22/06/2026
🌳 A tree. 🦋 A butterfly. 🐎 A horse.
And a moment that said more than any agenda ever could.
Some stories deserve to be felt — not skimmed.
Every event starts with a check-in.
At the entrance, everyone wrote their name on a wooden leaf. One by one, these leaves became part of a tree — a simple but powerful reminder that growth never happens in isolation. It takes roots, connection, and people who choose to contribute, not just attend.
A few days ago, we celebrated 20 years of Keller & Kalmbach China in Taicang. What happened that evening was far more than an anniversary.
At Club Med Urban Oasis, you could feel it immediately: warm, united, inventive.
Because of the people.
This celebration reflected what holds us together every day: connecting industries, supply chains, and people. Turning complexity into stability through precision, trust, and collaboration across borders.
Throughout the evening, our values came to life:
💙 fit. fair. friendly.
Fit in the precision and attention to detail behind every element of the event.
Fair in recognizing eight colleagues with more than 15 years of dedication.
Friendly in the openness and team spirit that connected people across functions, roles, and perspectives.
One activity captured this perfectly.
People who don’t normally work together were randomly grouped into teams and asked to create something by hand that represented a shared idea, spirit, or ambition.
What started as a task became true collaboration.
Among the many creations, one stood out: a butterfly.
Its message resonated across the room:
A butterfly doesn’t get its wings despite struggle — it gets its wings because of it.
Transformation is never easy. But it is what creates strength.
Later that evening, another symbol came to life.
Together, Dr. Florian Seidl, Hans van der Velden, and our Heads of Department completed a horse painting using fasteners — a motif chosen with great care.
It connected our past and future.
Keller & Kalmbach once started with horseshoes.
And in China, 2026 marks the Year of the Fire Horse.
Everything connected:
🌳 The tree symbolizes belonging and shared responsibility.
🦋 The butterfly symbolizes transformation and growth.
🐎 The horse connects our heritage with the future.
The speeches reflected gratitude for the past and confidence in the future.
One sentence from CEO Hans van der Velden captured it perfectly:
“We are family.” And that is exactly what it felt like.
To our colleagues in China: thank you for the passion, creativity, and care that made this celebration possible. You created an experience that reflected the strength of your team and international collaboration at its best.
🚀 Looking ahead
Strong partnerships are built over time, across borders, through trust, precision, and people.
Let’s keep building connections.
💬 What symbol would represent your team’s journey?
