Talent. Passion. Team spirit. These features not only characterize the people at Berghof – they also distinguish the team of HBW Balingen-Weilstetten, one of the squads with the strongest character in German handball. That's why Berghof views this team as an ideal platform to promote its reputation in the region as an attractive career option.

Remember how former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt put it so aptly: “It is in a crisis that character proves itself.“

The club HBW Balingen-Weilstetten is the best example for this statement. At the end of last season, the team has to cope with the disappointment to be relegated from the 1st Handball Bundesliga, as it had to do once before in 2017.

But the team doesn’t hang their heads for long – instead, they immediately set themselves new, ambitious goals. HBW definitely wants to remain among the top 25 teams in German handball and therefore play a front-runner role in the 2nd Bundesliga, a league that is as fiercely competitive as the 1st.

Buoyed by the support of their fans and sponsors, HBW Balingen-Weilstetten has a watchful eye on these goals and made the best possible start to the 2022/2023 season: Ten games, ten wins – a true dream start.

So in the current season once again, the “Gauls“ are proving that their nickname is absolutely justified – it originated in a legendary match on the day before Christmas in 2009, when HBW Balingen-Weilstetten sensationally defeated their opponents from THW Kiel in their home arena, a team that was clearly superior on paper, prompting a sports reporter to make this comparison with the world-famous Asterix and Obelix comics.

“It is precisely this fighting spirit, this solidarity, but also the loyal fans and the atmosphere in the arena that has always thrilled us about HBW Balingen-Weilstetten. Having launched our new campaign ‘Moving Forward’, now is the right moment for Berghof to use this platform as a sponsor officially,“ explains Oliver Walter, who as one of three managing directors of the Berghof Group is responsible for Strategic Production, Quality Management and Facility Management and has been infected with the “handball virus“ since his youth.

For Eric Wildeboer, Managing Director of the Berghof Group responsible for Sales, Marketing and Strategy, this commitment with a strong regional imprint is an important addition to the cooperation with the official “Moving Forward“ ambassador Franziska Brauße, who with her great international successes has high appeal far beyond the region. “HBW is a real crowd-puller in the entire region around Reutlingen and the team inspires young and old people with their fighting performances. So here – in addition to some interesting companies from our region also sponsoring HBW – we have access to a target group that is extremely important for us: potential new skilled workers for our strong team,“ says Eric Wildeboer with conviction.

Besides perimeter advertising in the arena, another important part of the cooperation is a player sponsorship. Tobias Heinzelmann was the logical choice for this patronage. The player from Burladingen is a true “homegrown“ and has made his way from the youth teams to the first team with a great amount of ambition and commitment – and has now, as a pivot, become an important pillar of the team’s success.

“At Berghof, too, there are many similar examples – and by committing ourselves to this player sponsorship of a true role model for young talents, we want to clearly emphasize that we are very proud of these top performers and hold them in high esteem,“ explains Marco Himmelsbach, Managing Director responsible for Finance & Controlling, Human Resources and IT at the Berghof Group and, like Oliver Walter, a big handball fan.