Meet “SuperSealer” Irmgard Perk
December’s SuperSealer is helping drive growth by supporting our customers in the building and construction industry. She explains how constant customer connection assists her in staying up to date and keeping our business growing, and how Trelleborg’s fusion of global and local thinking makes for an ideal work environment.
Who are you?
My name is Irmgard Perk, and I am the Key Account Manager for Trelleborg Sealing Profiles in Germany.
When did you start this position and what are your key duties?
I started my current role in 2011, having initially worked in Sales for Dipro, which Trelleborg acquired about 20 years ago. My current position involves supporting customers in the building and construction industry, particularly producers of aluminum sealing profiles for windows, façades and manufacturers of skylight windows. My role is to find new ways to add value for these customers and to grow our business with them.
What do you like best about working here?
Working for Trelleborg means being part of a global player with international operations. I love the culture this generates, and I especially enjoy being able to work closely with our operation’s colleagues worldwide in a friendly, highly motivated atmosphere. However, Trelleborg also has all the benefits of a local organization. making decisions locally is a big advantage in our daily work: it enables us to focus on our customers and operations by considering the specific market and development challenges of that segment.
What are the key challenges you face in your job?
There are several challenges, but one that’s key for me is retaining our customers’ trust and loyalty in a highly competitive market with multiple low-priced alternatives. This means staying in constant contact with our customers to be able to respond quickly to new trends and developments in our segment. We have to constantly ask ourselves: what can Trelleborg do better than the competition, and where can we achieve value-added growth?
How do you think the business in your area is going to evolve in the future? How are you preparing for this?
Big environmental challenges are coming our way – the world is changing, from climate change to big infrastructure projects. There are already demands for reduced CO2 consumption and for ‘cradle to cradle’ certification. As a leading company with extensive knowledge of polymers, Trelleborg should always be one step ahead in developing products to meet these demands and then getting them certified. Our company has a key role to play in preparing for the future’s challenges by sealing, damping and protecting important applications.
What do you do in your free time?
What I enjoy most is being around the people who are important to me – I love spending my time with my husband and family and meeting up with friends!
