"Service, Service, Service – and Personal Contact!"
Interview with Daniel Lewin, Managing Director of Danfol Vertriebs GmbH
For over 35 years, Daniel Lewin has been distributing plastic sheets from Israel to the DACH region as well as Poland and Czech Republic, which are then used to create, among other things, noise barriers and refrigerated shelving doors. He revealed to Wirtschaftsforum why his service quality will remain the most important basis for success in the future.
"In all of Europe, there may be only two or three other people who have been in the business as long as I have," reveals Daniel Lewin, owner and CEO of Danfol Vertriebs GmbH for industrial supplies, pointing to an important distinctive feature of his company in the market: "Over this time, we have made a name for ourselves - and today, this name is our foundation for existence."
For 35 years, he has represented the Israeli Plazit Polygal Ltd. through Danfol GmbH, which in 2021 was acquired by Plaskolite USA, a manufacturer of transparent plastic elements, acrylic, polycarbonate, polystyrene, and SAN sheets. Following the acquisition by Plaskolite, the portfolio has expanded to include additional products such as plastic mirrors and CC-cast sheets, which are subsequently used as promotional materials, in printing, as roofing elements, or in mechanical engineering. "Classic applications include signs or noise protection walls on highways. Even the doors in front of supermarket refrigerators are made from our raw materials," explains Daniel Lewin.
As in many industries, Danfol's competitive environment has noticeably intensified over the last few years due to Asian suppliers. However, the plastics expert cannot and does not want to engage in price wars – hence, Daniel Lewin is relying on a strategy that has proven itself over decades: 'Service, Service, Service – and personal contact! Even though the products themselves may be very similar, we can support our clients with a much stronger presence. A Chinese manufacturer cannot compete with this – they neither know the language nor the mentality in Europe and often do not even have a physical presence here.'
Service quality should continue to make the difference
A claim that Danfol has been living up to for over 30 years: "Our customers know that we are there for them. As soon as our plane has landed or we come out of the meeting, we respond immediately and have a solution ready. No matter where and no matter what time – we take care of it." His son, who has been involved in the company for several years, also wants to continue this vision prospectively. "Computers and AI cannot replace personal contact, at least for the foreseeable future. However, no one can predict what the world will look like in ten years. But we have already proven our enormous flexibility more than once in the three decades of our existence. I am confident: We will also succeed in the future," Daniel Lewin looks forward optimistically.