Interview with Mister Burda from Burda WTG

Company Burda WTG is situated near the communter railway system in Frankfurt am Main [Germany], surrounded by fields and commercial buildings. The idyllic position near the public swimmingpool in Eschborn was chosen by founder and CEO Jiri Burda for economic reasons. The owner is a businessman through and through, always looking for an opportunity to improve.

Slovenian-born Mr Burda has been living in the Frankfurt metropolitan area since his early childhood. As a student he founded Burda Worldwide Trading Group in 1990. Today the expanded business is known as Burda Worldwide Technologies GmbH. The range of products includes infrared heaters as well as models with lighting or cooling nozzles. As a CEO Mr Burda takes on responsibility for product strategies, development, patents, internationalisation, distribution and finances of the company.

For a Monday with over 30°C heat Mr Burda seems surprisingly sprightly. His office most likely has a really good cooling system. :-)

Mister Burda, you graduated in business studies. How did you get involved with infrared technology?

Joking: I tried out an infrared heater about 20 years ago and lost all my hair. I thought, „this is great, I need to force this technology on others”.

No, it happened like this: I already imported and sold technical appliances during my studies at university. Since I always look out for new inventions and technologies, I came across infrared heaters by the end of 1997. It excites me to develop products and new ideas and I enjoy getting to know the depths of technology.

Your company Burda WTG brought infrared heaters from Germany to Europe and the rest of the world. How did you explain customers the benefits of short wavelength radiation?

I put my faith into the technology that was largely unknown back then because it was already used by Philips. IR radiation was used in the medical field, for example during production of drugs. The general public was unaware of infrared heaters used for panel heating. There was no WhatsApp in those days, few emails and product enquiries were answered by telefax. While still studying at university I travelled through Europe to enlighten people.

Are former fellow students working for you?

No, the people I worked with 15 years ago are not part of the company anymore. For six to eight years now I have been working with my current team, a wonderful troupe.
 

Were there difficult times as well?

We achieve our biggest turnover with outdoor heating and cooling devices, which means success depends on the weather situation. The year 2013 was difficult because there was still snow in May and autumn began very late. That year the entire European outdoor market was confronted with this problem.
 

Burda WTG heating and cooling units from creoven

Do you have a different range of products in Europe and Asia due to the climates?

No we don’t because originally, the products were planned for the European and US markets. Winning the R + T innovation prize in 2018 gained as a great deal of attention internationally. We want to take advantage of this to win over the Asian and Pacific regions for our products.

You’re also nominated for the German Design Award 2019.
laughing: I hope they have good taste.

Which product developments are you currently working on?

This summer and the one before were very hot, that is why we are improving our range of cooling appliances. This September we will introduce a couple of new and very exciting product lines. The design of the products also becomes more and more important for customers. We focus on articles with high quality and don’t mind if they cost more during production.

What is your recipe for success?

Others have said about Burda that we are fast, innovative and provide outstanding quality. I like improvement and innovation on the market.

Where do you get your best ideas?

I have the best dog in the world. We’re outdoors as often as possible where I can relax and get new ideas…

Thank you for the interview, Mister Burda!