164 INTERVIEW Before Heinrich Marahrens could begin his eagerly anticipated engraving apprenticeship in Bremen, Germany, World War II broke out and he was conscripted to serve in the German army. Almost immediately, Marahrens removed the wheels of his bike and buried them in his parents’ garden. “He was determined to start his apprenticeship as soon as possible when he returned from what he hoped would be a short-lived war, so he didn’t want the German army requisitioning his only mode of transport,” explains his grandson, Jan-Christian Hashagen. “After several years away at war, including a terrible time in captivity in Russia, he eventually returned home, dug up the wheels, rebuilt his bike and successfully completed his training as an engraver.” Capitalising on his newly acquired skills, tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit, Marahrens founded Marahrens Group and began producing small, engraved signs and branding irons in his parents’ living room in Bremen-Lesum in 1949. Four years later, he moved the company into its own premises in Bremen-Walle and later to Gröpelingen, before passing management duties to his daughter, Janina Marahrens-Hashagen, in 1982. Marahrens continued to work alongside his daughter until he retired in 1998, helping her to grow the existing business, expand into new areas and construct the company’s current headquarters in Bremen-Grambke. Marahrens-Hashagen remained at the helm of the company until 2017, during which time she invested in product development and increasing the size of the team from 25 to 250 people. She now has an advisory role in the business. Today, Marahrens’ grandson manages the firm and is part-way through his quest to internationalise the business, which now designs and manufactures signage for maritime, safety and global branding applications. In this role, Hashagen has already established teams in Germany, Asia, Finland and the USA, and has formed a shareholding partnership with Estonian sign manufacturer Adfactory. He continues to prioritise the three key values that have sustained the company’s 75 years of success: courage, determination and hard work. “My grandfather fought hard to establish the business, my mother was dedicated to expanding it, and I’m proud to build on both their legacies to drive our future growth,” says Hashagen. “My family is committed to delivering highquality, innovative products, services and experiences to our clients, while expanding our business and supporting and developing our employees. We’re personally involved in every project, which enables us to fully understand the challenges our clients and employees face, as well as the changing market trends and the opportunities we have to innovate and evolve our offering.” Like his predecessors, Hashagen focuses on long-term, strategic planning and takes carefully calculated risks. “This approach helps us to anticipate and adapt to changing customer demands Jan-Christian Hashagen reveals to Rebecca Gibson how his family’s business has evolved from small beginnings to become an international signage business over the past 75 years Marahrens Group: a testament to tenacity Jan-Christian Hashagen works alongside his mother, Janina Marahrens-Hashagen
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