20 June 2024 Production Engineering Solutions pesmedia.com TOOLING & WORKHOLDING There’s a saying in business that if you stand still, you get left behind and nowhere is this more appropriate than in the manufacturing sector where we’re in a period of unprecedented change. Ceratizit, now 100% owned by the Plansee Group and headquartered in Luxembourg, has embraced that change and then some. Indeed, since I last visited its sites in Reutte, Austria, and Kempten in Germany, back in 2019, the company has invested literally hundreds of millions of Euros in new facilities. In Reutte, there’s a brand-new production factory in Kreckelmoos (located in the Tyrol region), and in Kempten, there’s a new Logistics Centre AND a brand spanking new sales headquarters and Technical Centre. On day one in Reutte, Michael Blank, director of marketing and communications for the Ceratizit Group kicked off proceedings and introduced the agenda which would take in a pretty packed programme comprising site visits, factory tours, interactive exhibits (called ‘Marketplaces’) and a number of panel discussions. But it’s not just infrastructure that has seen changes for Ceratizit in recent times. At the EMO show in Hannover last year, Thierry Wolter, member of the Ceratizit board announced his retirement after 30 years in the cutting tool industry. The announcement prompted a board reshuffle with Melissa Albeck taking on responsibility for sales (cutting tools), R&D, and marketing and communications. Joining Ms Albeck at board level are Andreas Lackner with responsibility for operations, procurement and sustainability, and Frank Thomé who takes care of sales on the hard metals side of the business, GTP powders and AI/IT. Another very recent announcement is the appointment of Dan Cope as president of the Americas. “Over the past two decades or so, the Ceratizit Group has grown significantly, both organically and through mergers and acquisitions,” Melissa Albeck begins. “We’re probably best known for the WNT brand of cutting tools but since 2002 many other developments, particularly in the round tools segment have also taken place. “These include a 50/50 joint venture with Taiwanese company CBCT in 2010 along with many acquisitions such as Günther Wirth (GW), Promax in the US, aerospace specialist Klenk, Komet, GTP (Global Tungsten and Powders), and Cobra Carbide in India. “A significant acquisition particularly worthy of note in the context of sustainability however is Stadler Metalle in Germany who we acquired in 2019,” she adds. “Stadler specialises in the processing and recycling of secondary (scrap) raw materials for the production of tungsten and tungsten carbide powders. The acquisition dovetailed perfectly with our sustainability goals and objectives. The recycling of raw materials, such as cemented carbide, requires 75% less energy that the processing of ore so this was a key acquisition for us.” Taking sustainability seriously On the subject of sustainability, Ceratizit is taking its responsibilities very On a mission A common thread that drives all successful companies is an unrelenting desire to evolve, adapt to ever-changing market conditions and consistently invest in people and technology. For some businesses however, like the Ceratizit Group, it’s much more than evolution – it’s a passion, as Dave Tudor discovered during a recent international press event held at its sites in Austria and Germany. PES Report Dave Tudor The new Technical Centre in Kempten is modern, bright and impressive Ceratizit’s brand new Sales & Technical Centre in Kempten, Germany
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