SCHON GEHÖRT?: Mr Fahl, 30 years of Fahl as a company. A long time and a superb development. If you reflect over the years, what springs to your mind first? 

Fahl: It's all been so long ago. Time simply flies. It has now been 30 years after all. Incredible. Sometimes it seems like yesterday that I decided to take the plunge into self-employment. You can't really imagine what it was like. My living room was both an office and store room at the same time. Products were all over the place, orderly of course, but it was far from being a cosy home. In 1992, this was indeed still possible, but today, what with all the rules and regulations, this approach would not be realistic.

SCHON GEHÖRT?: A meteoric development of the FAHL company, especially in the first few years. Of which successes are you particularly proud of?

Fahl: Another milestone, which also marked a turning point in the company's history, was the inauguration and relocation to the company's own building in 2002. It symbolised the transition from a small business to a medium-sized business. I am not a superstitious person, but when we laid the foundation stone of the building, we placed a time capsule in one of the foundation stones. And what was in it? Certainly things that bear a relation to this company, such as tracheostomy tubes or a self-painted portrait of my son. This capsule or the foundation stone should be home to a good spirit. And as you can see - we continue to operate very successfully these days. Then it must be the good spirit (laughs). The new building has made many things much easier. The number of employees increased considerably, new departments were founded and consolidated into the organisation. Of course, we also had to create technical solutions to overcome the problem of rising data traffic. In the early days everything was done on paper. These days we try to operate as digitised as possible. Such changes are simply a part of progress. 

SCHON GEHÖRT?: An attitude to life which is very positive. Growth also means taking on responsibility, for example for one's own employees. How do you handle this topic?

Fahl: Especially in the beginning, this was a topic that was completely new to me. Every decision I took had an impact on my own employees. But unfortunately the story doesn't stop there. Every employee also has a family, for whom I bear additional responsibility in the broadest sense. And indeed, this has already caused me occasional sleepless nights. Fortunately, everything has always worked out fine so far. However, the last few months with corona have added a completely new dimension. In particular, the uncertainty of what might happen and what the medical guidelines would be was difficult to plan for. However, we also managed to cope admirably with this situation. Whereas many companies announced short-time work, we found other solutions. Fortunately, it looks like the corona situation is easing.

SCHON GEHÖRT?: Patients often proudly mention that they have even been cared for by you in person or know you personally. How does that make you feel?

Fahl: Interaction with patients is the reason why I founded this company in the first place. Even during my training, I looked for contact with affected people. I always found this exchange of communication very inspiring. This is also the reason why I value the cooperation with patients and laryngeal associations so much and enjoy inviting them to visit my company. Recently I attended a 40th anniversary celebration of one of the associations. I had already been invited to the founding ceremony of this association. I often take the time for this personal exchange with those affected and the associations. These people give me the necessary motivation to keep going day after day. Unfortunately, I no longer have the time to make home visits, for example to provide instructions for the initial care kit, but perhaps it may be a good time to intensify contact.