Getting things moving locally and becoming involved – that is what is important to Nicole Erdmann. After spending several years travelling, she is now in the process of starting a family in her home town of Weischlitz. She is now supporting the Erdmann sauna construction family business based there.

“I’m a village girl,” says Nicole Erdmann, describing herself. She appreciates the idyllic memories of her childhood – up to the present day.

“Each of us has our own idea of what life should be like and what’s important. It’s nature for me. It’s wonderful to enjoy the atmosphere early in the morning when I take my dog for a walk and hear the stream splashing,” the 33-year-old says. She has been working for the Weischlitz company “Bernd Erdmann – Saunabau”, which her father established, since 2008. However, her career initially went in a very different direction.

Nicole Erdmann is a trained doctor’s practice nurse and worked for several years in the fields of orthopaedics, surgery and oncology – in Nuremberg and Leipzig – and at times she was a long way from home: she made her way to Australia, for example, or spent time as a backpacker touring through Thailand for four weeks.

„I absolutely love travelling – most of all now with our off-road vehicle; you can drive anywhere and it’s big enough to sleep in.“

She spent several weeks in Iceland with her dog and fiancé with the vehicle. However, the vehicle will soon have to be converted: the family is expecting its first child. Nicole Erdmann is in the process of setting up a family in the Vogtland region. “My home area is excellent for that,” she says.

„It’s much cheaper to build a house or buy a plot of land here compared to other regions. There are also great companies for employees where you can develop your skills and try out new things in your career. Usually, you’re able to get to work quickly – without any major traffic jams.“

The time that I spent travelling in other parts of the world has left its mark on me. I’ve learned to appreciate my home region more and enjoy things more consciously – things that I didn’t notice in the past – for example, the many green areas in the natural surroundings here. The region is really ideal for walking.”

She shares the opinion of many Vogtland people. “I may regularly travel to fairly large cities as a result of my work, and that’s very nice, but after a certain time I need to get out of the concrete jungle.”

She now works in the management department at Erdmann saunas. She completed a training course lasting two-and-a-half years to become a technical business administrator at the CCI on a part-time basis. “I originally helped out as a stand-in here in Weischlitz, but I quickly noticed how much I enjoyed the work – I was needed and I am able to get things moving and change things. So I decided to stay here.” 

Her involvement in the “Business Juniors Plauen – Vogtland” association is important to Nicole Erdmann. Entrepreneurs and managers try to strike up conversations with young people and give them some guidance for their careers. Nicole Erdmann was elected as the new chairperson of the association in January 2017.

„I was delighted at the trust placed in me. It’s important for me to show young people what promotion opportunities there are in the Vogtland region; we organise lectures and discussions. We also want to know where the young people have problems.“

15 people currently work at Erdmann Sauna. “We only build individual items; that always makes it exciting because each customer has different ideas.” Saunas from Weischlitz can be found in the President’s Suite and other luxury suites at the Kempinski Hotel Adlon in Berlin – or at the training centre at RB Leipzig or at the Hilton Hotel next to the Church of Our Lady in Dresden.

The most expensive private sauna, which the Erdmann company has made, is located in Cyprus. “Everything is round and coloured light appears from behind narrow panels. There’s also a television inside, but lots of people want that nowadays too.” The company also has simpler saunas for detached houses in its range and they are small enough to be incorporated in a bedroom.

“I’d love to see more Vogtland people as customers in future,” says Nicole Erdmann.