Yilmaz Yildir on his 25 years at ABP so far and the people who shape the company
From Dortmund to Shanghai, from the first spare parts inquiry to large-scale projects around the globe: Yilmaz Yildir has been shaping ABP Induction for 25 years. In this interview, the Vice President of Service Sales looks back on his early career, recalls some of the challenges he faced, and explains why he remains passionate about his work at ABP to this day.
When Yilmaz Yildir started working at ABP on February 5, 2001, he had no idea it would one day become a quarter of a century. The mechanical engineer had just finished his studies. There was a specific reason why his first day on the job didn’t fall at the beginning of the month: Just a few days earlier, he had received his diploma in Aachen.
He still remembers his first day very clearly. “It was bitterly cold. The harbor was completely frozen over,” he says He was particularly impressed at the time by the view of the Dortmund harbor from an office in the administrative building. The actual onboarding, however, began in a much more pragmatic way: a colleague simply placed a request from a Turkish customer on his desk – and with it the responsibility for his first task
“That was basically the onboarding,” says Yilmaz Yildir today with a smile. Looking back, he sees this as one of the company’s defining characteristics. At ABP, taking the initiative has never been just a buzzword. Anyone who wants to take responsibility is given the opportunities to do so. “You’re given an incredible amount of freedom here. But you also have to make use of it.”
This freedom and willingness to take matters into his own hands have been a constant throughout his entire career. At the same time, he highlights the special sense of camaraderie he has experienced at ABP. “When things get tough or something happens, we pull together even more,” he says, describing the atmosphere at the company. People often use the image of a family – at ABP you come very close to that.
He doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that many colleagues stay with the company for decades. “Once you come, you’ll stay,” says the service expert. There is more behind it than just the professional role. What matters most is the social environment, collaboration, and the shared goal of creating something. “There are quite a few colleagues who say: I enjoy coming to work because I spend this time with the people here and work with them on these topics.”
Yilmaz Yildir can support younger colleagues at ABP with his experience: “Sometimes younger colleagues face a problem and I say: Hold on, we already dealt with that ten years ago.” Then I pull the relevant emails from my archive so we can move closer to the solution.
Achievement is a source of pride
He is particularly proud of ABP’s technical capabilities. Time and again, the company has carried out projects that initially seemed nearly impossible. As an example, he cites a plant built for the customer TISCO in China, which, with a capacity of 42 megawatts, remains one of the most powerful plants ABP has ever built. “You can certainly be proud and say, ‘We’re the ones who made this happen.’”
For him, the appeal of plant engineering lies in being able to see projects through from the initial idea to the finished plant. “You often find yourself standing in front of an empty space at a client’s site and have to imagine how the system will be positioned there later on.” That makes it all the more rewarding to return months or years later and see the finished result.
He is particularly passionate about customer service – an area he believes is often underestimated. Because when a system is down, every minute counts. Customers expect fast solutions – regardless of the time of day or the day of the week.
One story in particular has stuck with him: On his wife’s birthday, he received an urgent call from a client that evening. A four‑ton component was needed to prevent a production shutdown. Within a few hours, the team organized the loading in the middle of the night. “That’s my idea of service,” says Yildir. The customer’s gratitude was immense. Situations like these are just part of everyday life in the service industry But that is precisely what makes his job so appealing. Finding solutions, improvising, taking responsibility, and overcoming challenges together with colleagues. “Sometimes a little chaotic, but always endearing,” is how he describes the ABP team. “We always want to keep moving, create things, and truly excel at what we do.”
Another aspect that continues to inspire him to this day is the company’s international focus. During the interview, Yilmaz Yildir is not in Dortmund, but in Shanghai. ABP’s global presence has given him the opportunity to get to know many countries and cultures. “I never would have thought that I’d end up traveling to almost every continent,” he says.
For a company of this size, this global network is an extraordinary advantage: “This global setup is truly a huge asset for this company.” It not only enables international projects but also personal experiences that go far beyond everyday work life.
After 25 years, Yilmaz Yildir looks back on his time at ABP with great gratitude: on projects that have set new standards worldwide; on client relationships that have grown over decades; and, above all, on the people with whom he has shared this journey.
