Inquiries & Help
ASCO: Can you tell us something about your professional career to date?
Magnus Holm: With pleasure. From 2013 to 2017, I completed a commercial apprenticeship at Maschinenfabrik Rieter AG, one of the world's leading suppliers of textile machinery. After my apprenticeship, I went to America for a year, where I attended high school and graduated. I then returned to Rieter and worked in spare parts sales until I made an internal transfer to machine sales in 2020. In addition to my work, I completed further training as a federal sales specialist from 2019 to 2021, which I successfully completed. I also trained as an apprentice trainer in 2019 and supervised several apprentices. From 2021 to 2022, I was in the Swiss military and was promoted to sergeant major and completed leadership training. I then started at ASCO Kohlensäure AG in October 2023.
ASCO: What are your main tasks in sales?
Magnus Holm: As a sales consultant at ASCO, I am the central point of contact for potential and existing customers who are interested in our products and services. I advise customers individually and work out the optimum solution for their needs. My tasks also include representing the company to the outside world and raising ASCO's profile in various sectors. I maintain close contact with customers and identify new business potential for them, as well as for ASCO. I am also actively involved in the development of new product innovations by contributing market feedback and customer requests.
ASCO: What aspects of this position "appealed" to you?
Magnus Holm: Basically, I want to take on responsibility as part of a team. That has always been very important to me. I want to apply what I learnt in theory during my training back then in practice and benefit from international work. I have always valued personal customer contact and I am attracted by the opportunity to work in a smaller, internationally active company with short and direct communication channels. Together with ASCO, we have set ourselves long-term goals that will allow me personally and ASCO to develop and grow. Being part of a company specialising in CO2, which is part of the largest family-run industrial gases group "Messer Group" and at the same time embodies the "Swissness" values, is of course unique.
ASCO: What are your impressions of ASCO so far?
Magnus Holm: My impression of ASCO so far has been very positive. I am impressed by the company's professionalism, adaptability and fast pace. I like the direct, honest and reliable manner of the employees. Above all, however, I find ASCO's working environment very exciting, as it makes a contribution in many important areas and processes, but remains in the background and is little known. This was also new to me at the beginning and I learnt a lot.
For example, dry ice is very important for the entire pharmaceutical production and logistics, as well as for food logistics and production, many industrial cleaning applications, but also as CO2 for the beverage industry and food cultivation in greenhouses. I share ASCO's "do-it, but do-it right" mentality and would like to get involved in this innovative and future-orientated company.
ASCO: What surprised you most in the early days?
Magnus Holm: In the early days at ASCO, I experienced many surprises. One of them was the variety of applications of CO2, which is often discredited but is actually very important for many industries and for life. I learnt that ASCO is helping to minimise CO2 emissions into the atmosphere by offering CO2 recovery plants. Another surprise is ASCO's new sales approaches, which I find very exciting. For example, the "ASCO Carefree" concept, where the customer can book a carefree package and receive the machines and maintenance on a rental basis. For an international company that is a leader in dry ice and carbon capture technology, I was surprised by the relatively small number of employees. I find the atmosphere at ASCO very familiar and pleasant.
Magnus Holm, Area Sales Manager Dry Ice Systems