Kurtz Aluguss
Aluminium casting hones its own profile
Since its separation from Kurtz GmbH, the aluminium foundry has been operating independently under the name "Kurtz Aluguss GmbH & Co. KG." But although it may sound easy on paper, it has been a major feat by the team led by managing director Matthias Sacher, who has been on board since February 2014. However all the effort has paid off!
Since 1 November 2012 Kurtz Aluguss GmbH & Co. KG has been standing on its own two feet - and quite a lot has been happening during that period. Investments were made in various locations, for replacements and expansions; these include machine control systems and peripheral equipment, not forgetting the dispatch centre established at the Kreuzwertheim site in 2013. All these developments have established a framework for the planned further growth. But the most important asset of the aluminium casting arm is a member of staff who has been in place since early 2014 when, on 1 February, graduate industrial engineer Matthias Sacher took up his post as managing director.
The new manager found a situation characterised by the fact that, on his arrival, numerous central departments, such as order processing, order preparation, dispatch, purchasing and quality control were still administered from a joint order processing centre at the iron foundry site in Hasloch. There was an urgent need for action here, so Kurtz immediately provided the company with its own employees for these areas - especially quality control - so that the work could be done centrally from Kreuzwertheim. "Our procedures have become so much faster and more streamlined than was ever possible before. At the Wiebelbach site we need an aluminium casting team with each member working in close proximity to the others, able to devote their manpower entirely to the benefit of the company," says the 54-yearold manager.
Creating the structure for future growth
Matthias Sacher considers his predominant task to be the establishment of a structure that is in a position to handle the planned future growth. The existing business is also being closely examined, with loss-making aspects turned round to produce economic potential and finding solutions for the excessive spoilage rate in some areas. "Some of the batch sizes were far too big - we are now taking control of this aspect in order to raise the quality substantially," says Matthias Sender, who wants to introduce binding standards in various areas. The production planning was originally set to run using SAP from July, but Sacher says: "This is not a problem from the programming and IT point of view, but in combination with the overall revision of the ranges and stocks and given our team power, it will not be feasible until September."
Adapter plate, blade wheel, pump case or cylinder block - the Kurtz Aluguss team provides his know-how completely to the service of the customer
Kurtz Aluguss heads in new directions
Having been with the company for five months now, Matthias Sacher has now set the target for his team at a growth of ten per cent for 2014. But in order to do so, he first needs to introduce a sustainable basis, and this requires a certain amount of time. And he wants to steer Kurtz Aluguss aluminium casting in new directions, for example as a provider of development services. Of course, the aim is always ultimately to obtain a flow of orders.
This approach has enabled Kurtz Aluguss to obtain two very interesting enquiries from the expanded catchment area of the automotive industry. "It is still too early to discuss it, but this means real potential for aluminium casting and therefore for the Kurtz Ersa Group," says Sacher. We are already excited about what this means for us - but until all becomes clear the aluminium casting team is concentrating on preparing itself for future orders!