ZF gears up to celebrate centennial in 2015

When ZF Friedrichshafen AG celebrates ‘100 Years of ZF’ next year, some 73 000 employees located around the world will be in the spotlight. The Group will provide them with a wide range of offerings around the world.

"Throughout the entire year, all employees should sense that we have achieved something extraordinary, something that only very few companies achieve," said CEO Dr Stefan Sommer at the start of the anniversary celebrations. "During the anniversary year, we will fittingly acknowledge the past in various ways. Ultimately, we have already achieved a great deal. However, we also wish to use the anniversary year to look forward and to prepare ourselves for the challenges that we will face in the future."

"All ZF employees should celebrate this special event," said executive vice-president (Corporate Communications) Matthias Lenz during the presentation of the program in Friedrichshafen. "We wish to make use of this event to also address the employees of the locations that have become a part of our Group during the course of our 100-year history as members of the large ZF family. Consequently, this birthday can also positively contribute towards an even stronger integration within the ZF Group."

The ceremonial gala in the Rothaus Hall at Messe Friedrichshafen is the main anniversary celebration. September 9 corresponds to the entry of ‘Zahnradfabrik GmbH in Friedrichshafen’ into the Commercial Register at the Tettnang local district court exactly 100 years ago on September 9, 1915. Approximately 1 500 guests from politics, commerce, and society will be invited.

All over the world, campaigns and participation activities for the employees will take place at all ZF locations. Celebrations play also a major part: The anniversary of the ZF Group will be duly valued worldwide with Family Days at almost every single location.

A special anniversary highlight awaits the ZF employees on July 4, 2015: The festival which will take place in front of the Zeppelin hangar in Friedrichshafen. All employees will receive free entry to performances by the hip-hop band "Die Fantastischen 4" and the former "Reamonn" frontman Rea Garvey. No decision has yet been made whether or to what extent tickets to this festival will also go on general sale. "We are working on a solution but, primarily for space and safety reasons, it may be the case that only a manageable amount will be made available to the public," says Mr. Lenz.

In contrast, all interested people will be granted access to the "open house". On July 26, ZF will give visitors the rare opportunity to visit the production and assembly halls in Plant 2 as well as the R & D Center. In addition to historical and technological information, e.g. in a large traveling exhibition in a big dome-shaped tent, plenty of entertainment will be on the menu for children and adults alike.

On this day, the company will also present the ZF training center and, in doing so will transform its ‘Info Night’ as established in previous years into an ‘Info Day’. The training center provides young people from within the region as well as other visitors with information concerning the various ZF jobs requiring training as well as paths to successful applications.