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Interview with Marc Winzen, Sales Automation of KSV Koblenzer Steuerungs- und Verteilungsbau GmbH
The energy transition affects all areas of our lives - individuals, companies, or the public sector. More efficient and comprehensive projects in energy distribution can contribute to saving resources and advancing the energy transition. No one knows this better than KSV Koblenzer Steuerungs- und Verteilungsbau GmbH. The name says it all: the company is a leader in automation, control systems, and energy distribution systems.
"For example, we ensure that electricity from high-voltage networks is transformed into low voltage in transformer stations and offer switchgear up to 7,000 amperes," says Marc Winzen, who has been with the company for two years and is responsible for the sales of the automation department. Because at KSV, it's not just about the low-voltage and power distribution sector, but the company is also a partner to the industry in automation, building control and switchgear cabinets – and this is independent of the industry. "For us, the industry is secondary, as we can provide solutions for any request across all industries," says Marc Winzen.
Starting with switchgear cabinets
Today, in addition to the business units of control technology and automation as well as power engineering, the portfolio also includes measurement and testing technology. A wide range for a medium-sized company that now employs 185 people and generates a turnover of 32 million EUR. It all began on a small scale in 1979.
The spin-off of the control construction department at Elektro Thomas in Koblenz led to the founding of KSV. The company started with the construction of switchgear and, under the leadership of Jochen Kortmann and Thomas Frink, developed so successfully over the following years that new premises had to be occupied soon. The year 2013 marks an important milestone in the company's history: the energy and plant construction division was added. "This was due to the growing demand," says Marc Winzen. We expanded our focus to cover the demand in plant construction. The following year co-founder Jochen Kortmann retired, and Thomas Frink has since placed the destiny of the company in the hands of his two sons.
Everyone Pulling Together
KSV is still a family business, and that's exactly what motivated Marc Winzen to switch to KSV two years ago. "KSV is a pleasant and familial employer with flat hierarchies. Everyone here pulls together, and all employees are motivated to advance themselves and the company, and to better position KSV in the market. I like that." However, KSV is also an attractive company for both customers and employees in terms of expertise, as the company always provides all services from a single source, even for major projects involving automation systems and control equipment. This is made possible by the company's good staff strength and quality. For projects related to low voltage and power distribution, the company is the contact point from planning and project execution to commissioning, maintenance, engineering services, as well as network measurements and remote maintenance technology.
Energy must be delivered
"A secure distribution of energy is the foundation for any reliable production, for industrial facilities as well as buildings. We ensure that energy is also safely distributed in the low-voltage area. Energy distribution is practically everything, the energy must arrive where it is needed," emphasizes Marc Winzen. Another important area is automation. Here KSV takes on complete projects, from planning the hardware and software to assembly with various programming languages, and sometimes recommends a retrofit instead of a new project.
Active across industries
"We work hand in hand with the machine builders. Based on their wishes, we create the complete control concept and plan the position of the switchgear and control cabinets. In principle, we control entire productions, and this is cross-industry. This means that we count heavy industry as well as the paper industry, but also automotive suppliers among our customers," says Marc Winzen. Moreover, in the field of measuring and testing technology, the company develops and builds special facilities for the area of e-mobility.
Satisfaction is Important
KSV operates nationwide for its customers, with some large-scale projects being implemented internationally. “Our customers appreciate that they get a solution from a single source with us, and that we are active across various industries, especially in the field of automation. They always have a consistent point of contact and are not left alone with problems,” says Marc Winzen. However, satisfied customers are one thing, satisfied employees are another. “The employees appreciate the familial atmosphere. They are motivated and support us in our long-term goals. We want to position ourselves better in the market, but overall, we want to contribute to the energy transition. There is a high motivation to save resources,” adds Marc Winzen. Thus, KSV wants to bring more companies together for the energy transition and find synergies for efficient solutions. “We can tackle larger projects better together,” Marc Winzen is convinced. The daily challenges, diverse projects, and positive feedback from satisfied customers – that drives Marc Winzen and his colleagues every day.