"Act Instead of React!"
Interview with Bernd Nickel, Managing Director/Partner of SFB Metallerzeugnisse GmbH
At SFB Metallerzeugnisse GmbH, sparks literally fly: The company based in Bautzen specializes in welding and supplies the industry mainly with safety-critical components, including welding assemblies for the medium voltage range. SFB focuses on long-term partnerships, not only with its customers, but also with its employees and suppliers. Managing Director Bernd Nickel makes a clear appeal to the politicians.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Nickel, could you first tell us a little about the history of your company: How has it developed?
Bernd Nickel: The history of SFB Metallerzeugnisse GmbH began in 1993 as a manufacturer of fittings for bakeries, butcheries, and the catering industry: tables, cabinets, shelves, with a focus on custom construction. I joined the company in 2003. At that time, we began to also consider other products – apart from the fixtures, where stainless steel processing is the focus, including classic black sheet metal processing. Here, we initially started on a small scale with forming, punching, welding, and assembling smaller assemblies, until in 2009 we put a focus on welding to differentiate ourselves from the mass of competitors – particularly through certifications that allow us to weld in areas with special regulations, such as rail and vehicle construction as well as pressure vessel construction. As a classic supplier, today we deliver 90% safety-relevant components to the industry.
Wirtschaftsforum: What exactly are these components and what does 'safety-relevant' mean in this context?
Bernd Nickel: One of our clients is Siemens, who manufactures switching stations in their facility in Frankfurt. These are used in transformer stations and distribution substations to ensure that electricity reaches households. Components of these switching stations are welding assemblies that we provide. These parts are considered safety-relevant because they are used in medium-voltage environments. The same applies to welding assemblies we supply to forklift manufacturers Linde and Still, which are installed in forklifts and are therefore safety-relevant.
Wirtschaftsforum: Besides automotive and electrical industries, in which other sectors do you also operate?
Bernd Nickel: The third area we are involved in is the leisure industry, where we supply welding assemblies for shunting drives for caravans, also known as Movers. And our fourth line is in stove manufacturing – we produce and assemble complete stoves, meaning the stove leaves our premises exactly as it arrives at the end customer. Stainless steel processing/custom construction is still part of our portfolio.
Wirtschaftsforum: Why do you think customers come to you? And why do they stay with you?
Bernd Nickel: In our business, nothing works without mutual trust and reliability. This trust does not arise immediately but develops over a long period of time. Therefore, several customers have been with us for many years and have become partners during this time. The same is true for our employees: some have been working with us for 30 years. This is rare to find. Conversely, in the production of safety-relevant components, a lot of experience is also necessary, so that the employees who have it are not easily replaceable. To deliver high quality, it takes both experienced employees and suppliers whom one can also trust. We maintain good cooperation within and outside the company by communicating with each other and dealing with each other sensibly and fairly. This is an important building block of our success.
Wirtschaftsforum: What role does digitalization play in your company? Welding is largely manual labor, isn't it?
Bernd Nickel: Indeed, in our company we have both, manual welding and automated, which are undertaken by four welding robots. These are digitally controlled. However, we are also digitally organized in contact with our customers and suppliers in merchandise management. Between our customers and us, not a scrap of paper is exchanged anymore, starting from the inquiry to drawings and bids up to delivery notes and invoices – all communication happens in electronic form.
Wirtschaftsforum: What goals and visions do you have for the future of SFB, where do you see the company in the coming years?
Bernd Nickel: In some areas, for instance, I would like to further increase the degree of automation. Visions and concrete goals are set. At this point, however, I have to address politics and say: Please give me different framework conditions as an entrepreneur first, so that I can even deal with the implementation of goals and visions. I would like to invest more in one place or another, but due to the current circumstances, it is better to hit the brakes. We know the potential we have as a company, but we also need some planning security, which is not given at the moment. This is the case for the entire small and medium-sized business sector and I wish that instead of just being able to react to the situation, we could be put in a position to act more on our own again!