Interview with Katja Dreßler

Tradition and innovation

Katja Dreßler, authorized signatory of Dreßler Bauträger GmbH and Head of Project Development, talks about family values, the challenges of the construction industry and how the company is meeting them.

Katja Dreßler

What makes Dreßler Bau so special?

As a fourth-generation family business, we think long-term. The values of our founder Gabriel Dreßler – quality, adherence to deadlines and fairness – are just as valid for us today as they were over 100 years ago. For us, this also means not following every trend, but sensible change and consistency where our “construction gene” represents an unbeatable advantage in terms of experience. We feel particularly committed to our employees, many of whom are the second generation to work for us. This includes appropriate remuneration, training and development opportunities and, above all, respectful treatment. Although we now have 540 employees at six locations, we know each other personally. Hierarchies are flat, distances are short.

You manage the project development division of Dreßler Bau GmbH. In which areas are you mainly active?

We develop all types of use, from residential and mixed-use properties to commercial and hotel properties and mixed-use properties that cannot be clearly classified at the time of purchase. The properties should have a gross floor area of 5,000 square meters or more, or a net construction volume of € 10 – 100 million. Development focuses on metropolitan areas and their catchment areas, as well as growing B-cities within a maximum radius of 100 km from our headquarters in Aschaffenburg or the branches in Darmstadt or Karlsruhe.

Which projects are you currently working on and which are in the pipeline?

We are currently developing an office building in Freiburg, a major residential project in the Karlsruhe suburbs and a commercial project in Offenbach with direct highway access. Furthermore, we are in the final examination of predominantly commercial properties in the Rhine-Main region and in the Karlsruhe area.

What characterizes successful project development?

Well thought-out planning is essential right from the initial ignition. That’s why we prefer to be involved from the outset, creating the building law ourselves and taking the lead in discussions with the authorities. Mistakes are made at the beginning that are difficult or very costly to rectify later. In addition, the planning of rental space is an important factor – one of our core competencies, as you can see from the CarlsCube: One of the decisive factors for full occupancy well before completion was the sophisticated letting concept.

How do you assess the development in the construction industry and what consequences do you draw from it for your company?

Demand is currently very high, but capacity is completely exhausted at many companies. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to build economically. Legislators and all responsible authorities are called upon to create positive framework conditions – not only for the construction industry.

In order to increase the economic efficiency of construction, we are focusing on greater networking of work steps and a massive expansion of digitalization. Our IT investments are now as high as the acquisition costs for construction machinery. We are countering the noticeable shortage of skilled workers with targeted support for young talent – e.g. the possibility of in-house specialist studies – and intensive further training. We are confident that we will continue to operate successfully in the market in the coming years despite the many challenges.