"The more unusual, the better!"
Interview with Gernot Ramsauer, Managing Director of Langguth + Co. GmbH
It only really becomes fun when it gets challenging. That is the attitude of Gernot Ramsauer, Managing Director of Langguth + Co. GmbH. The family-owned company, based in Nuremberg, is well-known beyond the borders of Germany for its particularly tricky drive solutions. The portfolio includes custom worm, planetary, and spindle gears, as well as special drives.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Ramsauer, drives are needed for many applications, and there are also many suppliers in this segment. What kind of drives do you manufacture, and what distinguishes you from the competition?
Gernot Ramsauer: Our specialty and our most important product group are worm and planetary gearboxes – often with spindle drives. We also produce custom drives. Essentially, we only manufacture custom specifications. Standard drives can be produced much better and more cost-effectively by other, larger companies. We come into play when there is no corresponding catalog product. A good example is medical technology. For lifting patient beds in an MRI, drives without magnetic parts are needed. We manufacture such items on a custom basis. Our drives are also used in extendable steps of subways. To put it casually: The more unusual and bizarre the requirements, the better we like it. We can also produce planetary gearboxes that run clockwise or counterclockwise. We are particularly comfortable with production runs between 50 and 5,000 units.
Wirtschaftsforum: Interesting. Could you please tell us about the history of Langguth? Who founded the company and how has it developed since then?
Gernot Ramsauer: In 1921, the designer Karl Langguth and the businessman Dr. Friedrich Pelke founded the company for the manufacture of two-wheeled products. A motorcycle transmission developed by Karl Langguth was not patented, and so it was replicated by a well-known motorcycle manufacturer. In 1956, my grandfather Georg Ramsauer took over the business and began manufacturing drives, including for paternoster cabinets for storing files. A year later, my father Rudolf Ramsauer joined the company as an apprentice, later my uncle Günter Ramsauer also joined. My father took over the company's management in 1971, and since 1998 I have been running the business as the managing director. To this day, the company remains 100% family-owned and we employ a total of 40 staff.
Wirtschaftsforum: Which industries do you serve besides the already mentioned medical and railway technology?
Gernot Ramsauer: We are very broadly positioned. We supply our drives for automation and robotics, general mechanical engineering, the food industry, and defense. We have experience in many areas. It always has to be something special.
Wirtschaftsforum: And what is your geographical catchment area?
Gernot Ramsauer: We are primarily active in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This market accounts for about 70% of our sales. The remaining 30% are spread across customers from all over the world.
Wirtschaftsforum: What do you do on the sales side?
Gernot Ramsauer: It's a bit more difficult for us because we do not offer a product but want to convince with solution competence. Many inquiries come through the internet, as interested parties Google us. That's why we want to further expand our search engine optimization. Otherwise, our in-house sales team takes care of existing customers and potential new orders. Customers from the northern German region are looked after by a representative in the area. Additionally, we are regularly present with a booth at the leading trade fair for automation, the SPS in Nuremberg.
Wirtschaftsforum: Is digitalization a topic for you?
Gernot Ramsauer: With our drives, it's somewhat peripheral, for example when sensors are included. The same applies to control components. Two years ago, we also experimentally purchased a robot and integrated it into our production. So currently, we are operating in a hybrid manner. And we are also progressively digitizing our internal processes.
Wirtschaftsforum: And how do you approach sustainability?
Gernot Ramsauer: We have been engaged with it for a long time, even when it was not yet a common topic. In our area, we were the first to have photovoltaic panels on our roof 16 years ago. We use our waste heat and repurpose metal remnants from processing. We also try to use materials with recycled content. In our fleet, we now have more electric vehicles than cars with combustion engines. Additionally, we have created a beautiful flower meadow on our company premises, which is looked after by employees.
Wirtschaftsforum: Why is Langguth a successful company?
Gernot Ramsauer: We listen carefully, create a complete concept with prices and are a solid family business. We also have very qualified and motivated employees.
Wirtschaftsforum: What are your goals for the coming years?
Gernot Ramsauer: We want to continue to grow in future-oriented sectors. I am thinking of environmental technologies and the food industry, among others. We would like to make the world a bit better.