A 500-Year-Old Firm’s Mettle Is Key to German Virus Resilience
- Nation’s strengths showcased in oldest family-owned enterprise
- Study suggests such companies well placed when pandemic struck
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As head of Germany’s oldest family-owned company, with roots stretching back more than half a millennium, Paul Niederstein can tap into 16 generations of ancestors for inspiration in effective crisis management.
The coronavirus pandemic is by no means the first existential threat that Niederstein’s firm Coatinc has faced since it was founded in 1502, having survived numerous wars, as well as the Black Death and Spanish Flu.