Franz Josef Hartlauer

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Franz Josef Hartlauer

Franz Josef Hartlauer (born December 19, 1944 in Steyr ; † May 21, 2000 there ) was an Austrian entrepreneur and founder of the Hartlauer photo retail chain .

Hartlauer initially worked as a pastry chef and from the age of 14 as a press photographer. He took photos at baptisms, weddings and funerals without a professional qualification. Local photographers did not accept him as an apprentice.

On October 13, 1969 Franz Josef Hartlauer married his wife Renate. The marriage has two daughters (Eva, Ingrid) and a son (Robert), who now runs the company.

Company formation

On October 21, 1971, Franz Josef Hartlauer opened his first photo shop “Foto und Musik Hartlauer” in Steyr (Pfarrgasse 6) at the age of 26. In four months, he converted the listed building (previous ownership: the Wallner family) into a business premises in compliance with the conditions.

After two years, Hartlauer was the market leader in Steyr in the photo sector. He expanded his company into Hartlauer Handelsges.mbH, represented throughout Austria with 161 locations . He chose the lion as his brand animal because "it only attacks from the front."

Conflicts

Franz Josef Hartlauer was deeply religious and cultivated friendships with priests in Austria and Africa. However, his tough pricing policy earned him criticism in the traditional environment for not being a credible Christian. He said: “The economy is not a kindergarten. I have the choice to give my charity to either the competition or the customers. If you don't know the right answer to this question, you shouldn't become an entrepreneur. "

In 1990, Hartlauer ran into financial difficulties when the banks called in outstanding debts before the planned IPO. The impending insolvency was averted through a "silent settlement" in which BAWAG took over 60% of the debt.

In 1992, Franz Josef Hartlauer caused a sensation with an advertising idea that was extraordinarily aggressive at the time: he offered his range of glasses to more expensive competitors with a specific reference to the exact prices. This harsh form of advertising led to legal disputes, which Hartlauer was able to win through evidence of the truth.

In 1994, Hartlauer broke the holiday rest on December 8th by personally keeping the main store in Steyr open with 17 friends, relatives and ex-employees. The holiday business brought in 20 million shillings in sales and was punished with a fine of 560,000 shillings.

The advertising idea of ​​the “snow bet” in 1998 (subsequent discount in all those federal states where it snows at noon on December 24th) was prohibited to Franz Josef Hartlauer in the following year as an “unfair competition”. It is now legal again.

death

Grave at the Taborfriedhof

Franz Josef Hartlauer trained his son Robert F. Hartlauer for two years with full insight directly in practice as his successor. At the beginning of 2000 he handed over the management, earlier than planned, because he was suffering from cancer . Only a few months later, on May 21, 2000, Franz Josef Hartlauer died. His grave is at the Taborfriedhof in Steyr .

Franz Josef Hartlauer became known to a wide audience, among other things through his personal appearance in television commercials. In 2000 he was posthumously awarded the Ring of Honor of the City of Steyr under Mayor Hermann Leithenmayr .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Löwenzeitung 2/2000 (Hartlauer employee magazine), p. 5
  2. ↑ Löwenzeitung 2/2000 (Hartlauer employee magazine), p. 4
  3. ↑ "I was the lioness in the background" ( Memento from September 11, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ Löwenzeitung 2/2000 (Hartlauer employee magazine), p. 5 u. 7th
  5. ↑ http://steyrerpioniere.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/franz-josef-hartlauer/
  6. ↑ Löwenzeitung 2/2000 (Hartlauer employee magazine), p. 6
  7. ↑ Hartlauer website: http://www.hartlauer.at  ; Status: June 2014
  8. ^ Literal quote from Hartlauer at a lecture in the Vienna Management Club on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of his company
  9. ↑ Löwenzeitung 2/2000 (Hartlauer employee magazine), p. 6.
  10. ^ Daily newspaper "Die Presse" from May 23, 2000
  11. ^ Daily newspaper "Die Presse" from May 23, 2000
  12. ^ Daily newspaper "Die Presse" from May 23, 2000
  13. ^ Daily newspaper "Die Presse" from May 23, 2000
  14. ↑ Directive 2006/114 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of December 12, 2006 on misleading and comparative advertising (codified version)
  15. ↑ Löwenzeitung 2/2000 (Hartlauer employee magazine), p. 7

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Hartlauer, Franz Josef
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian entrepreneur
DATE OF BIRTH December 19, 1944
PLACE OF BIRTH Steyr
DATE OF DEATH May 21, 2000
Place of death Steyr