A.MANNESMANN belongs to the Schneeberger Group since October 01. The previous owner believes in the concept behind the merger.
Remscheid. Max W. Schenck did not have that much time when our newspaper reached him on Tuesday. The shareholder of A.Mannesmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH was on his way to visit a customer to tell him about the latest developments in the company. Schenck was accompanied by representatives of the Schneeberger Group, which is based in Roggwil in Switzerland.
That’s because the Remscheid-based manufacturer of high-precision machine elements and production partner of international mechanical engineering companies with around 150 employees became part of the global family business on October 01.
There is a strategic decision behind this move. On the one hand it has to do with the company's succession, but on the other it is intended to secure the company's success, says Schenck. “For A.MANNESMANN, there is simply the need to strengthen its effectiveness in the US, China and in Asia overall,” states the shareholder. The Schneeberger Group has corresponding market representations, such as in China, Singapore or India: “They are not just sales representatives, but also excellent engineers on site.”
The fact that his shares in the machine factory and the associated responsibility will now transfer to Dr. Hans-Martin Schneeberger, managing director of the Schneeberger Group, also has to do with the fact that he has known the people involved for a long time. “I did not want a financial investor, but rather a concept that fits,” emphasizes Schenck, who wants to ensure his succession at 61 years old after 30 years of managing the company.
Two leading companies in linear technology will go into the future hand-in-hand with the merger. The Remscheid ball screws and linear guides from Switzerland are complementary products. In short: Without the one product, the other does not work. They are demanded by one and the same customer just as frequently.
Complementary products as a promising basis The proximity of the products goes beyond the joint customer base however, according to Max W. Schenck. In the future, A.MANNESMANN Maschinenfabrik and the Schneeberger Group will therefore also work together in product development.
The Remscheid-based company inaugurated a 3,000 m² large production hall on Bahnstraße in January. “We have significantly better processes there. But also a little more space,” says Schenck auspiciously. The Schneeberger Group is thus planning to expand the Remscheid location. Schenck: “They want to grow here by ten percent every year. And that goes for machines and employees.” The workforce and the works council are just as open to the plans: “They are behind it all the way.”
