Bernd Klapheck

Bernd Klapheck is an entrepreneur, volunteer and person with heart and hand

Bernd Klapheck is well prepared when I arrive at his office to interview him for our "Stadtmensch" column. "Stadtmensch - that's an honor for me," he says. He scrolls through a PowerPoint presentation and explains what his company actually does: Klapheck is a company that develops, designs and builds high-quality solutions for the POS (point of sale, i.e. retail): From counter displays to entire salesroom solutions.

Mercedes, VW and Co.

Its customers include Mercedes, VW, Toyota, Pirelli, Continental, Velux, Hagebau, Reisenthel and Krombacher. "We're actually a small chip shop here," says Bernd Klapheck with a mischievous smile on his face. "But our customers appreciate that we always think one step ahead and that's why they rely on us." Little construction, lots of communication, is his motto and that of his 20 employees.

It all started over 35 years ago with his diploma thesis, which Klapheck wrote for Opel's marketing manager at the time. "In it, I examined why manufacturers' marketing activities were not being implemented by dealers and came to the conclusion that there needed to be a go-between for industry and dealers," says the 60-year-old. "That's what we are."

He came to Lüdinghausen because he liked it here so much. He moved to Seppenrade with his family, but he still had his company in Herten. "At the Rose Festival, I got talking to the former mayor Josef Holtermann, who asked me if I would like to come to Lüdinghausen with my company. That was on a Saturday. He called me on Monday and had a plot of land for me," recalls Klapheck. But then the opportunity arose to buy the former Rathmer furniture store.

Cooperation with Caritas

"That was a stroke of luck," says Klapheck. Because it allowed him to unite his company and Caritas under one roof. "We have been having our products completed and assembled by Caritas employees for many years, even when we still had our production facilities in Nordkirchen," explains the entrepreneur. "The collaboration is a lot of fun. The employees are great and very reliable." You can tell that this is a matter close to his heart. During our conversation, Klapheck repeatedly waves to a Caritas employee through the window.

Making a difference

Bernd Klapheck is a man who is not only committed to his job, but also to volunteering. He is a member of the Lions, the regulars' table "Gesellschaft Reichstag", the community foundation, the supervisory board of the Volksbank and the hospital initiative group. "Our society would be miserable if there were no voluntary work," he says. "And it's fun to get involved in Lüdinghausen because you can make a difference here, because lots of people lend a hand and help each other." He helped launch the Lions' Advent calendar years ago. Every year, the Lions sell 6,000 calendars before Christmas, raising 30,000 euros for youth projects in the city. "Over 500 great prizes - that's a benchmark in Germany," says Klapheck. "And it's only possible because we have such committed entrepreneurs and sponsors in Lüdinghausen."

Family helper

Bernd Klapheck recently took on a completely new task. "At 60, I wanted to take a step back and do something that wasn't related to my job or my relationships. Something that requires heart and hand." He read an article about Königskinder, an outpatient hospice service for children and young people that is also active in the Coesfeld district. The Königskinder look after families in which a child has a life-shortening illness. "That touched me immediately." Bernd Klapheck completed a one-year training course to become a family helper and now looks after a severely disabled child every Friday afternoon. The two of them go for walks together, eat ice cream, go to the playground. "I give him time and joie de vivre and get a lot of it back," he says. Nadine Wenge