Page 85 - CH 2-2023 EN

CARPET STAR 2023
Peter Köster increasingly became seen as a pillar for the local industry. Now in 2023, the Interex- press era draws to a close.
Köster felt a special connection with the various countries of origin; his own personal commitment and love for rugs as a product gave him the extra determination necessary to get trickier shipping orders done. Virtually everybody in the business has an anecdote about delivery deadline prob- lems or labyrinthine customs procedures that Köster managed to overcome through dogged persistence, coming through often enough in the last minute. He was known as the man to rely on, who could keep everything under control while remaining behind the scenes. One story he recalls with pride is how he got port custom officials to grant clearance to trucks headed for Domotex even though the office had officially closed at 19:00 – saving the day so that every importer got their goods to the fair on time.
Long-time Interexpress employee Norbert Preuss remembers the time when the two visited a trade fair in Tehran back in 1998: “It was impossible to get a taxi to take us back to the hotel. I was start-
ing to get a bit concerned, but then he said “don’t worry”, walked to the curb and stuck his thumb out. The second passing car stopped for us; the driver was delighted to take on passengers from Germany and drove us straight to the hotel. I would never have been bold enough to hitch-hike through Tehran ...”
Naser Sedeghi of Sadiq & Sohn: “Peter Köster is a reliable business partner; he was there for all of us, and he’s a good friend. Through good times and bad, Peter Köster was always the one to turn to.”
Dr. Ali Ipektchi of Ipek: “To me, Peter Köster has been indispensable for the Hamburg carpet busi- ness. He worked in more areas of the local carpet industry you can think of and has such expertise, but he also understands and works well with peo- ple. Even if he wasn’t personally going to make any money, Köster would still always help out when needed. The incomparable knowledge he accumulated over the decades about products, companies, people and processes is truly irre- placeable for the industry here. I wish Peter all the best, and above all good health to enjoy his “life after carpets.”
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL CARPET STAR WINNERS
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