The southern Styrian software company Körbler is planning to expand with a digital greenhouse, its own vineyard and “coder” apprentices. With a strong investment, a competence center for "coding" is to be created in Leitring.
When Mario Körbler hurries across the still green lawn, the present gives way to the future: outdated agricultural buildings are transformed into modern co-working spaces, former tractor garages are now meeting zones for employees - and where there are feed silos today, source code is supposed to be tomorrow be generated: With an investment of around half a million euros, Körbler, head of the Leitringer software house of the same name, is planning the expansion. The 38-year-old is planning a special competence center for “coding” on around three and a half thousand square meters. By the end of the year, with the support of the Styrian business development agency SFG, office space for software developers is to be built on the infrastructure that was once used for agriculture.
“The rapidly increasing market demand made the expansion necessary. We are currently processing around 140 projects – the highest level since the company was founded in 2002,” explains the managing director. The software house, which specializes in digital online marketing, has implemented more than 2.500 projects. The portfolio includes customer management programs, so-called CRM applications, just like web shops and classic homepages. Spar, Universal Music, DAS legal protection, Peugeot and Mondi rely on the South Styrian know-how. Currently, a transparency initiative of the pharmaceutical industry is driving expansion for Körbler: An in-house development makes a significant contribution to the disclosure of cash flows between the pharmaceutical industry and physicians: “We work with all sizes in the pharmaceutical segment. The entire pharmaceutical division expects an improved reputation and more clarity for the consumer from the open approach,” emphasizes the company founder.
Creative variety through the greenhouse
In order to take account of the high level of orders, the software house has now acquired adjacent agricultural buildings, which are not only to be used for programming: “We are planting Isabella grapes on almost 500 square meters. We want to use this to produce around 1.000 bottles of wine per year,” explains Körbler. In addition, there will be a greenhouse for the employees on the new grounds: "Each of our 30 employees will have a few square meters of garden that they can plant and work on themselves - including digital monitoring of the garden," says the managing director with a smile. With these measures, he wants to “create the most pleasant working atmosphere possible for his employees on the one hand, and on the other hand dealing with plants creates an inspiring change from software development,” Körbler is certain.
Own "Coder" development
The managing director confirms that the planned incentives were also triggered by the shortage of skilled workers: "We are trying to find new ways to recruit technicians - and we are also deliberately focusing on the still little-known apprenticeship training for software developers," confirms Körbler. Six apprentices are currently training to become information technologists, and the southern Styrian company is training newcomers in the new apprenticeship “coder”. “We employed our own apprentice trainer for this purpose. We are planning our own training islands for the trainees in the new office space,” says Körbler. Körbler would need five new apprentices in 2019 alone.
About Körbler GmbH
The software house Körbler, based in Leitring, Styria, was founded in 2002 by engineer Mario Körbler, MBA. The company currently employs 30 people - six of whom are currently training to become information technologists.