Like many of his fellow employees at the International Technical Development Center in Rüsselsheim Markus Koretz is a true pioneer. This styling expert helped his new fellow workers from the Group parent company PSA develop the Crossland X and Grandland X, “and as you can see, it turned out great.” Koretz was responsible for the interior lighting of the X models, and got to know some new people through the work this entailed.

In his free time, Koretz pursues an old family tradition with a modern twist, and also achieves strong results in this endeavor. Like other Koretz men before him, he spends time serving as a beekeeper, overseeing six beehives. “Even my great-grandfather kept bees,” he recounts. “I learned everything there is to know about bees from my grandpa when I was a kid.” And even though he was too young back then to start following in his grandfather’s footsteps, he never lost his interest in bees.

Four years ago, his wife gave him a ‘trial course’ on modern beekeeping as a gift – and Koretz was quickly overcome by the desire to put his old knowledge to practical use once more. He joined the Alzey beekeepers’ union and set up three beehives. “You need less room for beekeeping than most people would think; a 300-to-400-square-meter garden suffices,” he says of his rediscovered passion.

Fascinating bees

It’s important for the bees to have access to a lot of wildlife. Luckily, the Koretz family lives out at the edge of the German region of Framersheim, an area that perfectly fulfills this requirement.

The development engineer spends his free time wearing a standard beekeeper’s suit and distinctive veiled hat – just like his grandfather once did. He also ensures that his hobby doesn’t take up too much time. “I visit my bees maybe once a week, for two hours at a time. I only spend a whole day on them when I’m extracting honey.”

Since his beehives – of which there are now six – are very productive, though, he spends a lot of time doing just that; a bee colony produces up to 40 kilograms of honey per year. Koretz sells his bounty at Christmas markets together or his internet shop with poured beeswax candles. He also supplies his family, friends, and neighbors with honey.

Honey for the colleagues

His fellow workers in Styling who recently worked with him on the X models have also gotten to enjoy the goods. So has Maria El Asri, who, as a native French speaker, took on a special role in communicating with the PSA employees for that pioneering work. A jar or two of Koretz’s honey will definitely be making the short trip over to France sometime soon.