Kunterbunt Kindergarten Opens In Zell Am See
Balancing family and work is one of the biggest challenges for parents. With the opening of the Kunterbunt company kindergarten, Schmittenhöhebahn AG and Hagebaumarkt Ebster are jointly sending a strong signal of family friendliness and at the same time laying an important foundation for regional development.
Data & Facts:
• Space for 48 children, divided into four groups
• Care for children aged 1 – 6 years
• Open all year round (only closed for 2 weeks)
• Opening hours: 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday as required
• Advance bookings for children from the surrounding area possible
• Operator: Schmittenhöhebahn AG
• Management: Alexandra Daxer
• Location: Flugplatzstraße 24, Zell am See
As the first inter-company childcare facility in Pinzgau and the state of Salzburg, the facility offers flexible opening hours without holiday closures – perfectly tailored to the needs of the retail, cable car and tourism industries. Many partners and companions attended the opening of the new company kindergarten in Zell am See on October 7th. They celebrated together and explored the lovingly designed rooms. Among the guests: Dr. Erich Egger (Board Member of Schmittenhöhebahn AG), Ing. Hannes Mayer (Technical Director of Schmittenhöhebahn AG), Marianne Wallner (Authorized Signatory of Hagebaumarkt Ebster), Alexandra Daxer (Head of Company Kindergarten), Peter Eder (AK President), KR Peter Buchmüller (President of the Chamber of Commerce) & Dr. Gerd Raspotnig (Deputy Director of the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce).
From business breakfast to reality: Three years of project development
The company kindergarten's success story began over three years ago at a business breakfast at the Zell am See Chamber of Commerce. Schmittenhöhebahn AG and Hagebaumarkt Ebster quickly realized that such a project would not have been feasible on their own. Rafael Paulischin-Hovdar from AMD Salzburg (Society for Occupational Medicine, Safety Technology and Occupational Psychology GmbH) was involved from the very beginning – initially as a consultant, now supporting them in operational management. "Rafael Paulischin-Hovdar was always motivating, inspiring, and above all, solution-oriented throughout the entire project – a tremendous support!" emphasizes Marianne Wallner, authorized signatory at Hagebau Ebster. After an initially difficult property search, the decision was made to locate the site at Flugplatzstraße 24, thus also to plan larger and open the kindergarten to the public. A
win-win situation for both company and employees.
The motivation behind the project is clear: "We are committed to supporting our employees, who, as dual-income couples, often have to master the challenge of balancing family, children, household, and work. As this project demonstrates, work-life balance is a lived reality for us, not just a slogan," emphasizes Dr. Erich Egger, CEO of Schmittenhöhebahn AG. "We have deliberately developed a concept that goes far beyond normal childcare: flexible opening hours for our ski resort work schedules, fresh regional menus from Schmitten restaurants, sustainable architecture, and a natural outdoor area where exercise, nature, and creativity are the focus. In this way, we create optimal conditions for children and parents." Hannes Mayer (Technical Director of Schmittenhöhebahn AG), who planned and oversaw the entire project from the initial idea to implementation, adds: "Our primary focus during the planning phase was to create a place that ideally combines the needs of the children with operational requirements. The close collaboration of all those involved and the clear vision made it possible to make this pioneering care concept a reality." Stress-free, relaxed, and motivated employees are expected to be the long-term result – a true win-win situation. Furthermore, the offer provides both companies with decisive advantages when recruiting staff in times of skilled labor shortages.
Year-round support and industry-specific concept
The Kunterbunt company kindergarten is located at Flugplatzstraße 24 in Zell am See-Schüttdorf, on the site of a former warehouse. Over 2 million euros were invested in the new building. Designed by the architectural firm Hasenauer.Architekten, the 512-square-meter building is constructed of sustainable timber and offers space for up to 48 children aged 1 to 6 years, divided into two toddler groups on the ground floor and two older children's groups on the upper floor. "Our focus is on the loving care and individual development of each child. We create an atmosphere in which both children and parents can feel completely at home," explains Alexandra Daxer, the kindergarten's educational director. Opening hours are specifically tailored to the tourism industry: Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays if necessary. Particularly family-friendly: The kindergarten is open year-round, closing only for two weeks for thorough cleaning and annual planning. In addition to corporate partnerships, private registrations for children from the surrounding area are also possible – the kindergarten fulfills the educational mandate of the state of Salzburg and can care for all children up to compulsory school age.
