Paul Gauselmann, the man who gave his name to the giant gaming company Gauselmann Group in Germany, celebrates his 80th birthday today (August 26).
Gauselmann made the transition from part-time businessman to the founder and owner of one of the leading games and gaming machine companies in the world with a turnover of around €2bn and over 8,000 employees over the past 50 years.
Born in 1934 near to Münster, he began his career with an apprenticeship as a telecommunications inspector. A few years later he started to operate jukeboxes in his spare time before opening his first gaming arcade in 1974. Within only three years, Gauselmann introduced his first self-developed gaming machine called the Merkur B and captured over 50 per cent of the German AWP market from 1984 onwards.
“Step by step I gained the fundamental knowledge and perseverance to enter the German AWP market through my training at Telefonbau und Normalzeit and in the activities that followed,” he said. “The thorough wealth of experience I gained in my youth before, during and after the Second World War to create something out of little or indeed out of nothing has been a major contributing factor for the later entrepreneurial success of the Gauselmann Group.”
Today, Gauselmann is one of the world’s largest gaming machine manufacturers and arcade operators. In 2012, it made its largest ever acquisition when it purchased the 170-location UK arcade chain Praesepe.
Paul Gauselmann has also been a major force within the German AWP industry association VDAI over the last 33 years. He was decorated with the German Federal Cross of Merit in 1993 for his outstanding social commitment as well as for his service within the German AWP industry. A decade later this was increased to the even more prestigious First Class of the German Federal Cross of Merit.
On his 70th birthday in 2004, the towns of both Espelkamp and Lübbecke, home to Gauselmann’s production facilities and offices, bestowed him the dignity of honorary citizenship for his untiring service to the region.
Over the years, he was been able to count on the support of his wife Karin and his four sons and nine grandchildren, he said.
“Whether in the management board, supervisory board or as part of the foundation – my family has always been a great support to me in my private and business life. My sons have made major contributions to today’s company success at the Gauselmann Group.
“My particular thanks goes to my wife Karin who has advised, supported and motivated me in every situation for the past 47 years.”
