Energized without being under power. Caffeine? Only in cans - preferably from cans. Standstill? Never heard of it. Thomas Wurth has been working at Boker since 2016 and, as Head of Marketing and authorized signatory, is also responsible for the knife store, customer service and warehouse logistics and is one of the people pulling the strings in the foreground and background. True to the motto: “Where there's a will, there's a sausage!”, he drives numerous projects in the company and, as an experienced angler, lures his team with the necessary motivation for top performance. The following interview reveals what Boker fans can look forward to in the future and how the father of three can best switch off.
Why Boker?
I came across the job advertisement rather by chance and in the traditional way on a careers portal. As a passionate angler, I immediately found the product portfolio exciting and didn't hesitate to apply. I was contacted by Boker the very next evening.
What did you do before?
I had previously worked in the paint and varnish industry for 10 years, where I held various positions from IT clerk to authorized signatory. Even then, my focus was on sales and strategic marketing.
What range of tasks does your work involve and how can you apply your previous professional experience to the daily challenges at Boker?
The range of tasks is broad and has grown continuously over the last eight years. In marketing, it is primarily the B2C activities with all marketplaces that make up a relevant part of my work. A new addition this year is our YouTube activities, where we also practice in front of the camera and produce and publish new videos every week. I am also deeply involved in product development and am constantly working on expanding and optimizing our product portfolio, always with an eye on trends, new materials and the needs of our customers. Although the industries and customer groups are different, I have been able to contribute a lot of my previous professional experience to Boker.
What do you particularly enjoy about your job?
Even after many years, it is still something very special to be able to realize my own product ideas. From the product idea to prototype construction to the finished product, it is always an exciting process. If the product is subsequently well received by the market, it's a lot of fun. Projects such as our Boker Advent calendars or the Boker Bronco are particular highlights of my time at Boker.
What is important to you when dealing with your team?
As a team, we work on an equal footing and as equals. We benefit enormously from the different skills that everyone brings to the team. In our marketing department in particular, every employee is a specialist in their field, which means that our success has many fathers.
Do you carry knives in your private life and do you have a favorite knife?
You'll hardly ever find me without a knife. My passion - especially for EDC folders - has grown continuously in recent years. My favorite knife has been one of the first prototypes of the Boker Plus Canoe by Joe Mangiafico for some time now. However, due to the strong competition from Solingen innovations such as the Boker BRLW or the Boker Mini Redention, it will probably have to stay at home a little more often in future than in the past ?.
Do you have any hobbies where you use knives?
Of course. Basically, I live in a very rural area and played a lot in the forest and by the stream as a child - so a knife was naturally part of my standard equipment. But my greatest passion is definitely fishing, more specifically predator fishing, especially for pike but also for zander and perch from a boat. Weather permitting, I'm out on the water several times a week. Either on the local reservoirs or by motorboat in the Netherlands. Fixed knives like the Boker Bronco are a must in my fishing bag.
You have already landed one or two big fish while fishing. What about well-known personalities as cooperation partners for Boker?
We are always on the lookout for exciting partnerships - be it with content creators, i.e. influencers, or with other companies. We are currently working intensively on exciting follow-up projects with the sons of nature. Two further outdoor knife projects are also in the pipeline: This fall will see the launch of the DBK Bushfriend 2000 made in Solingen, as well as a UG Tools special version of the Boker Bronco. And not to forget: New high-quality chef's knives from Steffen Henssler will also be manufactured by us in Solingen.
Do you have any other hobbies?
Hobby is the wrong word. My family is definitely the most important thing. My three children in particular keep me on my toes and take up most of my time alongside work. Due to my age, I have largely left my long-standing fun sports activities (skateboarding, wakeboarding and snowboarding) behind me. Nevertheless, sport is still very important to me. If injuries don't slow me down, I like to play soccer and keep fit by running or cycling.
Forward momentum is your middle name. Where do you get your energy from and what's the best way to shift down a gear from 6th to 5th?
I've always been a very active person and have always been enthusiastic about many tasks. Nevertheless, without my wife, who has my back and always supports me, it wouldn't work. In my opinion, it is essential to balance body and mind in order to maintain performance in the long term. I achieve this through sport and, of course, spending time on the water fishing.
What does the perfect vacation look like for you? All-inclusive, adrenaline or aspirin?
Definitely an active vacation - whether on Lake Maggiore in Italy, in Scandinavia (Sweden and Finland) or the Netherlands. There's plenty to discover with kids everywhere. However, a fishing rod (probably at least 10 rods in reality) should never be missing from the luggage, regardless of the vacation destination.
Thomas, thank you very much for giving us these interesting insights.