Politics needs to understand what’s happening on the ground, and businesses need partners in politics to talk to. Those who produce, invest, and create jobs in rural areas must be able to clarify what works locally and where the problems lie. That’s why Alexander Bartz was a guest at SEGLER in Berge. Democracy thrives on dialogue, and that includes getting to know one another before decisions are made.
Bartz is the SPD’s candidate for district administrator of the Osnabrück district; the election will be held on September 13, 2026. Also at the table were our managing director, Thomas Neteler, and Dimitri Gappel, mayor of the municipality of Berge. It wasn’t a major event, but it was a constructive discussion.
Alexander Bartz at SEGLER: Economy, Energy, and Innovation
The initial topic was the economic situation in rural areas. How can businesses like ours retain skilled workers in the region? What is hindering investments? And what do medium-sized companies need from the district and municipality to be able to plan reliably? Approval times, grid connections, and available land determine on-site whether a project gets off the ground or stalls.
second focus was our Energy Hub Osnabrücker Nordkreis. We have shown what is already operational at the site: a 3 MWp PV system, a 1 MW operating and 5 MW approved battery storage system, a DC charging park with four 200 kW charging points, plus 13 AC charging points and a Green IT Hub. Generation, storage, charging infrastructure, and computing power in one place. For us, this is not a side project, but the foundation for how we want to operate our machine factory in the coming years.
Alexander Bartz brings economic topics from his own experience. From November 2022 to March 2025, the 41-year-old business economist from Vechta sat for the Cloppenburg-Vechta constituency in German Bundestag, where he served as a full member of the Committee on Economic Affairs and as rapporteur for, among others, the food and nutrition industry, agriculture, and wholesale and foreign trade. In addition, he was a member of the Committee on Digital Affairs, the Committee on Tourism, and the Committee on Petitions. He therefore has experience at the federal level and in local politics.
Politically neutral, open to discussion
A word of context: SEGLER is politically neutral. We do not support any election campaign or political party. We welcome politicians from across the democratic spectrum. In April, Gitta Connemann (CDU) Here with us is the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Government Commissioner for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Now Alexander Bartz (SPD). Anyone who bears or wants to bear responsibility for our region should see what is being built at Berge.
We consider such dates important and will continue them. Thanks to Alexander Bartz and Dimitri Gappel for their time and the open conversation.