Wirtschaftsforum: What products does FLT manufacture specifically?

Michael Hartmann: Our core products are bearings, rod ends, and forged parts. Additionally, we have a complete range of stainless steel products, ceramic bearings, hybrid bearings, and electrically insulated bearings. Mostly, these are custom products based on standard sizes. However, we also supply special types. We are particularly strong in the areas of industrial gearboxes and electric motors, as well as in agricultural technology, vehicle axles, and generally in the automotive industry. We source our products from global manufacturing sites. The FLT-Wälzlager GmbH is a pure sales location for the DACH region, Benelux, and Scandinavia with six employees and an annual turnover of 23 million EUR. 

Wirtschaftsforum: What particularly distinguishes your company in the competition?

Michael Hartmann: One of our strengths is that we can also produce smaller annual volumes or quantities. Others start only at five-digit quantities. Our customers also appreciate our quick response time and in many cases better and faster service. We deliver very quickly and can offer almost everything thanks to the global FLT and XCC factories. The range extends from a few millimeters to large bearings several meters in diameter.

This is complemented by the fact that development times have significantly shortened compared to the past. Today, it is expected that a result will be available after just two weeks – and that’s exactly what we can deliver: We are among the few providers in the mid-market segment that have the ROMAX simulation software package. ROMAX is leading in the simulation of bearings within complete powertrains. With this software, drive systems can be precisely modeled according to customer specifications. Thus, we enable an extremely accurate simulation of the technical conditions. The software is very costly, and we are proud to use it for our customers and offer this service at no charge. There may be more well-known brands than us, but we feel comfortable in the upper middle class because that's where we can uphold our values.

Wirtschaftsforum: What topics are your customers most concerned about right now?

Michael Hartmann: Product quality is being questioned more intensely; documentation in this area has significantly increased. The fact that the system works with us can be seen from the fact that in the eight years I have been with FLT, there have been no significant complaints regarding quality. The general price pressure is immense in the industry, with many players in the market. Increasingly important is the topic of renewable energy production. Our plants already have solar panels on the roofs, we are increasingly able to clean our own wastewater, and in production, we are adopting new methods, for example by using a salt bath instead of an oil bath in the hardening process. Customers actively ask for environmental certificates, but also for certificates that prove that the products were not made using child or forced labor.

Wirtschaftsforum: FLT has been in the market for a long time. What do you think makes the company so successful?

Michael Hartmann: I think an important factor is that we are very solution-oriented. We are always approachable regarding customer needs. We stay in close contact with our customers and always keep an outward-looking perspective. Our major customers have been loyal to us for decades. They know that we are straightforward and unbureaucratic.

Wirtschaftsforum: How much does the shortage of skilled workers affect you?

Michael Hartmann: Fortunately, we have very little turnover. The employees are satisfied and tend to stay with the company for a long time. This is certainly due to our humane work environment. But also our internationality makes us an attractive employer. In the vicinity of the Düsseldorf site, we have always found suitable personnel that we further qualify internally. We offer various training measures, including in foreign languages.

Wirtschaftsforum: Finally, a personal question: What is your greatest motivation in your work?

Michael Hartmann: My motivation comes from the product itself. Bearings are incredibly versatile. There are up to 100 of them in various sizes and materials in every car. I learn something new every week, and the growing portfolio and new solutions continue to excite me.