Herzogenaurach in Germany is a wonderful example of how small towns can create big business opportunities. More than half the town's population of 25-thousand are employed in the sporting goods sector. And as companies there continue to develop, new job opportunities keep being created. Our reporter Li Wanmei paid a visit to this unique town to find out what makes it tick.

 

Herzogenaurach is famous for being the home of global sportswear giants Adidas and Puma. Locals enjoy a high quality of life thanks to the combination of the beautiful old town in the center, the development of traditional handicrafts and the attractiveness of the job market. The sporting goods business forms an indispensible part of the local economy and way of life. Johannes Josnik was born and bred in Herzogenaurach. He came back to his hometown after graduating from college in Munich, and began working for Puma.

 

JOHANNES JOSNIK PUMA, HEAD OF SALES, SOUTHERN GERMANY To be honest I always had the feeling that I need to come back here, because it's my region. I come from here, my parents are living here, my brother is living here. All my friends are living here. So I always knew that I will come back here. Now I’m here with the work for Puma, one of the best companies I'm actually working for, and to stay at home. It's perfect for me.

 

The number of residents in the town has increased by 20% over the past three years. Puma's global director of human resources Dietmar Knoess says the company's headquarters provides around 1,100 jobs, of which two-thirds are taken by local residents, and the rest is available to talent from all over the world. As the company continues to develop, new job opportunities are being created every year.

 

DIETMAR KNOESS PUMA HR GLOBAL DIRECTOR We have a nature turnover around 100 jobs here. On top of that we have 220 inters were hired per year, and we have retail stores of course. Overall in Germany and around Herzogenaurach, I think we have about 300 jobs per year we can offer.

 

For the training of young employees, Puma provides an internship of at least 6 months, during which participants receive a salary of 1500 euros per month. At the same time, the content of the internship is designed to be practical, so that young people can gain relevant knowledge and experience.

 

DIETMAR KNOESS PUMA HR GLOBAL DIRECTOR It's very unique at Puma that they get pretty much involved. Not as they just do some papers, or walk after people. We involve them on the very first minute. That's what we ensured a lot, and that's the feedback we received. So they got involved, fell in love with the brand and ideally after the internship they stay with us for longer terms.

 

So how can such a small town manage to attract so many talented people to come to live and work? Knoess said that a nice environment, a stable job, convenient geographical location and state-of-the-art infrastructure all add up to make factors to make Herzogenaurach an ideal destination.

 

DIETMAR KNOESS PUMA HR GLOBAL DIRECTOR Herzogenaurach is one of the richest towns in Germany. They have no debt at all and of course we give a lot of back. At the same time, they make sure that they can provide housings here and the right infrastructure. I mean for a small town like Herzogenaurach they have an indoor pool here. So they provide us state of the art infrastructure which makes this location quite attractive. We are currently discussing with the local government again to have a railway connection here from Nurnberg. You see that they take a lot of efforts to meet our needs and to settle more and more people here around Herzogenaurach.

 

Knoess says that with the development of local companies, the small town is also witnessing growth. The town provides support for companies and employees, while at the same time providing a major contribution to the local economy, creating a win-win situation for both sides. These positive changes have given people confidence in the future development of the town. Li Wanmei, CGTN, Herzogenaurach.