We are happy to be able to work with Petro. We talked to Petro in great detail about our Grundig brand philosophy.
The new image of Grundig should be the old image of Mr. Max Grundig: good quality, technology and people at the center, that means technology works for people, says Petro. Petro will continue to accompany us in the future as Grundig moves into further new areas.
About Petro
Petro Tyschtschenko, born on April 16, 1943 in Vienna, is a German businessman and entrepreneur, known for his management role at Commodore and Amiga. Petro began his career at Commodore in 1982 and was significantly involved in the development and operation of the organization and logistics. During his time at Commodore, as Director of Logistics, he was head of various logistics centers in Europe and Asia.
In 1994, after Commodore's bankruptcy, Tyshchenko played a central role in the liquidation of the company's international branches. It was also he who was able to win over the investor Escom, who acquired the rights and patents from Commodore in 1995 and founded Amiga Technologies GmbH, where Tyschtschenko became managing director.
After the bankruptcy of Escom, which was not the fault of Petro's Amiga and Commodore division, but of its parent company ESCOM, Petro found a new investor for his Amiga/Commodore sales in 1996, the US company Gateway 2000. Petro was then at Amiga International Managing Director at Gateway from 1996 to 2001 and, after leaving, founded his own company, Power Service GmbH.
1. Why Grundig?
Why do you want to become the representative of Grundig?
It's a long story. When I look back in time, I heard a lot about the Grundig company when I was young. They had built up an international, German company for radio, TV, tape recorders and other entertainment electronics in the Nuremberg area. My parents bought a Grundig television in 1953, I think it was. And as a boy I always wanted to own a Grundig radio. That was my first contact with Grundig.
How did you become Grundig’s brand representative?
When I founded my company Power Service GmbH, based on the motto “My service is your power”, I was always looking for new sources to buy products for my German customers. And that's when I came across Mr. Dennis Chen, the CEO of Grundig. I was very surprised to rediscover the Grundig brand name, very well known for quality. As already mentioned, my parents bought the first Grundig television in 1953 and there was always hell breaking loose in our house in the evenings. Why? Yes, all the neighbors who didn't have a television set all came to us to watch the daily news.
And now Dennis Chen told me something about Grundig, about his vision for the future and that he would like to continue to maintain the idea of producing Max Grundig quality. I could not believe it. And so I asked him, thrilled as I was, whether he could use a Grundig brand representative in Germany. Today I am proud that I can represent the Grundig company as a representative of this brand and that I can inspire other people about it.
Dennis invited me to visit his factories. That was great for me. The results of these visits encouraged me to become even more of a representative for the Grundig brand. The international Grundig team speaks German, is extremely organized, is a cooperative and active link for international marketing, sales and service and absolutely embodies the spirit of Max Grundig in our century.
As a lover of Grundig, this turns me on.
2. Back for the future
In the past, Grundig stood for high quality, now Grundig is active in a new area of e-bikes, what do you think the new image of Grundig should be?
The new image should be the old image of Mr Max Grundig. Quality, good technology and the right amount at the right time and at the right price. These are actually the premises that lead to success. And that is what Grundig is pursuing. That is the beauty of it. The quality speaks for itself, great factories, great quality controls, even though this is actually no longer necessary with such quality-conscious production. It is very, very well organized.
So I'm thrilled about this great team that's doing such good work. And then of course the technology. At Grundig, the focus is on people and technology around them. So technology works for people. This is very, very important for Grundig. That's a very good philosophy. And then of course, you produce the right quantity at the right time, the best quantity at a good price and the right product for the current market. These are things that I love about Grundig.
What can you expect from Grundig?
Quality expectations like before. Grundig has been on the market since 1945 and was actually the vehicle to stimulate our economic miracle in Germany. Max Grundig was a well-trained technician and created a radio back then called Heinzelmann. He was very successful with it. And that's what I expect from Grundig today for all future models.
What should Grundig do in the future to be successful?
In my opinion there are three different points. Firstly it is the development of new products, then it is the openness to the market and then it is the outlook and vision for future products. In practical terms, this means that Grundig should advance into new technologies, e.g. electric cars, e.g. artificial intelligence, and that's how I understood it. That's it: Grundig's vision. That will help Grundig move forward. Just like the openness with which service stations are currently being set up in Europe and other countries in order to perfectly organize service and sales for customers there. Without service, there is no sales. These are all very important future components for the Grundig brand. This is actually what Max Grundig achieved back in the 1950s. At that time he was already developing Grundig into an international company.
Do you cycle a lot?
Sure, of course. I am an enthusiastic cyclist. When I was 10 years old, I cycled from Munich to Vienna with my friend. But it wasn't an electric bike. Still wonderful, and unforgettable. And then every day, summer and winter, in rain and snow, I cycled through half of Munich to school. Always around 45 minutes.
The advantages of e-bike
Yes. I can remember when things went uphill. That was really tough. I was always drenched in sweat when I reached the top. And most of the time I reached the top, but had to push the last section. And today, with the electric bike, it is of course much, much easier. They have power, boosted by the engine, and can easily tackle the biggest inclines. That is a good thing.
3. Future development
The future development of Grundig?
Well, the e-bike thing is currently getting off to a very successful start in Germany. Germany has actually become a cycling nation. And of course many people buy e-bikes because they want them to have good technical and road-safe quality. And that's why many people choose our Grundig brand. This is one page. But Grundig is of course already thinking a lot about future products. From what I learned, Grundig is now moving into energy technology and continuing to develop artificial intelligence. And other electric vehicles are also planned here. This is a really big deal. All I can say is “Back for the Future Grundig”. As already mentioned, Grundig's development department is in the process of planning developments that go towards the automotive industry, electric cars. Plans for the next five years.
I heard that you have already had the opportunity to visit an energy factory?
Yes, exactly. I visited a factory. Very impressive. Sustainable production systems convinced me. So I was really impressed by what I saw. The whole thing in the spirit of Mr. Max Grundig. It's a shame he's already dead. He would certainly be very pleased to see what positive things happen to his Grundig brand.
Grundig has experienced many difficulties in the past, the company was spun off and bought out. Do you have confidence in the new Grundig today?
Of course I have faith. Because quality always came first at Grundig. The difficulties that existed have nothing to do with quality. These were conditions that arose and which would of course cause problems for anyone who was and is still employed in this industry today. You shouldn't look too much into the past.
You should look to the future. And the future for Grundig is actually brilliant, in my opinion. In every respect: quality, technology, development, new products, new ideas, example electric vehicles, example portable batteries “power stations”, which certainly have a future for campers and for all uses in the garden, in private areas, in entertainment. These are projects that will be realized in the next 3, 4, 5 years. So Grundig not only has a good, traditional past, no, Grundig will also have a brilliant future. I am convinced of that.
