With a ceremonial act at the Harkotten castle in Sassenberg, our founding director Helmut Benefader has retired on 31th May 2016. During this celebration, speakers particularly praised Benefader as a man with a lot of acumen who let the GWS become – with much blood, sweat and tears – one of the leading IT service provider for the trade in Germany and other European countries. Mentionable should also be his close proximity to employees, customers and partners. The event has been led by the radio host Steffi Neu from WDR.
Benefader began his career 45 years ago at Fiducia & GAD IT AG and started as Managing Director at the GWS in 1992. Initially, the goal was to combine the activities of the (at that time) eight cooperative computing centers in one new Limited Liability Company. Over time, Benefader made sure that the business extended to cooperating companies from the technical trade, steel trade, building materials trade, electrical and plumbing trade, vehicle spare parts trade as well as food and agricultural trade. Furthermore, he strengthens the partnership with Microsoft.
That he was banged on target with these strategic decisions, reflect the current financial figures of our company. In 1992, the GWS started with 34 employees and a turnover of 1.7 million euros. Till this day, the number of employees grows to about 400 at the meanwhile five locations in Münster, Munich, Nuremberg, Leonberg and Isernhagen. The turnover of 2015 comes to 47.5 million euros and more than 1,200 customers introduced products of the GWS by this time.
The unanimous opinion during the event has been that our founding director is characterized by entrepreneurial thinking and action with a strategic vision, the courage to make visionary choices and the necessary tact and sensitivity to inform the executives and employees always in advance about changes and growth in the GWS as well as to give them constantly new motivation.
Helmut Benefader himself believes that the GWS is on the right track. “I think that the development of the company will go straight up. We have a very good order backlog and now even inquiries from the USA. Moreover, the company disposes of all conditions for further growth.”
With the retirement of Helmut Benefader, Udo Lorenz and Georg Mersmann form the dual leadership of the GWS. Since July 2015, they belong to the management, to guarantee good and intensive initial training. For the next few months, Benefader will be still active as CEO in the subsidiaries SANGROSS GmbH & Co. KG and DIACOM Systemhaus GmbH.
