19 July 2010, Albstadt- German textile engineering powerhouse
Groz-Beckert opened its highly impressive Technology & Development Centre
(TEZ) here in Albstadt on Friday confirming its status as one of the most successful
and forward thinking textile engineering businesses in the world.
Set in Baden-Württemberg, one of Germany’s wealthiest
regions, which borders France to the west and Switzerland to the south, the
town of Albstadt is the centre of the world’s needle manufacturing centre for
industrial knitting machines and many parts for other textile machinery, thanks
to Groz-Beckert. The town is also home
to circular knitting machine builder Mayer & Cie. and the region is also home
to famous textile machinery businesses such as flat knitting machine builder H.
Stoll in Reutlingen.
Around 500 guests were given guided tours’ of Groz-Beckert’s
huge new TEZ facility on Friday and entertained in the evening together with
various dignitaries including, Minister-President Mappus of Baden-Württemberg, State
Parliament Member Haller, District Administrator Pauli and Lord Mayer Gneveckow.
Visitors were also treated to an inspiring after dinner speech by Groz-Beckert’s
Chairman Dr. Thomas Lindner and on Saturday the company expected up to 3000
visitors as it opened the gleaming glass doors of TEZ to its staff and their
families and friends.
Centre for innovation
Groz-Beckert had the idea of building a centre for innovation
several years ago and after well known Munich based architect Henn and its
building contractors completed construction in 2007 the company held a fairly
low key topping-out party. Friday’s official opening event however seemed very
well timed as the textile manufacturing industry in the region and elsewhere
begins to recover from the global economic crisis.
The total area covered by the TEZ comprises of 25,000 m²,
14,000 m² of which is useable space. The building blends in well with its
surroundings and existing Groz-Beckert buildings with the four striking gables
making a strong architectural statement. Glass is used extensively both inside and
outside and the building’s attractive grounds are mirrored by the numerous
garden areas on the first floor. TEZ is said to exceed the already strict energy
saving regulations and materials were said to have been selected for both
environmental compatibility and durability.
Investment of 70 million Euros
Groz-Beckert has invested approximately 70 million Euros in
TEZ at a time when the European textile machinery industry has experienced
probably the worst period in its history. The company which has numerous
subsidiaries worldwide, including those in India and China, believes that the
soul of the company is of crucial importance and the investment is a clear vote
in favour Albstadt and the region. The company says its overseas plants,
although culturally diverse, share the same standardised concept of quality and
for Groz-Beckert therefore, concentrating and focussing its innovative strength
in Albstadt is the right answer.
The company’s headquarters and above all, the TEZ will
function as a global interface where all of the core competencies such as
development, design, process technology and lab technology meet and combine.
The site also features a qualified education structure and a high level of
textile know-how, all of which are further arguments in favour of the region.
Focus on Technical Centres
The main focus at TEZ is on five Technical Centres for
knitting, weaving, felting, tufting and sewing and each centre is fully
equipped with the very latest production machines from many of the world’s leading
machinery builders. The equipment allows the conducting of experiments, the
production of short batches and special pilot projects for partners as well as
the testing of Groz-Beckert’s products under realistic production conditions.
The knitting centre houses around fifteen different machines
including a Stoll CMS 822HP multi-gauge machine in E6.2 gauge, a Karl Mayer HKS
3-1 in gauge E32 and a Terrot 13P 572 double jersey machine fitted with a 28
gauge Groz-Beckert cylinder. Alongside machinery from Mayer & Cie., Cixing,
Pai Lung, Lonati and others were also a range of samples from companies such as
Santoni and Stoll together with Groz-Beckert’s excellent displays of its gauge
E66 cylinder, complete knitting head and knitted loop formation video streaming
demonstration.
Another important area in the TEZ is the Groz-Beckert
Laboratory which offers lab services for all sectors as well as housing the
company’s new ‘Textile Product
Technology – technical textiles’ course which has been developed in cooperation
with the University of Albstadt-Sigmaringen in 2009. The TEZ also many generously
sized rooms housing apprentice workshops, meeting places and conference
facilities and developer offices. A highlight is the auditorium which seats up
to 275 people, is equipped with the latest multi-media technology and booths
for simultaneous interpreters.
Central objectives
A greater emphasis on thinking in systems is just one of the
central objectives of Groz-Beckert’s Technology & Development Centre.
Others include the encouragement of R&D, innovations and synergies in the
textile world. The company continually trains around 30 commercial and 145
technical apprentices every year in order to secure qualified junior personnel.
Cooperation with machine builders and users as well as institutes is being
widened and training is available for all Groz-Beckert customers and staff in
all of the company’s core competencies.
Speaking to guests at the evening dinner, Groz-Beckert’s Chairman
Dr. Thomas Lindner addressed issues such as why the company was investing in
difficult economic times, why the company was investing in Albstadt when the
best sales opportunities are in Asia and why the company was planning so far
ahead when many maintain that a globalised world primarily depends on speed and
flexibility.
Dr. Lindner told guests that the company’s success was based
first and foremost on product quality. “We supply the main tools for the production
of textile surfaces, suitable for mass production, highly precise and customer
oriented,” he said. “This has given us a market position which people in Schwabia,
with their notorious understatement, would refer to as ‘satisfactory’. On the
way there, we have built up a large amount of know-how potential - potential
that we can make better use of,” Dr Lindner added.
Dr Lindner explained that the company had to continually
meet the challenges of competition created by the movement of markets from West
to East. He said that the company was also expanding its product ranges
providing components and system solutions although individual tools would
remain the basis. The company now supplies cylinders and dials, complete
knitting heads for circular knitting machines, needle handling systems and
lubricant analysis services from its laboratories.
"Innovation is created by systematic design"
Dr. Lindner then used the famous Thomas A. Edison quote, “Genius
is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration”, saying that: “The
same applies to innovation – the difference being that innovation requires a
great deal more (perspiration)!” Dr. Lindner said: “To begin with, innovation
requires an innovation friendly basic structure – a place where ‘the new’ is
created not by accident, but by systematic design.” “There may be several such
places like that on the planet. For
Groz-Beckert, that place is located precisely here – in Albstadt-Ebingen!” Dr
Lindner said.
Dr. Lindner said that the expertise of Groz-Beckert’s
different company sectors is focussed in Albstadt, that a qualified training
infrastructure existed right there and that a considerable amount of textile
know-how has always been concentrated in the region. He explained that TEZ was
making the most of these favourable conditions providing everything needed for
innovative product development, including state-of- the art measuring technology,
high-tech laboratories and an individual technical centre for each of the
company’s sectors.
Long term advantage of family owned business
“Innovation is also a
process focussed on the future, however, with the considerable risks this
entails. This is why we need a long term approach and a climate of reliability.
We are convinced of this,” Dr. Lindner explained.
Dr Lindner further explained that a traditional family owned
company like Groz-Beckert is synonymous with this long term approach to
thinking and with this climate of safety and reliability. “The structure of a
family firm is far better armed towards this than many shareholder value
oriented public limited companies, with their frequent changes of management –
however these bear no relation to the management qualities of individual
people,” Dr Lindner said.
“Family entrepreneurs are not automatically do-gooders
either. The long term advantage of a family owned, traditional company lies
primarily in the fact that its decision makers are strongly rooted in the
region where that company is located,” Dr. Lindner said.
The same long term perspective is what made Groz-Beckert
decide to build the TEZ in Albstadt and although the company knew how long the payback
period would be with such an investment, it is also aware of how well education
and innovation can secure the market position of a company in the long term.
Education is key
On the subject of education Dr. Lindner explained the
company was going a step further as it was becoming difficult to train young
people. “Apart from glaring weaknesses where reading, writing and arithmetic
are involved, the lack of social and inter-personal skills is also giving us
increasing cause for concern. The foundations here are often laid in early
childhood. In the near future we will be trying to tackle this problem – within
the microcosm of the company at least – by offering qualified all-day care for
children from 6 months to 14 years of age and supplementing this in the near
future with an offer of primary school education,” Dr. Lindner said.
Dr. Lindner explained that innovation functions especially
well within networked structures and for this reason the company has founded a research
institute which will serve as a platform for all those interested in
cooperative partnership. He encouraged other institutes, universities and
companies to participate as partners to play a part in establishing a powerful
cluster for technical textile research and development.
Returning to the questions which he himself set in the early
part of his speech Dr. Lindner answered each as follows:
Why invest such a high sum in such troubled economic times?
“Because we think in the long term and we are convinced that
innovative strength will enable us to survive difficult times in the future as
well.”
Why build here in Albstadt when the best sales opportunities
are in Asia?
“Because we have learned – not least from the subsidiaries
overseas – that the soul of a company is of decisive importance. The standard
that makes Groz-Beckert a successful brand overseas is set ight here. Take one
look at our factories abroad, whether it is in India, China or elsewhere in
Europe, and it is clear that despite differing mentalities and cultures, the
same, standardised concept of quality prevails everywhere. And that concept of
quality has always been and always will be, defined here in Albstadt.”
Why make such long-term plans when the globalised world
primarily seems to demand speed and flexibility?
“Because innovative strength makes it easier for us to adapt
and this makes us not only more flexible but also more attractive to partners
and customers in global markets.”
Building for the future
Groz-Beckert, a traditional family owned textile engineering
business, is well known for its focus on quality and tradition. However, there is
also a strong entrepreneurial spirit here which is driving the company to adopt
its current strategy. In the world of globalization, where we regularly see the
very heart being ripped out companies, in the constant pursuit of share holder
value, it is truly inspiring to see a company that is investing not only on behalf
of its owners but also for the long term preservation and growth of its people,
its community and its region. ‘Building for the future’ could be a great mantra
which could be adopted by many manufacturing businesses in the textiles
industry today.
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