Mr. Holzinger, how did you come to build design models for automobile manufacturers?
Wolfgang Holzinger: After completing my studies as a model builder, I was fortunate enough to be given a job in Audi’s styling department, which was very small at that time. Under the design leadership of Hartmut Warkuss, I became head modeller and therefore responsible for all design models. After 18 years at Audi, I left the company and founded HOTE Studio für Produktdesign GmbH.
What do you find so fascinating about design model building?
Marcus Holzinger: It’s almost like a sporting challenge. You need to keep in mind that our design models need to be translated from paper drawings into a physical model within a few short weeks. It is very appealing to make use of the latest technologies and to see your own experience being incorporated into a variety of areas. The mix of handiwork and machine production means modelling has a distinct charm of its own. Production is usually under time pressure and is always a particularly emotional moment – you are proud of what you have achieved and also relieved to have reached your goal.
Another historical question: What prompted you to found the company HOTE Design?
Wolfgang Holzinger: In the early ‘80s I was head of modelconstruction at Audi Design. At that time, there were no external suppliers in the field of model construction and design, which opened up a great opportunity. My school friend, Rolf Teschke, then junior head of the company Jura-Guss in Beilngries, encouraged me to become self-employed. He had the space and equipment to run a modelling and design company. The company name “HOTE” was formed from the names Holzinger and Teschke.
What makes HOTE Design different to other model builders?
Claudia Schefbauer-Holzinger: Many of our employees have been part of the company for decades and everyone contributes to maintaining an absolutely top quality standard for our clients.
Why did you decide on the town of Beilngries?
Wolfgang Holzinger: My former business partner Rolf Teschke’s operations were based in Beilngries. During an expansion, the opportunity arose to provide space for HOTE GmbH. Many of our clients have felt very at home in Altmühltal and they value the proximity to the airports and motorway.
Which of your company’s achievements are you the most proud of?
Wolfgang Holzinger: There have been many highlights over the last 35 years, such as during the late 1990s when the first 5-axis milling machine was installed for the creation of 1:1 models. We now have three of them. In 2014 we completed our large presentation hall. Its ceiling is illuminated using LED lights which ensures our models are always seen in the ideal light.
What goals does HOTE Design still intend to achieve over the long-term?
Marcus Holzinger: To cement the HOTE hard model construction process as a benchmark within the industry.
Where did you take training and what qualifications did you receive?
Marcus Holzinger: After an internship in the US at Volkswagen of America, I studied industrial design at a technical college in Munich between 2001 and 2005. I completed the course with a diploma majoring in transportation design. After my industrial design course, I moved to Wolfsburg to work for the exterior design division of Volkswagen AG until switching to HOTE.
Which factors are especially close to your heart when it comes the company culture of HOTE?
Claudia Schefbauer-Holzinger: HOTE can perform the entire design process in-house – from the first sketch to a completed design, which is something every industrial designer could be proud of. Then there is our team which has been working together for decades and spicing up our processes through routine work and finesse.
What do you think are HOTE’s greatest challenges?
Marcus Holzinger: HOTE performs model construction and design in the premium sector, which is reflected in the infrastructure, machinery, software and salary given to our employees. Further perfecting this high standard and always keeping one step ahead of the competition are our greatest challenges.
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