calendar? Quite simply because this employee does not want to be in online media, of course we respect this wish and are happy to introduce Frank Wickersheim.