© Detlef Muckel
A portrait of a company successor: Julius Gräler
From educator to managing director
Julius Gräler from Münster recently took over as managing director of the company Kootstra Rad- und Schiffsreisen. This decision was not a matter of course for him, because the 30-year-old had originally taken a completely different career path. In the joint project Gründergeist #Youngstarts Münsterland, Julius got the opportunity to exchange ideas and network with like-minded people.
In the interview, the Münsterländer gives an insight into his career as an entrepreneur.
When did business succession come into question for you?
I first trained as an educator and worked in the field for several years. At Christmas 2017, my father offered me to join his company. Kootstra Rad- und Schiffsreisen was founded by him in 1985 and is not a typical travel agency. We specialise in cycling holidays in Germany and the Netherlands. My father first gave me the opportunity to try out the family business for a few years. I consciously took my time to decide on the succession of the company. The process took two years. I used the time to get to know the company and work processes and, above all, the people behind the company. And then came the point when I could say: I have the confidence to do this, I can do this and I am valued.
To what extent did the Youngstarts project help you with the succession?
© Detlef Muckel
After deciding to take over the company, I wanted to spice up my succession skills and became aware of the Gründergeist #Youngstarts Münsterland project. The most important support offer for me was networking with like-minded people. Through the network, I made important contacts and shared my experiences with other successors. I believe that the key to success continues to be good networks. As a successor and managing director of a company, you should constantly maintain and expand them.
What tasks did you have as your successor?
During the transition phase, I shared the tasks with my father. I took over the area of bicycle and hotel tours and was thus able to implement my own ideas in the company from the beginning. Little by little, I took on more managerial tasks. And when the time came: Then you sit there and have all the responsibility, but that felt good and right to me.
What are your future goals for the company?
I have many ideas that I would like to implement. What is particularly important to me: I want to involve the employees in my plans. For example, I would like to have a clearer division of tasks in my company and do more in the area of sustainability. Basically, there are a lot of exciting developments in the cycling and shipping industry and I am looking forward to implementing them together with the team.
Behind the production of the video is the joint project Gründergeist #Youngstarts Münsterland. The project strengthens the start-up intensity in the Münsterland region and opens up new start-up potential and target groups with its offers. The area of business succession focuses on potential successors for taking over a business, who are to be supported in their possible decision for succession. For this purpose, offers such as workshops, networking events and a podcast are available to those interested. It is funded by the European Union and the NRW Ministry of Economics as part of the ERDF call "Regio.NRW".
