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The managing director of LIQUI MOLY says he will retire after his 65th birthday in February 2022.
After 31 years with LIQUI MOLY, Ernst Prost has announced that he will leave the company in February 22, 2022. Under his leadership, LIQUI MOLY grew from a small supplier of additives for cars to a global specialist in automotive chemicals. This Thursday, July 8, 2021, the CEO announced his departure in a letter to his colleagues. Excerpts:
“Dear Colleagues,
“Being a part of LIQUI MOLY is something really special. I’ve already been such a part for 31 years. In addition, due to my function as member of the team, I’m also allowed to partition, assign, distribute, participate, and sometimes unfortunately I also have to take part in the saddest moments of human life.
“To produce stability and continuity, especially for our jobs, was and is my most important task. A Herculean task, particularly in uncertain times that produce a high degree of insecurity, a lack of predictability and high danger levels. We’ve ranked all of these things below job security and overcome each crisis in this manner. Without short-time work or similar measures.
“We‘ve always countered disagreements and fights with compromise, the will to agree. Also not easy during times when the level of agitation always hovers around the highest point.
“Even worse than constant indignation is insecurity and fear. Both viciously paralyse people – individuals and entire national economies. We’ve responded with objectivity, courage, confidence, optimism and even our sense of humour. And of course hard work, every day, 24/7. It’s better than complaining, moaning and looking for excuses.
“Being part of something means never being alone. That’s the basic principle of my Liqui- Moly-family-worldwide-philosophy. In a healthy family, the members take care of each other; they help each other and together achieve great things. For the good, the wellbeing and the joy of all those involved. This is the most important message to come out of our company. Far more important than the classic success stories that we churn out. We’re characterised by our ability and our will. Sometimes we even get the fortune of the hardworking….. Then we make branch and economic history.
“Why are we so successful? Why do customers around the world like us, consider us friendly and buy our products? Of course, our concepts & strategies fit the needs & desires of our business partners and consumers precisely. But what else is there? Decency, fairness, respect, tolerance, recognition, care, trust, love. That’s the core of our special way of working. These are our values and principles that we’ve been practising for decades. They don’t only produce success, but also wealth, friendship and peace – for us and our customers.
“However, 31 years is a long time. Especially when you give your all… Time, brain, unconditional commitment. Lifeblood and torment are close together… It’s difficult to stop, especially something you love. But I’m doing it now and exiting the business and entering a new, hopefully just as exciting chapter of my life. I’ll let life surprise me and see what it still has in store for me. I’ve chosen the 22/2/2022 to be my last working day. Easy to remember 🙂 Until then, we’ll naturally still continue to work together full-scale. There’s still a lot to do! After all, I’d like to enjoy and make the most of the remaining months I have with you.
“The desire to do something completely new and different after all these decades (in total, I’ve worked for almost 50 years) is downright raging within me – despite the love I have for the people I was privileged to work with during this time and who have given me a great deal.
“It feels as though I’m leaving my great love, knowing full well that I’ll miss her terribly, but it still needs to be done….I’ve often asked myself whether I’m merely in love with this company and the work or whether I’m already obsessed with them. The passion that produces sorrow…. It’s bound to happen when you work with the euphoria and frenzy that we do. And you don’t always have a handle on your emotions – just the opposite. That’s just the way addiction works…
“I’d (finally) like to be a free agent again. Living a life of self-determination and freedom isn’t possible for an entrepreneur. Too many obligations and too many people, companies, authorities and institutions that push and pull you in all directions. If this starts to become more irritating than exhilarating, it’s time to go. I’m sure that there are still things to be discovered and experienced behind the next mountain or around the next corner… And so, I want to start my remaining lifetime with a new chapter. On time for my 65th birthday after the 2021 financial statements have been written and published.
“I can’t remember the last time that I went through life light-heartedly, without worries, without responsibility and therefore with great ease. It isn’t the work with its normal tasks and problems that has worn me out, but rather the worries, the fears as well as the disappointments, pain and sometimes even anger and fury. That’s just the way it is when one is an emotional person like me and the performance of one’s duties ranks above all else.Unreliability, slovenliness, laziness and arrogance are a real thorn in my flesh. Stupidity, lack of love, intolerance including hatred and harassment… There are many things that drive me up the wall. Rather a love storm than a shit storm! Or as we said in my youth “make love not war“. Easier said than done at any time in this world and in business.
“Sometimes I think it’s a small wonder how far I’ve actually come and remained relatively unscathed… This is definitely also due to you, who gave me great strength and stability – in part combined with great friendship. I thank you all very much for this!!!
“A sign of this world is its transience. Nobody can hold on to what they have or stay the way they are. – You know this phrase. We human beings struggle with the awareness of this. Everything in finite, everything passes. After all, our days in this world are numbered. Now as before, I consider life a gift for which I’m very grateful. And that’s why I still want to unpack this gift completely before the end comes.
“My affection for all of you and the feelings for my life’s work, for my baby, Liqui Moly/Meguin, will surely never end. But personal feelings and managing a company on a daily basis are two different kettle of fish. In three decades of close relationships with the company, with the dear people and our customers around the world, some deep friendships have developed. Some of my friends and their children – as well as relatives – work here or are part of our customers. We’ve set up this company perfectly, all of us together. And we’ll master the challenges of the future with resilience and adaptability.
“That’s then less due to me, but due to the great team, a highly motivated, loyal, hard working and clever force. Remain entrepreneurs, partners. Co-entrepreneurs. Take action! Eliminate deficiencies and make meaningful contributions in order to move the company forward; without drama and a lot of futile noise, but rather goal-driven and results-oriented. Don’t allow yourselves to be ravaged by the bureaucracy monster and numbed by the civil servants football match. No easy-peasy & trivialities, but rather think big and stick with tasks until they’re done. Quickly and thoroughly. Don’t just work to rule, but go that extra mile, inspired not disinterested. Hard-working instead of lazy. Responsibleinstead of “I don’t care”. It isn’t the bean counters and narrow-minded people that create success, but rather people who see the big picture, get stuck in and consistently pursue big goals. Combine your sense of responsibility with enjoying your task. This way you’ll even gain strength and vitality from your work.
“My friend Günter Hiermaier together with all of you will continue to run the company successfully, with continuity on the one hand and with new energy and hopefully with many innovations on the other hand. Cleverly, humanely, with all his abilities and ample experience.
“Our mother, the Würth Corporation and the family Würth, is still standing behind us, in front of us and by our side with confidence and enthusiasm.
“So everything has been put in place to ensure a controlled and future-oriented changeover. However, until then we’ll break a few more records and produce a couple of spectacular winners. Let’s go! Let’s carry on! Let’s continue enjoying the work!
“Kindest regards,
“Your
“Ernst Prost.”
