It takes around 10 years for an oak tree to reach early maturity and real structural strength. It takes around 10 years for a vineyard to begin producing high-quality grapes consistently. What do 10 years mean in the language of business?
We explored this question together with Volker Weissenberger, Director of Business Development at CREE to hear his insights into CREE success story, and to congratulate him on his outstanding 10-year anniversary with the company!
This month marks your 10-year anniversary with CREE Buildings. How has this decade with CREE been for you?
I vividly remember meeting Hubert for the first time in early December 2015. We met in his Vienna office, and he told me about CREE. He was interested in my ability to build networks and help turn CREE from where it was into something much bigger.
What struck me most was hearing the early story of CREE, which back then was the story of a struggle: raising a fragile but ambitious idea while trying to convince the board of decisionmakers that it was worth “backing”. In my head, it immediately formed a classic David-versus-Goliath picture. I was looking for exactly that: something scalable, purposeful, and led by a strong personality.
Two weeks later, I met the CREE team and visited the Life-Cycle Tower in Dornbirn for the first time. I remember walking inside the building and being impressed, and not just by the aesthetics of the inside interior, but by the professionalism, the care for the detail, and by the self-expression manifesting in the choice of materials and the quality of the execution. It confirmed everything I had felt in that initial conversation in Vienna.
On December 31st, we met again, this time in Lech, to discuss how and in what role I could join CREE. And in mid-January, Hubert called me and said: “I haven’t spoken to the board, but we’ll do this anyway. You start in February. Make us proud.”
Fast forward to today: CREE operates in multiple countries, has delivered dozens of projects, and is a brand that is recognized and respected.
So how has this decade been? I grew some grey hair. There were moments of frustration. But the real question is: Do I regret it? Would I do it again?
The answer is a clear “yes”, I would. No regrets. I’ve learned, I’ve succeeded, and I have become more grounded. I’m still enthusiastic, but with a better understanding of patterns and connections. That, I guess, comes with time.
Could you predict CREE’s growth back in 2016?
Short answer: yes, I could see it coming.
Between 2012 and 2015 CREE welcomed more than 3,000 international visitors. Knowing this and considering my own impressions of LCT One, I realized that the interest was already there, it just needed to be shaped into a product.
From day one, CREE was a door-opener in conversations. I don’t recall a single company I approached that declined the first meeting. It was a clear sign to me: this was bigger than a single building or concept.
I felt then – and still feel today – that CREE is something special, and that I’m fortunate to be part of this journey.
The CREE network now spans the globe, from Canada to Singapore. What has enabled a small company rooted in Vorarlberg, Austria, to grow so successfully on an international scale?
Opportunities are always connected to real people. Growth happens when you connect with the individuals who already carry a spark and then align your vision with them.
As a group, often against the odds, we maintained the mental strength to cut through uncertainty. One of my favorite sayings is: “If your vision gets blurry, you bought someone else’s worry.” The market often lives between one’s ears – meaning, it is shaped as much by perception, beliefs, and assumptions as by objective facts.
We managed to collectively tune out that irrelevant noise, continuously reinvent ourselves, and stay true to what we believed in. The fact that we’re still here today says a lot about the caliber of people within CREE, and those we’ve attracted as partners.
So, who is a CREE Partner today? What criteria must be met to qualify as one?
The definition has evolved over time, and this evolution reflects our own learning curve.
Today, the CREE Partner is a construction company with a genuine ambition to industrialize, to win projects through design-and-build rather than through the traditional tendering process. In my view, tendering leaves little room for innovation and rarely creates real winners.
What we offer to the partners who match this profile is acceleration – or a way to transition toward industrialized construction without risking their business. In this sense, CREE is a platform, where both sides commit resources, capacities and their management´s attention.
In your role, you play a central part in driving business relationships, expanding the CREE network, and shaping the company’s business model. Can you tell us more about it?
I’ve always been intrinsically driven. And I will probably always be. My focus is growth, which means revenue-generating activities. I try to prevent myself from getting lost in the small details that could distract from the momentum.
I surround myself with positive people. My days are structured around staying mentally strong, building meaningful pipelines, and setting clear targets. I’m disciplined in that – not because it’s draining, but because it’s what I genuinely enjoy doing.
This responsibility also comes with added weight. I feel accountable to deliver. And not only for myself, but for the whole organization. The evolution of the CREE business model from a classic licensing model toward a membership-based ecosystem reflects this mindset: building long-term relationships on alignment, not transactions.
What can you call your biggest business win of the last 10 years?
Selling our first license in Singapore was the defining moment. Kimly (our Partner in Singapore) pinned CREE onto the map. Everything that followed afterwards was a consequence of this proof point.
On a personal level, the biggest wins were seeing pride and confidence on people’s faces when they realized: this is working! And yes – also remembering those who said it wouldn’t.
Taken together, those moments define success for me: both individually and collectively.
The timber-hybrid construction sector is becoming highly competitive. What do you believe truly differentiates CREE and enables it to stand out in the market?
It’s the brand.
Strong brands eliminate a fundamental problem of decision overload for their customers. Imagine having to evaluate everything from scratch every day. Great brands earn a place in the “evoked set” – the top few options people instinctively trust.
CREE has the potential to be one of these global brands. We have a proven track record, and not only in theory. We see buildings as products, we operate globally, and we create assets that people want to own and manage.
Combined with the focus on sustainability, a growing network, and increasing market recognition, CREE creates confidence in those who ultimately fund and use the buildings: investors, operators, and tenants. In that sense, CREE is the insurance policy.
Regarding the competition, I think it is healthy. It confirms that the conventional way of building is failing. Together, we’re gradually transforming the world’s second-largest industry – and we’re enjoying the journey along the way.
Looking ahead, how do you see CREE’s role 10 years from now, and which trends do you believe will be most transformative for your work in the years to come?
One key pillar will be CREE’s continued alignment with the real estate capital – the real catalyst for scaling. Delivering repeatable, efficient, high-quality buildings earns trust, creates momentum, and brings even the hesitant on board.
The second pillar is data: streamlining insights across supply chains, projects, and capital while making information actionable.
Ultimately, I see CREE evolving into a clearing house and an enablement platform: connecting capital, capability, and delivery in a way that accelerates industrialized construction globally.