It’s misty and still dark as the large truck drives into the courtyard. The early ferry brought it to Norderney from the mainland. It’s just before seven o’clock in the morning, but several men are already using small pallet trucks to move pallets back and forth in the forwarding hall. The articulated truck reverses up to the loading ramp. “The ferry dictates our working hours”, says Georg Fischer, as little puffs of condensed breath form in the air. He’s wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a quilted jacket. It’s quite cool for a late summer morning. Georg Fischer and his employees are the early risers on Norderney. While most holidaymakers are still asleep, they’re unloading the items the large articulated trucks bring from the mainland: food, care products and drinks. Almost everything that ends up on the hotel tables and on the shelves in the island’s shops is handled by Georg Fischer’s team.

A leap of faith

There’s tradition behind MAN and Georg Fischer; just as there is for the freight forwarding company itself. Next year it will have existed for 125 years. He lives for the family business, as did his father and grandfather. His uncle and his father managed its operations for a long time until his father became ill in the mid 1990s. “I took a leap of faith at that time – after all I wasn’t born as a managing director. And then I had to suddenly assume responsibility for 85 employees.” Dealing fairly with colleagues and still making clear decisions when things are going badly is something that has to be learned. The same applies to taking holidays, because the work in a freight forwarders never actually stops. Georg Fischer has managed the company well. He is now also an investor in a ready-mixed concrete plant and a mineral oil trading company. “That has enabled us to diversify in recent years. I believe it was a good decision.” Yet his strength remains the service he provides: “We try hard to be really good and make it difficult for others to gain a foothold in our niche.” He sees this service as also being friendly with customers and especially with holidaymakers. “My colleagues sometimes complain about the number of tourists during the peak season. But then I make it clear that none of us would have jobs if they weren’t here.”

A great team

The atmosphere in the large hall is good. The men are laughing a lot and are soon on familiar terms. Sven Große-Hohnacker became a new member of the team a few weeks ago. He’s a sporty, fit individual who can get things done. Große-Hohnacker used to work as a banker for 13 years here on his home island of Norderney. “But I simply got bored with that”, he says. “The work here in the freight forwarding company is much more varied.” This afternoon he’s driving an eTGE to take suitcases to the hotels. Many train passengers check in their luggage before the journey, which means they don’t have to carry it themselves. The freight forwarder is also happy to provide this distribution service. As he steps into the van, a colleague smirks and calls out “I see you’re out and about in the Greta Thunberg vehicle again?” Sven Große-Hohnacker waves him away. “So what, I enjoy it”, he replies and climbs in. Soon after that he’s travelling through the spa resort quietly and without local exhaust emissions. He takes the suitcases from the vehicle and places them in the corridors of the guest houses and at the reception desks in the hotels. “What on earth are you doing with those suitcases”, a woman asks, “aren’t you still working at the bank?” Sven Große-Hohnacker looks pleased. “Not any more, I’ve joined the freight forwarding company.”

Just like Sven Große-Hohnacker, Georg Fischer also appreciates the eTGE – despite his weak spot for powerful diesel engines. “You soon get used to it. An e-van like this has no gearbox and delivers full power to the axle. That’s really useful.” He also believes that the range of 130 kilometres is ideal for the island. Sometimes it’s even sufficient for two full working days. There’s just one thing that remains challenging on Norderney: unlike at home, many guests are so relaxed on holiday that they often pay little attention to traffic. The quiet eTGE can occasionally be overlooked. But Georg Fischer has come up with a potential solution: “We’ve seriously considered whether we should attach bells to the exterior mirrors. Because we certainly wouldn’t want to scare holidaymakers with the horn.”