After 37 years of work at KARL HUGO, Alex Grieven, Project Engineer, is retiring.
In 1985, after 5 years of industrial engineering studies that began at Gramme and continued at ISIL in Liège, Alex Grieven was hired in an engineering office in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands. In December 1985, the Dutch company opened an office in Saint-Vith. However, a few months later, due to difficulties within the parent company, it had to close its doors. In November 1986, after meeting Regina Theissen, his primary school teacher and the wife of Mr. Hugo, Alex applied at KARL HUGO. “After a few trial days, I became the first engineer hired by Karl Hugo, father of Stephan and Bernd, the current owners and CEOs of the company,” remembers Alex Grieven.
Alex then managed many projects for clients in Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg, designing prototypes... on paper. “All our plans were hand-drawn. We were far from the current 3D plans,” he says with a smile. Over the years, KARL HUGO covered many sectors in Europe and internationally. Collaboration with an American multinational specializing in cleaning and hygiene products led Alex to travel extensively worldwide. Quadrilingual, he traveled to multiple European countries, South America, and Asia. “After developing inserters for detergent powder dosing cups, I traveled to India three times to deliver and install the machine we designed.” He holds precious memories from his countless journeys.
A little over ten years later, in 1997, KARL HUGO's design office already employed six engineers. They designed prototypes for clients in numerous sectors. “Besides traveling all over the globe, I greatly appreciated the variety in my work,” explains the Project Engineer. “Also, being able to oversee projects from A to Z, from conception to installation at different sites.” A few days before his departure, Alex Grieven perhaps already feels a bit nostalgic about the good atmosphere at KARL HUGO. “During the construction of industrial machines, I worked closely with the workers whom I supervised during assembly. We worked hand in hand.”
Today, after 37 years of passionate work at KARL HUGO, Alex is leaving us! A mechanical enthusiast, he will now be able to fully dedicate himself to his passion for Oldtimers. Thank you for this beautiful and lengthy collaboration, Alex! We wish you a happy retirement!
