INTERVIEW: BUILDING A BUISNESS


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The company is based at Wörth am Rhein, but works with customers across the globe


have a reliable local network that offers services including contract manufacturing and part machining.


What are the principal drivers of your success? Juergen and I have more than 30 years of expert knowledge in a broad range of high-tech applications. We have reliable networks of partners around the globe. I believe we have an in-depth understanding of markets and applications in various industries.


But perhaps most important


is the passion and enthusiasm we have for the technology, and the satisfaction we get from providing customers with excellent products that enable them to find successful solutions. We take pride in the fact that, in quite a number of products in various markets, we’ve played a significant role in enabling customers to grow their business, and this is extremely satisfying.


What have been your main challenges? In the area of laser technology, we work in a field with big


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players, and a significant challenge has been to find a range of good partners and good quality products and a niche in the market where we can stay profitable. We don’t always offer the cheapest solutions, so we’ve had to work hard to convince customers of the benefits of working with us in terms of our reliability and flexibility, and that what we propose is based on extensive knowledge and experience. For example, we develop a lot of customised products with our customers for use in their production lines, which is something other companies in this field are unable to do. I would say, perhaps our


biggest challenge is not only to find products that our customers will find interesting but how to open up markets for these products. For larger companies


with more employees and more financial resources for advertising and marketing, launching new products is a bit easier; but, for us, the biggest challenge is how to do this as a small company.


How do you see the future? We will definitely remain a niche player and we will continue to provide unique solutions. Our goal over the next five years is for steady growth and to triple our current revenue. I’m confident we will achieve this because customer feedback over the past two years tells us they find our products interesting, and we have several new, interesting products in the pipeline. We’ve also accumulated a good portfolio of potential customers, and we are already working with well-known companies in the field of laser technology, which will help to improve our visibility in the market. Finally, as a way of gaining customer confidence in the sale of complicated measurement systems, we have begun investing in a metrology lab in our own premises. To achieve all of these


objectives, we will need to hire more personnel with the expertise to enable us to broaden our market approach. Of course, there is a range of unpredictable boundary conditions such as global


“You must believe in your vision and be prepared to work hard to make it a reality”


supply-chain issues that everyone has been facing for the past few years, but I’m quite optimistic that these initiatives will pave the way to healthy growth.


What’s your advice for the next generation of entrepreneurs? You must believe in your vision and be prepared to work hard to make it a reality. Some people will give you advice that’s essentially counterproductive to what you have planned to do. Of course, moving forward involves risk taking and, at times, it’s not a pleasant journey. But if you can remain confident, there are a lot of opportunities for young people to develop a business. Admittedly, the private equity sector is getting harder and there are some M&A activities ongoing at the moment, but nevertheless I think the trend is still upwards and, as long as you stay optimistic and you believe in your own strengths, there’s a good chance you’ll succeed.EO


February 2024 Electro Optics 35


nortus Systronic


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