Press Release

A record number of work anniversaries: Dillinger and Saarstahl honor 1,468 employees for their company loyalty

06 May 2022

The celebration could finally take place in April: Dillinger and Saarstahl once again held their big anniversary ceremony following a two-year pause due to COVID-19. With the Executive Board, Board of Trustees and Works Council members in attendance, 1,468 anniversary honorees were recognized for 50, 45, 35 and 25 years of loyalty to the company. Because the anniversary period this time included September 2019 to April 2022, not only the number of anniversaries but also their years of service with the company was record-breaking: The honorees have committed a combined sum of 47,515 years to Saarstahl and Dillinger!

Due to the large number of honorees and guests, the celebration this time was held over two days in the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken. Dr. Karl-Ulrich Köhler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Dillinger and Saarstahl, welcomed the guests to both events and was impressed by the long-standing dedication of the honorees: “Not giving up, standing with your fellow employees, focusing on camaraderie – this is what distinguishes you. In the steel industry, we have the ability to leverage potential for the future from the work we share. This means we are ready for the challenges of the transformation to the production of carbon-neutral steel and can shape the future. We, the companies Saarstahl and Dillinger, thank you for your good work, for your achievements, and for what you have done in this spirit to strengthen the bonds of comradeship.”

Chairman of the Works Council of Saarstahl Stefan Ahr also underscored the great achievements of the employees celebrating their anniversaries and expressed his thanks to them: “In the past, you, dear anniversary honorees, have overcome all challenges for the good of the companies – we thank you for that!” Ahr is therefore optimistic about the future: “The workforce is what guarantees that the transformation of our companies will succeed. Together with you, we will catapult the companies into a bright and successful future.”

“It was you who helped the Saarland steel industry survive through your extraordinary identification with our companies,” said Michael Fischer, Chairman of the Works Council at Dillinger, thanking the employees celebrating their anniversary for their loyalty. “You did everything right. You helped us grow as a company.” Fischer emphasized the role of each individual in the upcoming transformation process: “We need you to shape the future. This is the only way we can achieve the transformation, by the people, and for the people.”

In their process of transforming to the production of green steel, the primary focus for Dillinger and Saarstahl – now and in the future – is on their responsibility for the environment and, in particular, for the people of Saarland, who have been inextricably linked with the steel industry for generations. This is also demonstrated by the number of work anniversaries and their years of service: 21 employees (Dillinger 7; Saarstahl 14) were honored for half a century of company loyalty. 240 employees (Dillinger 135; Saarstahl 105) have been working for the steel-producing partner companies for 45 years. Dillinger and Saarstahl honored a total of 549 people for 35 years of service (Dillinger 387; Saarstahl 162). 658 employees (Dillinger 315; Saarstahl 343) can proudly look back on 25 years in the Saarland steel industry.

The knowledge possessed by the anniversary celebrants and passed on to future generations is the basis for a secure future for Saarland’s steel-producing partner companies. Dillinger and Saarstahl are therefore focusing on the human success factor in the upcoming transformation.