The past few years have not been easy, as the host made it clear in his greeting: “As a politician, you were deprived of speech because of Corona – so it could take longer now.” The official part of the speeches at the business reception did not cover the three hours announced by District Administrator Robert Niedergesäß – but it was not very entertaining either. Because the big problems of the past few years were by no means the suppressed torrent of speech of the highest election official in the district of Ebersberg – as the guests present probably knew best from their own experience.
Many companies “feared for their existence,” says Niedergesäß, but the district has largely mastered the crisis: “We in the region are good at reinventing ourselves and getting better.” The district is still at the top in terms of growth and economic power, and there is largely full employment. What, as the chairwoman of the IHK regional committee in the district, Sonja Ziegltrum-Teubner, explained, is also due to the structure of the local economy: “We have a good mix of industries.” As a result, crises do not affect the entire economy in the district equally. Last but not least, the district also benefited from the state and federal aid programs, according to Niedergesäß. A total of around 3,500 applications for corona aid were made, and 58 million euros flowed into the district from the corresponding economic stimulus programs. According to Ziegltrum-Teubner, this was also thanks to the many dedicated people at the district office and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, who advised and supported the local companies here.
Neither the district administrator nor the IHK district chairman assume that it will be easier in the future. The economic upheavals caused by the Ukraine war, the high housing prices and the shortage of skilled workers would probably keep the companies in the district busy for the next few years. But, as Niedergesäß put it, quoting Duke Ellington, “Problems are opportunities to show what you can do.” And, as the guests at the reception obviously saw it, there was definitely no reason to let the evening be spoiled.