“An extraordinary day for an extraordinary man,” said Dr. Helfried Schmidt, a member of the board of the Oskar Patzelt Foundation, using superlatives to honor the life’s work of the entrepreneur who was honored today at the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Düsseldorf. This was also a first this year, as North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Garrelt Duin (SPD), noted that he typically leaves the task of presenting a fellow citizen with the Federal Republic of Germany’s highest honor to the regional district administrators. But this time, things were quite different. “It is important to me to personally present this Cross of Merit, First Class, of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany,” said the minister, singing the honoree’s praises. The latter had done so much good in the past that there was not enough time to adequately acknowledge it all.
Starting from the very smallest beginnings, the man had built a state-of-the-art company with 420 employees and never forgot his social responsibility. “For him, commitment is not just lip service,” said Duin. The new honoree from Lindlar showed compassion where others looked away; he helped where such assistance was anything but a given. His employees are close to his heart; their well-being and satisfaction are his top priority. In doing so, he relies on a healthy mix of younger and experienced employees and provides training far above the average. “I tip my hat to them,” says Duin, also mentioning the entrepreneur’s initiative to recently grant ten additional refugees the opportunity to complete an apprenticeship at his company.
Then comes the big moment: Duin takes action, pins the Cross of Merit to the honoree’s lapel, and hands him the accompanying certificate along with an explanation of the occasions on which the Cross of Merit should be worn—and, above all, where on the jacket it should be placed. In Germany, after all, everything is regulated.
Wolfgang Oehm, head of the energy optimization firm ONI in Lindlar, is moved—and proud. The Westphalian émigré hides both feelings with Rhineland ease. “I see this as a great honor for my team and me,” he says quietly. Oehm is no collector of honorary titles; the accolades come his way because he does things that are second nature to him, but which are often the exception in our society.
Source: Oberberg Aktuell
