Sustainable Electronics – Responsibly Manufactured
Interview with Emil Kurowski, Managing Director of TOP. Thomas Preuhs GmbH
Regional proximity, lived sustainability, and technical precision – these three pillars have guided TOP. Thomas Preuhs GmbH over the past 30 years from a small service provider to a flexible full-service electronics manufacturer. Today, the company supplies customers in medical technology, e-mobility, and infrastructure. Managing Director Emil Kurowski explains how proximity, flexibility, and attitude became a successful model.
The origins of the company go back 30 years – it was founded by Thomas Preuhs, whose grandmother was the first employee at the time. Since then, the company has continuously evolved: from a simple service provider to a full-service electronics manufacturer that today combines SMD and THT assembly, wave and selective soldering, cable assembly, device construction, testing, and switchgear construction under one roof. A milestone was the move to the current company building in 2011. Now with 36 employees and an annual turnover of around 6 million EUR, TOP primarily serves customers within a two-hour radius – including companies from the medical technology, power supply, security and ultrasound technology, E-Mobility, sensor technology, and infrastructure sectors. The flexibility of the company is particularly in demand: "We are not a classic series manufacturer, but provide quick, customized solutions – often even directly to the end customer's shelf," explains Emil Kurowski. Start-ups also benefit from the solution-oriented approach of the team, which not only manufactures but also provides advisory support during the development phase – such as in a current project for a quarantine vehicle in the medical field.
Sustainability and Future as Lived Responsibility
Reliability, closeness, and sustainability shape the identity of TOP. both internally and externally. This is evident on the company-owned campus, equipped with solar panels, 80 charging stations for electric vehicles, and an innovative energy management system that consistently reduces the CO2 footprint. Waste separation is just as natural as maintaining a colony of bees – a small symbol for the high standard of acting responsibly. As an employer, TOP. values principles. "Our employees appreciate the family-like approach and our attitude. Sustainability is not just a buzzword for us, but is truly lived," says Emil Kurowski.
To meet increasing demand, the company is currently seeking personnel reinforcements in many areas – and is addressing the shortage of skilled workers with a dedicated team and genuine cohesion. In the future, the company aims to continue growing, but not at any cost. The goal is to remain a long-term reliable partner for systems and devices – regionally anchored, flexible in solutions, and consistently sustainable. In this regard, the company expressly commits to its location in Baden-Württemberg – also in the spirit of the current 'The Länd' campaign, through which the state makes its economic strength and innovation visible.