Post-event report: Styria on Tour – globally successful with Neuroth & Messner

On November 14, 2024, the first edition of “Styria on Tour” took us to two pioneers in the district of Leibnitz. The first stop was at Neuroth headquarters in Lebring, which also serves as the corporate group’s supply center. Neuroth is the market leader in hearing acoustics in Austria and Slovenia. The second stop on the tour led to the nearby Messner GesmbH, a true hidden champion based in Jöß/Lang, which operates worldwide in the field of exclusive interior design for yachts and cruise ships.

During this exciting tour through Styria, offered by the ICS together with Creative Industries Styria, the focus was on exclusive insights into both companies’ internationalization strategies and the role of design as a competitive advantage. Through engaging and exclusive tours of both companies and direct conversations with C-level executives, participants were able to immerse themselves in Neuroth’s and Messner’s corporate strategies & gain valuable experience.

At Neuroth, we were introduced to the tailor-made production process behind approximately 220,000 hearing devices produced annually. Since its founding in 1907, the Neuroth Group has grown from a traditional family business into a leading hearing acoustics company. In addition to the DACH region, Southeastern Europe is also an important market, where they are already the market leader in Slovenia with their “Made in Austria” quality seal. After Austria and Switzerland, Slovenia is also Neuroth’s third-largest market. A key challenge in internationalization is the regulation of markets for medical technology products. CFO Stefan Schönbeck, Cornelia Perus (Head of Brand & Creation), and Petra Lindschinger (Head of Operations) gave participants exciting insights into the company.

The MESSNER Ges.m.b.H. in Lang impressed with its expertise in interior fittings for cruise ships and yachts. Johannes Messner (CEO) and Philipp Gratz (shareholder, authorized signatory, and technical director) explained how projects are carried out over three to five years, from planning to completion. “From the steel hull all the way to final acceptance,” Johannes Messner proudly reports, “We go in – it’s steel, we come out – it’s finished.” Founded in the 1950s by Johannes Messner’s father, the family business rather coincidentally entered shipbuilding in Saudi Arabia in the 1980s. Now run by the third generation, the company is well known among relevant shipyards worldwide and specializes in cruise ships and yachts over 75m in length. With around 35 employees at the site, the company typically handles three projects simultaneously – including weight and load calculations. But Messner’s projects can also be found on land – here, the company works on, for example, the complete interior fit-out of exclusive chalets and hotels.

Many thanks to Neuroth and Messner for the exciting insights and inspiring conversations!