It began with one man and no fixed address. Today, 40 years later, visitors to Thalgau see a modern location with plenty of space and clear processes. In the 1990s, things looked a little more adventurous, shall we say.
Thalgau in the 90s: where fax machines whirred and skittles became legendary
Even back then, the same location as today was being renovated and expanded – and you can recognise the crew from back then in photos. It’s particularly easy to spot Slavko Mrkonjic in his yellow jumper – a fashion statement that remains unrivalled to this day. Franz Wallner started building the business and managed the branch until 2019. He was succeeded by Andreas Müller, who is still at the helm today. And anyone who thinks traditions don’t last long doesn’t know about our skittles game. It has been a big hit at every in-house exhibition since the 90s and remains a fixture to this day. Only the throwing technique has become more professional, at least that’s what we claim.
Sophie & the fax machine – paper jam deluxe
Sophie started working for us in 2011. Back then, the fax machine was her most loyal colleague. Payment notices and invoice corrections whizzed through the line every day, often accompanied by an epic paper jam that created more drama than any Netflix series.
Haribos, clipboards & the art of puzzles
Since 1997 Slavko has been with Huppenkothen and knows every brick and every screw. In the past, working days lasting until 8 p.m. were completely normal, but today that is hardly imaginable. He does everything ‘his way’, not as prescribed, but as it really works. He traded information for Haribo sweets at the snack machine, and his memory is legendary to this day – almost on a par with an elephant’s. Johannes Braunstein looks back nostalgically: “An incredible amount has changed in terms of rents. Today, everything is done on a tablet, but we used to walk around the courtyard with clipboards and carbonless copy pads. Rental damage was recorded with a digital camera, uploaded to the PC and carefully attached to the handwritten note! Today, that seems almost like something from another world. And the repair notes? That was a real puzzle – deciphering the mechanics’ handwriting was almost a sport.”
A big THANK YOU to all our customers, partners and employees who have made these 40 years possible!
