Well known

Hans Mayr has witnessed how bulky radios evolved into digital control systems, and how simple emergency vehicles became mobile high-tech command centers. But while technology has reinvented itself over the years, Mayr has remained a constant in the industry: an excellent networker with just the right touch of humor. When the lights go out at INTERSCHUTZ on June 6, it will be more than just the end of the workday for him—it will be the final curtain before his well-deserved retirement at the end of the month.

May 28–June 2, 1988: Hans Mayr attends INTERSCHUTZ for the first time. “Back then, there were no cell phones yet, and digital technology wasn’t even on the radar,” recalls the now 65-year-old, who, as a young sales representative at the time, presented some groundbreaking innovations from ZIEGLER alongside his colleagues: “The first Z1, our first airfield fire truck, was the absolute highlight, and the first development stage of today’s Z-Class, back then still on a Faun chassis. Our portable pumps and in-vehicle pumps were also part of the lineup. ‘ZIEGLER was the number one firefighting equipment supplier, offering everything from uniform buttons to airfield fire trucks,’ he reports. But he still vividly remembers what “work attire” was required at the trade show booth back then: “A dark suit, white shirt with a tie, and black shoes were mandatory,” says Hans Mayr with a smile.

Looking back, INTERSCHUTZ 1994 was also a highlight for Hans Mayr as the first trade show following German reunification and thus a significant milestone for the industry. Hans Mayr and the ZIEGLER team presented groundbreaking vehicle concepts and technology that heralded the transition to a modern firefighting equipment structure. A clear and easy-to-use pump control panel was also introduced.

Six years later: INTERSCHUTZ was held in Augsburg in conjunction with German Firefighters’ Day. Hans Mayr had been promoted to regional sales manager in 1994. “It was a fairly intimate trade show with a Bavarian-Swabian atmosphere,” he recalls. “The Aluminum Panel System (ALPAS) for vehicle bodies was a revolution back then,” Mayr still remembers well. “It was lighter, more corrosion-resistant, and more flexible than conventional steel structures and was very well received by trade show visitors, as it allowed for quick and easy three-dimensional adjustments to equipment mounts.

2005: INTERSCHUTZ is back in Hanover—and so is Hans Mayr. He recalls a little anecdote: “A well-known manufacturer had already introduced a touchscreen monitor with all sorts of functions in submenus. We wanted to keep up and followed suit. The result was that our visitors were not at all satisfied with that kind of innovation.” For Mayr, this led to a clear realization: Operation must be as simple as that of a washing machine. “And that applies to other products as well,” he says. “The question is always: What does the market want, what are the trends? And aesthetics also play a role in the decision.”

Five years later, in 2010, ZIEGLER attracted attention at INTERSCHUTZ—which was once again held in Leipzig due to the German Firefighters’ Day—with the Z-Cab, a newly designed safety cabin. Hans Mayr fondly recalls convivial summer evenings in Leipzig’s downtown pedestrian zone, not far from the hotel. Every morning, they took the yellow tram to the exhibition grounds and back again in the evening.

“At INTERSCHUTZ 2015 in Hanover, we had the best-looking booth, and visitors entered our pavilion through an oversized B-coupling with hoses on either side,” says Mayr. Since 2011, Hans Mayr has been responsible for all sales in Germany. “We had a motivated, great team and a correspondingly pleasant atmosphere at the ZIEGLER booth. There was a show stage, hose-pulling competitions, and even drones in action to see.” Before the 2020 trade show could take place again, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in everyone’s plans. It was canceled entirely. When the pandemic subsided, economic conditions were difficult and the fair’s success was uncertain. That is why ZIEGLER was not represented in Hanover in 2022.

Now, at 65, he is looking forward to INTERSCHUTZ 2026. One highlight already comes to mind: “We no longer have a suit-and-tie requirement; everything is a bit more relaxed—but still uniform—than in the past.” Mayr doesn’t want to reveal just yet what special features ZIEGLER has in store this time. He’ll only say this much: “There are some new developments. And our lineup ranges from portable pumps to airport fire trucks. The focus is particularly on vehicles for disaster response and the hygiene sector. But it’s not just his own products that matter to him: “INTERSCHUTZ gives everyone the opportunity to gather information and network in Germany and around the world. If you don’t come, you won’t be noticed in the industry!”

For Hans Mayr, who is a household name in the emergency services community, 2026 will mark his last INTERSCHUTZ on the job. He still has little time to think about retirement. “In any case, I’ll have more time for my hobbies then,” he says happily. That definitely includes his own garden. And instead of driving around in big, mostly red vehicles, he handles calls on his own bicycle.