Gerhard Marischka, Managing Director of ISS Central Europe, has been honored by the Austrian government with a silver award for his contribution to the Austrian society.

The award was presented by the Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Labor of Austria, Dr. Martin Bartenstein in the glorious marble hall of the Department of Trade and Industry.

With ISS Austria since 1971, Mr. Marischka has played an instrumental role in the development of ISS Austria and later ISS Central Europe. He began his carrier working for his father, who sold his company to ISS in 1971.

Mr. Marischka took over the management of ISS Austria and soon explored business opportunities in the neighboring countries. Today, he can proudly present a turnover of DKK 1.6 billion and approx. 20.000 employees in Central Europe in 2003.

"My father would not in his dreams have imagined he placed the cornerstone for such a successful company," Mr. Marischka said about his father Otto Marischka, when accepting the award.