Four countries, two bikes and a friendship that lasts - at WEPA, too. 

Our story didn’t start at school but at work. At the paper factory in Cassino is where we met: two colleagues, two cycling enthusiasts, two friends. I – Teodores – have been with WEPA since 1991. Today I’m an expert in warehouse management and automation in the high-bay warehouse. My long-time companion Walter Miele joined two years later, he is now a shift manager in Converting.

It is so much more that connects us than just a job: it is friendship, a friendship that has grown over three decades – on our shared paths in the company and on the roads of the world. 

We have just returned from our last trip, which was a gravel bike adventure covering 704 kilometres and 7,800 metres in altitude – from Dubrovnik in Croatia via Montenegro and Albania to Igoumenitsa in Greece. This means four countries, seven days and five friends – and one of them is my workmate Walter.

We experienced spectacular routes, discovered remote places, spent the night in unspoilt nature – and on our jerseys, in our hearts and in our conversations we took WEPA with us. Because when you’re on the road and wearing the WEPA logo on your chest, you realise how much you connect with your work. It’s more than just a job, it has become a part of us.

This journey did not just challenge us physically, but in fact it embodied the team spirit, endurance and trust which make us strong in our everyday work at WEPA. What we experience on the bike is reflected in our work. We know that we can rely on each other – be it in the bike saddle or on shift.

For us, WEPA means stability, development and community. It means the opportunity to see our children grow up well educated. And a working environment in which benevolence counts. 

A particularly good example of this was the 75^th anniversary we celebrated in Cassino with the entire team. 

We hope that our story will inspire others to get moving, to be curious, to be open. Investing in relationships pays off, whether on the bike or in everyday working life. Because when you overcome challenges together, that’s when real bonds are created.