Thank you Frank!
After 31 years of success in the printing industry it is time for Frank Sharma to enjoy his retirement. What better occasion than to celebrate this event in style at his lovely house in Grüt by Gossau (ZH). Every single MCU employee turned up on a rainy May evening to say farewell to this unforgettable businessman and “father” of the MCU company and his wife Ursi. From 1st of June on CEO Marcel Rieder is the new owner of MCU AG. As a highlight there was a film crew to interview Mr Sharma and his guests which was a big sensation! In his speech, Mr Frank Sharma went back to the roots of MCU and explained that it all started with a little mind-game. “I said to myself there must be something else out there in the world waiting for me”, Sharma told the audience. As a printing consultant and technician, Sharma knew what he was speaking about. And so he founded the company “Pro Desk AG“. It was here where he had an encounter with a young and dynamic man called Marcel Rieder which he employed almost from scratch! Business was booming back in the 80s – especially Desktop Publishing (DTP) was sharply on the rise. Sharma remembers the day when he purchased a very expensive high-end scanner. From that moment on Sharma experienced a lot of envy from other colleagues. But, as a clever businessman, he offered seminars for other companies. At this point he remembered that there were so-called “advertising people” that occasionally turned up at his door. “I must say dear guests, most of those people were actually spies”, he said with a big smile on his face.
A true salesman with all his heart.
Frank Sharma loved being “on the road” and visiting clients or future customers. “This was the easy part and I enjoyed every minute of it”, he replied to the question out of the audience. Finding new customers, helping them realize their dreams and offering best price-performance ratio solutions was in his blood. Whenever Sharma was at work he always knew that he could rely on his wife Ursi. She was the true backbone of the company and not only a clever accountant but also a loving mother of two young boys. Now both Frank and Ursi enjoy their retirement “to the fullest” whilst living next to one of their sons and three grand-children. Very soon after founding the company “Pro Desk AG” Mr Frank Sharma bought one of the most expensive printing machines worth 5,5 million Swiss francs. “We were the crème-de-la-crème at that time”, he remembered. With God’s help there came the moment where Media-Center Uster AG was founded in 2006. The location in Uster just near the motorway proved to be a big plus, as both customers and employees could reach MCU in a very easy way by car or public transport. “I personally talked to the responsible architect at the council of Uster to negotiate the square meter price down from 550 to 525 Swiss francs”, Sharma said.
Family is important – both at work and at home!
Mr Frank Sharma is a true family man and he is an absolute role model. He treated his employees with respect and dignity and lead them “like a father” as he said. No wonder did he often use the expression “my children” when he addressed the workers at the party. “I’ve always had two families, one at work and one at home”, he admitted. “And why did I never sell the company, even if I could have?”, he asked the audience in a rhetorical way. “Because I wanted the company to grow in the same way as it did with me. And mainly because I wanted and still want that you people can have enough cash to invest in your daily life and hobbies”, he said with a few tears in his eyes. With a very warm applause everyone honoured his speech saying “Thank you Frank for all your work, your dedication and your passion for MCU!
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Marcel Rieder – the new guy on the block!
CEO and new owner of MCU Mr Marcel Rieder was full of gratitude for the legacy of Mr Frank Sharma. “I want to say thank you for your entrepreneurship, your openness and passion for MCU”, said Rieder at the beginning of his speech. “But let’s give his wife Ursi a big applause because she has truly deserved it!” Looking back at his first days working for MCU back in 1991, Mr Rieder remembers very well how both he and Mr Frank Sharma shared the same values. “I cherished his personality and charisma”, Rieder stated. Sharing the same christian belief and making reconciliation and forgiveness the main goals in every business day helped form the true MCU “spirit”. With a big hug Mr Marcel Rieder showed how much he honoured his former boss and said to the audience: “Maybe it was like first love between businessmen” and everybody smiled. “Whenever somebody apologized to Frank Sharma he immediately said “no hard feelings” and the situation was calm again and everybody felt at ease.” Now CEO and owner of MCU Marcel Rieder is looking forward to all the interesting tasks and challenges ahead. “I know that you employees are not here only to cash in but because you all show compassion for what we are doing here at MCU”. With his right hand laid over his heart, Mr Marcel Rieder said “Thank you, dear Frank, for all your dedication and commitment, and thank you for still being around as a wise man and adviser to us, whenever we need you!”
Further impressions of the event:
