DIY-Lifetime Award for Karlheinz Essl

Karlheinz Essl, founder of the Austrian DIY chain Baumax, has been chosen to receive the DIY-Lifetime Award. This was presented to him within the framework of the 12th International BHB DIY Congress. In his laudatory address Michael Baumgardt, president of the German DIY trade association BHB and managing director of Zeus, paid tribute to the achievements of Mr Essl throughout his lifetime. Not only did he make his company into the leading DIY chain in Austria, but geared it strongly towards central and eastern Europe after 1990 as well. As a result, in the words of Baumgardt, Baumax became one of the major European DIY retailers. Karlheinz Essl stressed how important it has been and still is to him, in partnership with the BHB, to continue to advance the idea of DIY retailing in Europe. The prize is sponsored jointly by the BHB and Dähne Verlag. This year there were more delegates attending the congress than in previous years. Discussions were strongly marked by the latest happenings in the German DIY sector, including the announcements about Praktiker and Max Bahr, as well as the acquisition of the Baywa stores by Hellweg.