This is THOR!

• Kersten Thor founds THOR in his home region, the Eichsfeld craftsmen’s region

With the motivation to continue working as a passionate welder and pipe fitter in medical gas technology, this one-man business was born. The projects are mostly located in southern Germany, which means that the work trips have been part of THOR from the very beginning.

• THOR moves into its first offices in Dingelstädt

From the living room table to a real office – the first pioneering step has been taken. In order to implement all the requested projects, we now need active support! After the very first THOR specialists were hired at home, the two offices are now the focal point for discussions with employees and clients. A dedicated fax machine, a cellar for storing tools and a yard for parking vehicles make this place perfect for the moment.

• A small house in Heiligenstadt becomes the THOR headquarters

The first office colleagues provide support with acquisition and employee support in the new premises in Heiligenstadt. During this period of political upheaval and motivation for economic development, the THOR family grows to around 80 employees, who are deployed throughout Germany with their company vehicles.

• Difficult times for the skilled trades

The global financial crisis has halted investments and put many construction projects on hold. Reporting on the US real estate crisis has resulted in a large proportion of existing orders being withdrawn. With a great deal of creativity and motivation, THOR grows to 150 employees despite the crisis.

• A second location is established in Erfurt

The new THORians are now based far beyond the borders of the Eichsfeld region, so the office wing in Erfurt is also rented as a logistically attractive location. The good connections to highways 4 and 71 quickly make the offices a new hub for the company, both for visiting THOR fitters and for the growing number of coordinators.

• Big orders bring big insights

During this time, we are able to provide support on some major construction projects and gain a lot of insight into how fitters should best be equipped and deployed and, last but not least, what a valuable contribution each individual makes to the overall contract. This experience further promotes the idea of how to make installation processes on the construction site more efficient and prepare employees for them in the best possible way.

• THOR opens a car workshop in Leinefelde

Each fitters team drives to the construction site in one of the company’s 300 vehicles. To enable our fitters to concentrate on their work, we acquire a former car dealership and convert it into a vehicle workshop for our growing fleet of vehicles. This means that we can now carry out repairs, service and maintenance work or wheel changes ourselves and save our employees a trip to another workshop.

• With spirit and hammer – ideas for qualification in the skilled trades find a home

The shortage of skilled workers in the skilled trades is becoming more and more noticeable and Kersten Thor understands that: “Who doesn’t take care of it now, he will eventually have a problem”. A system is needed that can qualify people for special requirements in the shortest possible time and make these skills accessible to the market. One day, he comes across a former educational building in Menteroda, Thuringia. When he realizes the significance of the location (Mente et Malleo = with spirit and hammer), the decision for THOR’s new training location is made.

• Ideas and visions are valued

In 2012, Kersten Thor was recognized as one of the top 100 employers in the German SME sector for the sustainability of its corporate concept. In the following year, he is named Entrepreneur of the Year in the Eichsfeld region by the German Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises for the development and growth of the company.

• The THOR Academy opens its doors

From day one, the THOR Academy is above all a meeting place for people who share a passion for craftsmanship. While the first training courses are starting, the development and expansion of additional qualification opportunities continues.

• More benefits for THOR employees

Following the introduction of association sponsorship and the development of our own THOR&more premium store, all employees receive the PLUS CARD from this year onwards, giving them access to many preventive medical services and private patient status for themselves and their families.

• We celebrate the “Day of the Heroes”

A day not to be missed in HisTHORy! It is a day of and for all THORians and their families that will be remembered forever. We meet in Menteroda and spend very entertaining and emotional hours together on the specially created festival grounds and in the THOR Academy.

Day of the Heroes

• THORians are now digital on the construction site

After the extensive and exciting planning and preparation time, our fitters now have brand new Samsung tablets in their luggage. This means they always have all the information about the job at hand, can document work steps, use our clients’ apps and navigate quickly and easily to the next construction site. This represents a major step forward in the digitalization and thus simplification of our work processes.

• The welcome week for new THOR employees begins

To make it as easy as possible for our new THOR employees to get started with us, we have been inviting every new office and technical employee to the THOR Academy in Menteroda for a week since the beginning of this year. During this time, we can get to know each other better and prepare them both personally and professionally for their day-to-day tasks on the construction site.

Welcome to THOR!

• “Employer of the future” award

THOR receives the “Employer of the Future” award for its development work in digitalization and in qualification and further training for the skilled trades.