The Saarland Economic Minister informed himself about the work and future plans of the company, which emerged from the merger of the previous shipyards of Aviation Technik Saar (ATS) and Contact Air Technik GmbH (CAT). Together with the two managing directors of RAS SAAR, Thomas Knäpper and Thomas von Hake, as well as the managing director of the parent company, Johannes Graf von Schaesberg, he discussed the challenges and future prospects of RAS SAAR.
Thomas von Hake – responsible for personnel and finance – identifies the shortage of skilled workers as the biggest challenge for growth: “In the short term, we want to hire over 50 new employees. However, the supply of aircraft mechanics is very limited. Therefore, we are focusing on transformation companies here in Saarland and hope to attract tech-savvy employees who are no longer employed by ZF or Ford.”
Another issue is competitiveness at Germany’s location. The medium-sized sector is the backbone of the economy, especially in Saarland. “Medium-sized companies like RAS SAAR GmbH make a significant contribution to growth and employment in our country. Therefore, my economic promotion focuses on medium-sized businesses that shape the corporate landscape in Saarland. We are creating optimal framework conditions for them to develop further and become future-proof,” said Jürgen Barke.