"Success needs to be well-packaged" is the statement on the home page of Vogtland Kartonagen Reichenbach.

Hagen Sczepanski, the managing partner, is in no doubt that it is precisely the products from his company that provide customers with the success that they are seeking.

He and his 38 employees primarily manufacture sales packaging made of cardboard to meet customer wishes - ranging from matchbox sizes to cardboard that is almost one cubic metre large - and ranging from round to rectangular and even star-shaped. "Our men's carriers are very popular," says Hagen Sczepanski, showing off the top selling item, a carrier for transporting four, six or eight bottles of beer. The Wernesgrüner brand is naturally one of them. "It's part of a businessman's privilege to supply neighbouring firms," he emphasises. The Schaller sausage factory, a direct neighbour on Zwickauer Strasse, or the MuffinFactory in Schöneck are customers, for example. But the Hornbach DIY chain, Mercedes, VW, Globus and other big corporations appreciate the flexibility and quality of the Reichenbach company too. "This would be impossible without industrious people," he says, praising his workforce. About half the employees started their working lives at the company as trainees and have stayed with the firm and grown up with it.

Hagen Sczepanski relies on teamwork in his company; each person can develop their personal strengths and consider how to produce the best possible solutions. He is attempting to boost the region by ensuring that business people cooperate. This has been happening for 15 years, for example, at the "North Vogtland" business association where he is the chairman.

He also mentions the Sparkasse Vogtland bank, which has supported the development of his company down through the years.

The boss at the cardboard factory believes that it is his role to gain new customers. As a result, Hagen Sczepanski travels a great deal and uses his discussions to advertise the Vogtland region as a "Vogtland Ambassador".

"We have dynamic people, who are pleasant and very open. Support is available for setting up new businesses without any problems, application procedures are processed quickly and ideal solutions are found," says the businessman. At the same time, he hopes that there will as few cuts as possible to the varied cultural programme in the region and that fast Internet connections with glass fibre cables will soon be available all over the Vogtland region.

He quite naturally also cites the beauty of the scenery in the Vogtland region and lists the places that he likes visiting. The Park of Generations in Reichenbach is one of them - or Bad Elster or Plauen, where there have been huge developments in the town centre. "We work where other people come on holiday," he says, laughing. In that sense, the Vogtland region provides a great package for successful companies.

Vita Hagen Sczepanski

• Born in Halle in 1964
• Studied logistics at Gotha (Dipl.-Ing. degree)
• Managing director at the reprivatised "Georg Eichler" GmbH Reichenbach cardboard factory from 1993
• This gave birth to a new company known as Vogtland Kartonagen Reichenbach in 1997 and he has been its managing partner from the very outset
• Lives with his partner in Reichenbach and is the father of three children