Schwäbische Post 12 November 2000

COMPANY PORTRAIT / Lobo electronic GmbH
The company from Aalen is considered a global industry trendsetter / 70 percent orders from abroad
AALEN. They provide highlights and set trends. Only last month, the employees of LOBO electronic GmbH from Aalen once again accepted international congratulations. With a total of ten ILDA Awards, the most important trophies in the laser show industry, they took home one quarter of all awards at this year’s annual meeting of the International Laser Display Association, the global umbrella association of all professional laser show companies. The Swabian show company has now been in existence for 18 years.
The history of the laser company began in 1982, when Lothar Bopp, aged 19, ventured into self-employment at a time when laser technology “was still in its infancy”. At first, he worked alone, starting with smaller orders. He still had time to study, with the entrepreneur taking up a course in precision engineering.
The orders grew slowly, but steadily. By now, the company supplies mega shows all around the world with laser technology and laser show events; the company’s client list has entries from 45 countries. According to the managing director, 70 percent of all orders are placed from abroad. But Lobo is also in demand in Germany for many important events. For example, the company from Aalen equipped the Bayreuth Festival. Furthermore, Lobo was also involved in the millennium celebrations in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
In 1990, the former one-man operation was converted into a limited company and now employs 30 full-time employees, including 15 graduate engineers from various fields, the managing director explains. “In our industry, many different fields are intertwined,” he continues. For this reason, communications engineers, mechatronics engineers, computer scientists and designers are working side by side in his company.
Once it is that time again and a mega show in front of up to 500,000 spectators, TV audiences not included, is about to start, the businessman confesses to feel a bit of stage fright. Then, Bopp seems like a director watching his actors perform at a premiere. This nervousness is not without reason: “During laser shows, everything is built on a chain, like a domino effect. If something doesn’t work, nothing will function anymore.” Bopp assures that such an embarrassing mistake has never happened to him.
Recently, the work of the laser company was on display during the presentation of the region Ostwürttemberg in Berlin. There, Lobo and its lighting effects provided a somewhat different presentation of the region.
But only a few years ago, the company was planning on leaving Ostwürttemberg and relocating to Stuttgart – closer to the airport, so that clients arriving from all around the world would not need to undertake a long car journey. “In the end, we decided to stay in Aalen,” the managing director tells. Crucial factors were the good cooperation with the authorities and the attractive plot of land offered to the company. Following completion of the construction works about one year ago, Lobo now has more than 3,000 square meters of built-up premises.