Focus on coil processing
Half of H and L’s customers are in the auto-
motive sector (mainly Tier One or subcontrac-
tors of the OEMs – making seating, internal
car parts etc.). The other 50% is in what is
termed as ‘the industrial sector’ and is much
the domestic appliance market (colour coated
more diversified (domestic appliances, heat-
material etc.),” added Otte.
ing systems, construction, shelving/storage
systems). It is this sector that Becker wishes to
The partnership principle
develop more in the future.
Both Otte and Becker have tried to develop
“The automotive sector was very good for us
the principle of strategic partnerships with
– we saw a good increase there last year,” he
customers and suppliers.
told ISMR. “However, we really feel that the
“We have around eight hundred active
industrial sector offers more special options
customers but, with 15% of customers we
do 85% of the business so we concentrate
Above and
left: Coil
mainly on about one hundred ‘key’ custom-
storage
ers,” Otte explained. “We develop a strategic
solutions
partnership with these clients and always try
from
to have material in stock for them, so that
Lankhorst
Mouldings
they never run out. We want our custom-
at H&L’s
ers to view us as a strategic supplier/partner
Schwerte (bearing in mind we are also part of the
facility
Salzgitter group) and we wish to develop
more intensive strategic business. This is also
more fruitful for our customer. We follow the
same strategy with our suppliers.”
for us in the future as there are different mate-
rial requirements and it is a bigger platform.
Our future development will become more
focused towards industrial, rather than auto-
motive. These customers allow individual
solutions and are more flexible.”
“We would also like to expand our share in
Click on window above to see footage
of trapezoids and arc production at H&L
Schwerte
This principle of strategic partnership also
carries into other areas, such as collabora-
tive solutions. For example, a ten-year busi-
ness relationship with Dutch coil storage
system manufacturer, Lankhorst Mouldings,
has resulted in the continuous development
of more capable, safer and environmentally
friendly coil storage systems at H and L’s
Schwerte facility.
38 March/April 2007 International Sheet Metal Review
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