After 40 years at Kräuter Mix: Farewell to sales representative Ilse Uhl-Schmelz
‘At the moment, it still seems a bit unreal to me,’ is Ilse Uhl-Schmelz’s spontaneous, honest response. Understandable, because retiring after 40 years of work and dedication at Kräuter Mix is a big change. But one that Ilse Uhl-Schmelz initiated hand in hand with the company as a ‘gentle transition,’ as she puts it.
‘Bonus time’ as a more optimal transition
Specifically, the door would have been open for her to retire as early as July 2024, ‘but I wanted to take the time to get used to the idea,’ says the long-time employee. So she added a ‘bonus period’ of one and a half years, during which she ultimately worked part-time. This was an optimal solution for both, her and the company, allowing them to realign their course in direct consultation and to hand over issues in depth.
Most recently, Ilse Uhl-Schmelz was responsible for sales, primarily to major customers in the United States and Great Britain. Looking back, the path to this position was a ‘gradual process’ for her, which began on 1 January 1986 when she joined Kräuter Mix as a foreign language correspondent for English and French. ‘Back then, the company was of course much smaller and structured very differently, which is why I quickly became an all-rounder in addition to my core task of handling all correspondence in English,’ she explains. From 1994 onwards, when she became assistant to managing partner Christoph Mix, Ilse Uhl-Schmelz increasingly took on responsibility for US customers.
Focus on the US market and personal customer relationships
About ten years later, Kräuter Mix completely dispensed with working with agents in the US and took care of its expansion in the local market and key customers itself. ‘That was of course demanding and time-consuming, especially as I later took on major customers from the UK,’ emphasises Ilse Uhl-Schmelz. But personal exchanges led to trusting customer relationships with the contact persons, most of which still exist today, ‘which you only learn to appreciate properly along the way and which you can then accommodate in your daily business,’ the long-standing saleswoman is convinced.
Ilse Uhl-Schmelz retires after 40 years at Kräuter Mix
No counting down the days until retirement
Ilse Uhl-Schmelz always enjoyed her work, saying goodbye to her colleagues and the daily demand of her job is not easy for her. With a smile she adds that she certainly did not count down the days until her retirement on 1 March. However, she leaves no doubt that she will certainly not be idle in the future, with gardening, cycling tours or perhaps even voluntary activities.
Thank you, Ilse Uhl-Schmelz, for your tireless commitment and all the best for everything you do in this new phase of your life!
