Core of European business: Family, skill, loyalty & passion

Some of the most important things in life that make the world go round are relationships, food, and money. Unfortunately, the latter is the nature of modern world in order to simply live and be a part of society. While business and money seem like grueling, no-fun topics that have no place in travel, there are examples of it being so much more around the world if you look.

During a three week study abroad program in Europe, I was able to visit several businesses to learn about how it ought to be done, or not. Throughout the trip the visits were organized with a wide array of businesses, in size, industry and philosophy. Each visit offered a different perspective about business and life in Europe. Unfortunately, some of the executive visits were limited to tours through the museums and factories that are available to the general public due to ongoing restrictions and changes that stuck around after the height of the COVID-19 global pandemic. In an odd way, it was reassuring to see that people on the other side of the world were just as affected by it as we were at home.

The biggest take away from many of the businesses was the value that companies put on their heritage and on the care of their employees. A lot of the businesses I visited started out as family businesses that grew, but continue to have family at the heart. All employees become a part of that family as they nurture and grow together.

BMW Welt

The first European business I visited was BMW at the BMW Welt. The BMW Welt set the expectations of future visits high. The Welt is an impressive architectural feat that looks very modern compared to the BMW factory across the street, but fits in with the park on the other side of the building from the factory surrounding the 1972 Munich Olympic Games venues. Even if you are not a fan of architecture or BMW or cars in general, wait until you get there to apply those judgments to the BMW Welt.

The large building that is the BMW Welt holds a museum of sorts featuring BMW’s history as well as the current line up of vehicles produced by BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce. In a behind the scenes exclusive, the tour of the Welt includes learning about the car buying experience for BMW customers, and many other European customers, and then a look inside the storage space. The storage space at BMW Welt is like a giant fridge that holds cars that have been ordered by customers, were assembled in the factories and are now awaiting pick up by their soon-to-be owner.

After emerging from behind the closed doors, the tour then takes you to the second level of the museum. Though it is the second floor you have made little progress in moving closer to the high steel ceiling. From this second floor you see the airy space of the first floor below and across to a platform where those cars waiting to be picked up by their owner arise from the fridge and receive the five star treatment to display the perfection of the car to the customer.

In this executive experience you get your first glimpse about the difference between US and European cultures, but also see some of the similarities. BMW, Mini, and Rolls Royce are built around the world and are exported to the US. They are not new to us. But imagine buying a car only by seeing samples or older models of the car and then going to this grand building to have the experience of picking up your new car. This is the European way. This is the BMW way.

Eating your way through Europe

Who does not like food and drinks? If you don’t like them, then this may not be the trip for you. Traveling through six European countries is the opportunity to experience beer, wine, olive oil, chocolate, cheese and schnitzel. All of your major food groups are covered! My favorites on this trip were the olive oil and the chocolate.

You may have seen Redoro Olive Oil on the shelves of your local grocery store, but never thought much of it. The wonderful thing about this trip is learning about the business behind everyday products. The family business was started by a husband and wife who combined their names to create the company’s name and now the company is run by their sons. Traditional methods of picking the olives by hand carry on in the production process, but newer methods have also been adopted to sustainability and efficiency. And to top off the experience, the visit finishes with sampling of the olive oil to taste the spicy notes and feel the gritty texture as you swallow. By tasting the olive oil on its own, I now have a new appreciation for the product that I usually just use bread to soak up or mix with basil for pesto.

The plant and headquarters of Cailler Chocolate is in the picturesque location of the hills of Switzerland with cows in the field across the street. Upon walking through the doors you immediately take in the smell of chocolate. If you have ever toured other chocolate or candy factories you may have found the smell to be not great, highlighting the ingredients that smell less pleasant, but are magically turned into delicious chocolate. The Cailler tour goes through the history of chocolate, the history of Cailler, the cultural differences and significance of chocolate around the world and it all ends with a sampling of the entire current Cailler product line. Cailler encourages you to use all of your senses when enjoying chocolate including the Swiss specialty, milk chocolate.

Hats off to London

There is so much to do and see in London, but three businesses highlighted the experience. Each of these visits was phenomenal. This may have been in part due to the fact that there was not a language barrier as there had been at many of the other stops along the way. The individuals that I met with from West End Design, Lloyd’s of London, and Tottenham Hotspurs Football Club were all very passionate about their respective organizations. When people have passion for what they do, even if it is not an area you are interested in, it radiates through their words and actions that you cannot help but also feel excited. For example, I do not have a strong interest in the insurance industry, but the enthusiasm of the presenters and a few highlighted pieces like the inside-out building and the Book of Losses at Lloyd’s of London made it more appealing. And to think that the iconic Lloyd's is actually just a coffee cart! At Tottenham Hotspurs Football Club, the guide was living out his childhood dream to work for the football club and was not afraid to show it in how loudly he could yell in the nearly empty stadium.