Ready for More in Precision Toolmaking
Interview with Niko Mau, Managing Director of DMC Europe GmbH
In June 2024, MCD-Tools GmbH became DMC Europe GmbH, after the former distribution company was acquired by the American crimp tool manufacturer. DMC Europe will consistently remain a customer-oriented family business, as Managing Director Niko Mau assures in the interview – and will continue to grow healthily in the coming years.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Mau, after your company acted as a distributor in the market for almost 20 years, the takeover by the American Daniels Manufacturing Corporation, abbreviated DMC, marked the transformation into a manufacturer – how did this come about?
Niko Mau: Originally, my father founded our company as MCD-Tools GmbH and soon after signed a distribution agreement with DMC to distribute their products in Germany. In this context, we also became an increasingly important partner for DMC and eventually took care of the entire DACH region as well as the Benelux countries. In June 2024, we finally agreed that DMC would acquire MCD-Tools GmbH and from then on we would operate in the market as a 100% subsidiary under the name DMC Europe. As such, we now aim to support our customers throughout Europe more specifically and individually as a manufacturer.
Wirtschaftsforum: What specific product segments are you involved in?
Niko Mau: We manufacture crimping tools, which are primarily used in the aerospace industry, but also in military and railway technologies – essentially anywhere where special requirements need to be met and complex environmental conditions prevail. For example, when an airplane takes off from Mallorca at an outdoor temperature of 40 °C in the shade, and a few minutes later it is at an altitude of 10,000 meters facing extreme temperature differences, significant vibrations, and condensation formation, the electromechanical connections for the transmission of electrical power and signals must also be correspondingly resilient. For this – and for many other applications in a similarly challenging context – special tools are required, tools that DMC has been known for over 75 years.
Wirtschaftsforum: What comes next for your company after the acquisition by DMC?
Niko Mau: Except for the collaboration with some long-standing partners, we have largely discontinued our previous distribution business in order to fully concentrate on our new tasks. In quite a short time, our team has grown from a dozen employees to nearly 20 people to handle the significantly increased workload. In the near future, we now intend to first realize significant efficiency gains – for example, we are currently still active at three smaller locations, which is why a move to a central headquarters should take place soon. In addition, we want to establish a technical support department and work as paperless as possible in the future. We know that the further growth we face will also be a challenge, but we are convinced that we will manage it. We want to continue to guarantee our customers just as fast response times and deliveries. We are proud of what we have achieved in the past, but we can do more and are also ready for it.
Wirtschaftsforum: Will the culture in your organization change with the takeover by an American company?
Niko Mau: DMC is the undisputed market leader in its niche in the USA – yet it would be wrong to call it an ‘American corporation’. I now visit the American headquarters very often, where I am always warmly welcomed and find that the same family values we uphold at DMC Europe are also lived there: transparency, openness, and a friendly, collegial relationship at eye level. It was clear to us from the beginning that DMC Europe should remain a family business and that this culture must be preserved – because this is an essential key factor for our continued success. Our colleagues in the USA feel the same way.
Wirtschaftsforum: How do you view the current market situation?
Niko Mau: In our key industries, we are seeing very robust demand – in the aerospace and telecommunications segments, but also in rail technology and especially, of course, in the defense area.
I do not support this development not only from my perspective as an entrepreneur but also as a citizen. Especially in geopolitically challenging times, I find it important that investments are made in the Bundeswehr and that our soldiers are sensibly equipped to fulfill their tasks.
Wirtschaftsforum: What personally motivates you to continue running your family business under these changed circumstances?
Niko Mau: I always had a very close relationship with my father. He gave me the opportunity to learn about the business from the ground up, from the warehouse through purchasing to field sales. I was allowed to make my own mistakes and then rectify them consistently. I grew from this, and it is an honor for me to continue this story with the same passion.