When Visions Become Products
Interview with Florian Walchhofer, Managing Director of wtronic electronic production gmbh
Circuit boards – a connecting element between electronics and technology, invisible heroes in the background, without which nothing would work, and core products of wtronic electronic production gmbh from Völkermarkt in Austria. wtronic acts as an EMS company, manufactures customized assemblies and sees itself as an ‘enabler’, for which there is always a solution.
wtronic is a regionally rooted family business that has made a name for itself with solid know-how and expertise in the manufacture of high-quality electronic products. As a full-service provider, wtronic feels well positioned for the future.
Quality made in Europe
The company's origins date back to 1995. In 2005, Christian Walchhofer joined the company. "My father was already active in the EMS industry at the time," his son Florian recounts. "He was in contact with the then company owner, and so the idea came about to do something together. At that time, the company focused exclusively on trading circuit boards, but as customers increasingly asked for the assembly of circuit boards, the decision matured in 2008 to establish a company with a partner in Italy to also gain a foothold in electronic production." By 2010, the Walchhofer family had acquired all the company shares; since 2014, the company has been operating in the market as wtronic. Production takes place at its two own subsidiaries in Italy and Slovenia, founded in 2008 and 2016, respectively.
"We consciously chose locations in Italy and Slovenia because logistical accessibility is important to us," says Florian Walchhofer. "During the Corona times, production in the Alpe-Adria region proved particularly effective; the borders remained open, we were able to continue working as usual and regularly received inquiries from new customers. During this exceptional period, awareness of the European location was heightened." In Slovenia, wtronic initially focused on assembling complete devices. Today, the situation is different; the range of services at both locations is almost identical.
Family Business by Conviction
The independent, owner-managed group of companies focuses as a contract manufacturer in the electronics industry on three major areas of activity: trading in circuit boards, assembling circuit boards, and complete device assembly. Customers can use all services or just individual services. With Cornelia and Florian Walchhofer, the 2nd generation of the family is now active in the company. "It was always assumed that I would join the company someday, grow into the business," says Florian Walchhofer. "However, I initially completed a commercial/economic-based education, without a clear focus on electronics. After graduating, it became clear to me and also to my sister that we wanted to join the family business, and since January this year, we have been part of the management team."
It's All About the Service
After consistent growth in the past years, wrtonic now employs about 100 staff members; 18 of them work at the office in Völkermarkt, about 20 at the production site in Slovenia, and around 60 in Italy. For all of them, the objective is to fulfill the customers' wishes. "Everything we do is focused on the customer," emphasizes Florian Walchhofer. "Service distinguishes us from the market and is an important trademark. The flexibility we offer customers, the solutions – service is the common thread in everything. Finding solutions together and on equal footing is what sets us apart." Customers appreciate this customer orientation and remain loyal to wtronic.
"We have customers who have been working with us for 15 years, and we grow with them," says Florian Walchhofer. "In the last ten years, we have only lost one single customer. Our customers are companies like us, family-run, SMEs; the customer base suits us and stays with us."
Ready today for tomorrow
wtronic also aims to grow with its customers in the future and faces current challenges with expertise and foresight. "The supply chain issues have improved since the pandemic, but they are still present," says Florian Walch-hofer. "We sometimes have to source standard components from Asia, as the delivery time for some components is still more than 26 weeks. Against this backdrop, we have set up a consignment stock for hard-to-find components at our location." Other topics that concern the company are automation and AI. In purchasing, they already use AI-supported software that facilitates the search for components.
A major step towards the future is the introduction of new production software for the sites in Italy and Slovenia; here, AI helps with order planning. The prerequisite for using the software is state-of-the-art machines. At both production sites, all machines have been replaced in the past 1.5 years; wtronic is thus well-prepared for Industry 4.0. To continue the consistent development of the past years, wtronic not only focuses on innovative technologies but also on its employees. Training should be emphasized more. There are also medium and long-term goals. "Currently, we are tenants, but thanks to our consistently positive development, we now have the opportunity to invest in our own buildings for production and administration," says Florian Walchhofer. "This is an important step towards the future."