Three questions for Nicolas Groth – New CEO, BAADER Poultry Division

What attracted you to BAADER?

I was born in Hamburg and studied there. Early in my career I moved to Asia and worked  in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Singapore. From the start, my focus was mechanical  engineering – in both smaller and publicly traded companies that manufacture or trade  food-processing machinery. Over time, my roles expanded from sales and service to  leading entire organizations. 

Across all of these roles, the customer was always the centre of attention. In my  experience, it is easiest to keep that customer focus alive in smaller and medium-sized  companies. In Asia, I repeatedly saw how strongly BAADER’s customer orientation is  anchored in the company’s DNA. That motivated me to take a closer look. 

After getting to know Ms. Baader and many colleagues, I felt confident in my decision. As  a fan of medium-sized, family-owned companies with short communication channels  and a genuinely long-term mindset, BAADER was a very natural fit for me.

And I am already looking forward to IPPE in Atlanta, where I will have many personal conversations – with colleagues, customers, and partners.

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How do you assess the potential in mechanical engineering for the food industry?  What drivers do you see?

I see the outlook as very positive. There are so many drivers – for example, rising hygiene  requirements and significant growth opportunities – but, above all, the people in the  food industry who work every day to feed the world. 

A key driver is the growing world population and ongoing urbanisation. More and more  people live in cities and no longer produce food locally. That means our customers – and  we as their partner – play an essential role in reliable food supply.

Another clear driver is digitalisation. On my second day at BAADER, I met colleagues  who are pushing important digital solutions forward. We are already running strong  customer tests and using the results to improve our solutions further – for example,  enabling even more precise tracing and tracking. This strengthens production reliability  and builds trust for consumers.

I am genuinely excited about what is already possible – and what we are making possible  at BAADER.

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Where do you get your energy for your daily work?

From family, friends and of course…Food! My favourite dishes are German chicken soup,  American Buffalo wings, and Singapore chicken rice. 

I used to be a passionate football player until around 10 years ago and I am still a strong  supporter. I have been a Hamburg St. Pauli fan since 1989 – and a season ticket holder. I  try to attend as many matches as possible, and even during my time in Asia I was able to come back for a home game from time to time. The club gives me energy, even when  things are challenging, like today. 

I used to play a lot myself – even in Singapore. Nowadays, I go to the gym to unwind, join  a running group for motivation, and, during holidays, I go hiking in the mountains. It’s  better for my knees.

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Thank you for your time, Nicolas – and welcome to BAADER.