Acer saccharum 'Commemoration' - Sugar Maple 'Commemoration'

When asked how the power businesswoman and mother of four balances her job, family and commitment, she answers by a laugh and lapidary: "With great commitment!" In fact, she mentioned that she enjoys all these tasks. She probably just has the necessary interest and talent for it. And she adds that they also attach importance to deploying their employees according to their talent. This seems to be one of the recipes for success at HORSCH: Michael and Walter Horsch founded the company in 1984. Since 1988 Cornelia Horsch, as wife and businesswoman, has been a driving force in marketing, sales and service. In the meantime, the manufacturer of particular agricultural technology for arable farming operates in more than 20 countries worldwide. The declared goal is to open up new markets and continue to grow. This is possible because HORSCH adapts its machines for each market, explains Cornelia Horsch, and puts the end customer at the centre of all efforts.

Of course, the businesswoman is also concerned with social changes and topics such as climate change and sustainability. However, Horsch takes a critical view of the latter. Above all, she questions our current knowledge, for example, about CO2 storage in the ground and emphasises, that we are at the very beginning. Perhaps her role as a promoter and supporter in the university council also has to do with the fact that she is very concerned about the relevant research. In any case, she sees her tree sponsorship as being all about teaching and hoping that in a few decades, the arboretum will be able to provide information about how the selected trees react to the changed climate and which of them will be able to enrich our native woody plants in the future. With this in mind, she also leaves the selection of her tree to the Horticulture experts at HSWT. "But that doesn't mean I don't care about trees," says the 58-year-old. "Quite the opposite: I enjoy every moment I can spend in nature with my husband. We are currently discovering the forests and meadows of our beautiful Upper Palatinate home on our mountain bikes in a whole new way." The fact that she has the time for this is, of course, also because she no longer has to do so much "business travelling" at the moment due to Corona. She notes: "In fact, online communication works almost as well." That's why she can think and relax more today.

Hopefully in a few years, the arboretum will be a nice place to do this, where a Cornelia Horsch surprise tree invites her to linger.