Bastian Kastner: The World Of Decorative Interiors At Schattdecor

Bastian Kastner’s career in the RV industry and his current U.S.-based position at Schattdecor, an international surface specialist company, originally began in his home country of Germany.

Now working as Schattdecor’s National Sales Manager, Bastian originally joined the company with a printing and industrial engineering background. “I come from traditional offset printing, everything from business cards to magazines,” he explained. “When you consider furniture, kitchen, and RV interiors, you don’t normally claim it to be a printed product. I came to the realization that it actually is all printed and that’s how this world of surfaces began for me. I was hooked from the first moment and I’m astonished how the products keep innovating.”

Bastian initially started working part-time for the company while obtaining his Master of Business Administration at the Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences in Germany. “I had to write a thesis as part of my master’s. Schattdecor asked me if I wanted to write it while working for them in Brazil or the United States, which were my touchpoints. I knew there was an opportunity opening in the United States, so I went there and wrote a technical marketing thesis about the American market. I analyzed where Schattdecor can grow and where more opportunities are. I really enjoyed it.”

“When I came back to Germany my mentor for the thesis said there was only one way to prove what I had written. That’s how it all started. I ventured into a management trainee program with Schattdecor for one-and-a-half years. Aside from the time I spent in Germany, I trained for three months each in Poland and the United States. I learned even more about Schattdecor and then came to the United States, where I started our finish foil business.”

Now during his day-to-day business Bastian focuses on sales development and team leadership functions, as well as strategic and long-term decision-making. “We have a couple of newer employees so coaching and employee development have also been a part of my responsibilities,” he notes.

Along with fulfilling a leadership role, he also helps oversee Schattdecor’s range of product offerings and is always working to add yet more to the list, such as the company’s most recent addition to its thermoplastic products: the Fineflex, a recycled polyethylene terephthalate-based high quality film. In addition, Bastian helps lead the development of new designs and colors, as well as strategies for the release of new products.

He also emphasizes the role of design in influencing whether a customer feels at home when they step into an RV. “Sometimes you need to see the value of the product that comes from design and many people don’t realize that. It’s often in the background for the customer or the OEM, but when I walk in the first thing that speaks to me is the type of wood grain color, the color combinations, the finishes, and if customers will feel at home and comfortable. You can set the tone for an RV in many different ways and that’s where I feel Schattdecor’s forte is,” he says.

He also notes that the company’s newest location provides an additional avenue for success. “About three years ago we acquired a new company in Lexington, SC, and now we can strengthen our position in the market as we have additional capacity,” he continued. “Many of products we used to import in the past we can now make domestically here. I’m enthusiastic about our products and the market and I think there are many things we can still accomplish and I’m happy to be part of the team.”

Along with his duties as Schattdecor’s National Sales Manager, Bastian is also involved with the RV Industry Association: “I serve on the Association’s Supplier Committee and I’m also on the Emerging Leaders Coalition, which I’m very humble and happy to be a part of. I feel like I’m part of a constantly growing family with the RV Industry Association. There’s so many entrepreneurs and innovators in our group and I really enjoy being there. Our last leadership meeting in Phoenix was inspiring— listening to industry-leading RV original equipment manufacturer CEOs and taking their advice to emerging leaders,” he says, referencing the first-ever Leadership Conference that took place in Arizona this past March. “It’s a platform to collaborate and exchange ideas to improve leadership skills. It was a fantastic event with a great lineup on speakers.”

In addition to the Leadership Conference, Bastian regularly attends RVs Move America Week. In particular, he highlights past interactions with the RV Industry Association’s former Vice President of Government Affairs Jay Landers, who retired in March. “Jay Landers connected me with many original equipment manufacturers and fellow suppliers in the industry. I remember I had two of our executives from Germany with me and we experienced Capitol Hill together. None of us had been to Congress before and it was an unforgettable experience that rounded up an informative week. Jay helped us a lot.”

In fact, he says, the entire Association has been instrumental in connecting him and Schattdecor with networking opportunities in the industry. “It’s all about opening opportunities to reach new customers and I have to say that the RV Industry Association has played a tremendous part of connecting us with OEMs, where there’s a quieter pace and it’s easier to get to know somebody on a more personal level. You cannot imagine how many of those conversations turned into actual business at the very end and I’m very happy about it. It’s a big key to our success.”

“I love the industry that we’re in and I’m very loyal to our company,” Bastian adds. “I’m very grateful to represent Schattdecor in the RV Industry Association. Over the years I feel we have been developing strong partnerships and we just recently opened an office in Elkhart. I’m excited to see what comes next and I have a feeling that we’re just getting started.”

Learn more about Schattdecor here.