Thursday, November 20, 2025
The Pfeifer Group, a dominant force in the European timber industry, is making a pioneering investment in the future of its workforce through a comprehensive revitalisation of its vocational training programmes. At its flagship Lauterbach site in Hesse, Germany, the company is not only expanding its apprenticeship offerings but also planning the construction of a cutting-edge training workshop, a move designed to secure a steady pipeline of highly skilled personnel for one of Europe’s most modern timber plants.
This strategic enhancement is being spearheaded by the appointment of Florian Kuntscher as the dedicated Training Manager for the Lauterbach and nearby Schlitz sites. Since taking on the role, Kuntscher has been tasked with developing, organising, and strategically advancing the entire training landscape, ensuring it meets the dynamic needs of the modern timber industry.
Florian Kuntscher, 33, brings a clear vision to his expanded role, which includes the coordination of training across the company’s two key Hesse locations. His philosophy is centered on comprehensive support and creating robust structures for sustainable career development in the wood industry.
“I want to get young people excited about the timber industry, support them both professionally and personally, and create structures that enable sustainable and future-oriented training,” explains Kuntscher.
While practical, on-the-job training remains within the respective production and maintenance departments—giving trainees direct experience with materials like wood—Kuntscher’s role ensures a high standard of inter-departmental coordination. He supervises the trainees’ overall progress and maintains close, cooperative relationships with local vocational schools and external partners. Additionally, the company actively welcomes school interns, offering valuable early insights into working life at an advanced industrial site.
The centerpiece of this strategic training initiative is the planned modern training workshop in Lauterbach. The facility is being incorporated into the overall refurbishment of the site’s maintenance department, signaling Pfeifer’s commitment to providing optimal learning conditions that blend traditional craft with digital technology.
The spatial design for the workshop is already complete, allocating approximately 120 m² across two floors:
Lower level: Designated as a hands-on workshop space for metal and electrical work, addressing the cross-disciplinary skills required by modern industrial mechanics and technicians.
Upper floor: Will house a dedicated training room, a break area, and an office for the training manager, providing a centralised location for theoretical instruction and mentorship.
In the future, this workshop will serve as the primary focus for the practical teaching of technical content. The curriculum is set to be technologically forward-thinking, incorporating digital simulation programs alongside traditional training formats to prepare trainees for the highly automated machinery found in the timber plant.
Pfeifer is actively working to dismantle traditional perceptions of the timber industry as a male-dominated field, emphasising that its training programme is open to all young people interested in technology.
The company regularly participates in the annual nationwide ‘Girls’ Day’ event, providing young women with a firsthand opportunity to explore career paths in production, maintenance, and technical roles. This outreach is already yielding results.
The Lauterbach site expects its first female apprentice in production to start in 2026. She will pursue an apprenticeship as a woodworking mechanic (m/f/d). This specialised role involves highly technical responsibilities essential to the modern plant’s operation, including:
This pioneering step highlights the diverse and promising opportunities the wood industry offers to skilled young women in technical fields.
Pfeifer’s commitment to high-quality training is a commitment to retaining talent. A large number of trainees remain with the company after completing their apprenticeships, often moving into positions of responsibility in production and maintenance. This internal progression strategy underscores the value Pfeifer places on developing its own committed young talent.
For the 2026 intake, interested young people from the Vogelsberg district and surrounding regions can apply for a wide range of apprenticeships, including:
Beyond traditional apprenticeships, the company also offers tailor-made trainee programmes and a dual study programme—ideal for high school graduates who seek to combine advanced theory with intensive practical experience in the wood industry.
The Lauterbach plant, completely rebuilt in 2008/2009, stands as one of the most technologically advanced in Europe, annually producing 620,000 m³ of sawn timber, 75,000 tonnes of pellets, and significant volumes of green electricity. Employing 250 people in Lauterbach and a further 80 at its cross-laminated timber plant in Schlitz, Pfeifer’s investment in training is a foundational step in ensuring its continued operational excellence and its role as a vital employer in the region.
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Tags: modern training workshop, Pfeifer Group Lauterbach, sustainable timber employment, timber industry apprenticeship, woodworking mechanic training
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