My grandfather, Karl Hofer, founded our company in 1930. Once the demand for locks picked up after the Second World War, in 1953 he and his wife Anny – it was still during the Russian occupation – travelled from Salzburg to Vienna where he purchased EVVA cylinders with cash. Back then, however, it was still an economically uncertain time and my grandparents did not know whether they would be able to sell the goods or whether they would hold onto them. The commitment made by Karl Jindrich, former CEO of EVVA, was therefore a great relief for them: he wished them all the best for their business in Salzburg, and if there were any problems, EVVA would support them and take back any stock they had not sold. That eliminated the financial risk for us. It all went well, we sold everything and the business and professional relationships developed well. This was the start of our excellent, trusting, mutual relationship.
Today EVVA is in an excellent economic position, but I can personally remember the days of decline before Nikolaus Bujas and Sven Berlage rescued the company from ruin. At the beginning of the 1970s, I went to the Vienna Trade Fair with my parents, Walter and Gertrude Palasser, and the former CEO of EVVA Alfred Pitsch. He took me to the Lindt stand in the auxiliary hall where he ordered a load of Swiss chocolate for everyone. I can still remember well how I, as a thirteen-year old girl, returned to the EVVA stand with both hands full of chocolate sweets *laughs*.