30 years of Haus der Business Weiz - a review of success and change
30 years of Haus der Business Weiz - a review of success and change
A solemn event took place in November, in which the Weiz Chamber of Commerce celebrated the 30th anniversary of the "House of Economy". This center, which has been the focus of the regional economy since it was founded, was opened with a musical "Happy Birthday" by moderator Hannes Steinwender and pianist Lukas Meissl. Over 100 entrepreneurs and guests of honor from politics and business were present to honor this special event.
regional position manager Andreas Schlemmer and the outgoing regional office chairman Vinzenz Harrer emphasized the importance of the house. The renovation, which took place in 1994 from Klammstrasse in Weiz to Gleisdorfer Straße, was carried out by the then district manager Dr. Josef Trinkl and Kommr Josef Köck promoted with a lot of effort.
The development of the WKO
Since then, the Chamber of Commerce has developed in the region. In her first 30 years, she not only served as a service provider for the entrepreneurs, but also created numerous further training opportunities by providing a modern WiFi location. An exciting highlight was the IT laboratory, which helped entrepreneurs to understand the new technologies.
The past three decades were shaped by technical revolutions. Regional position manager Schlemmer illustrated the success with a doubling of the member companies: While in 1994 2,477 companies still belonged to the WKO, the chamber already had 7,374 companies in early 2024. A striking increase was recorded in the area of one-person companies, which now make up 73% of memberships. The total employment in the district has reached a maximum of over 30,000 employees, and around 600 new jobs have been created annually in the past ten years alone.
The WKO regional position has adapted its services in accordance with these changes. The focus is on advice for founders and support for labor law issues. At the celebration, Harrer emphasized the role of the volunteers: inside that actively get involved in the economic development of the region.
The anniversary celebration was not only a big occasion for Vinzenz Harrer, but also a personal farewell. At the turn of the year, he hands over his position as regional position chairman to Bernhard Stranzl, his previous deputy. The handover was celebrated in a solemn framework, which underlined the importance of this change.