Whether Jam or Portfolio Management. It's The Quality That Counts.

In 1883, Hans Staud's great-grandfather entered the fruit and vegetable trade. Around the same time, the brothers Wilhelm and David Gutmann dominated the coal trade in Vienna. 

I recently had the pleasure of immersing myself in the world of STAUD'S at the Brunnenmarkt, in Vienna’s 16th district, with the Rotary Club Wien-Karlsplatz. Hans Staud has been selling his sweet preserves and pickles here since 1971. The fine jams, marmalades and vegetable specialties are still produced in the heart of Vienna.

With 7 million jars sold per year, STAUD'S is a major player in the Austrian market. What’s impressive is their utmost passion for quality. STAUD'S is big enough to meet high standards. And small enough to process regional varieties such as “Limited apricots from the Venusberg Garden in the Wachau”. 

The bond of understanding

It is always a special feeling to meet people pursuing something with passion at a high level. Across industries, this weaves a bond of understanding. 

Gutmann delivers uncompromising quality in private banking and asset management and pursues this goal with passion. We may not aim to be the biggest, but we certainly strive to be the best. 

Another parallel caught my eye. In the new production facility for jams and marmalades, the heat is raised to 85°C in a vacuum during the cooking process. The resulting condensate is collected and remains part of the product, no flavor is lost. 

It makes me think of my own orange marmalade: boiled at 100°C and no vacuum in sight. Is homemade truly better? Yes, from an emotional point of view. No, when it comes to consistently producing large quantities of excellent quality. This is where professionalism is called for. 

Getting better never ends

The past two years have been exceptionally turbulent and volatile in the markets. At Gutmann, we remained vigilant, kept risks well under control and had returns firmly in sight. Professional processes are a guarantee of quality. 

For many decades, Hans Staud and the current managing directors - Stefan Schauer and Jürgen Hagenauer - have been optimizing their processes to deliver a wonderful, high-quality product to their customers. 

My colleagues in client advisory, asset management and our fund management company act in the same manner. Moreover, risk management contributes to uncovering potential weaknesses and improving processes. 

Our daily work can be challenging at times. But I know there's a reward at the weekend: a slice of bread with STAUD'S jam. Now, the only decision left is: apricot, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, orange, red currant, blackberry, sour cherry ... if only all of life’s dilemmas were this delightful.

PS: This is not a paid advertisement for STAUD'S. I’m simply a fan of this Austrian company. After all, we advocates of quality must support each other.