“Our market is highly competitive,” Mr. Zadworny says. “It is not enough any more to offer top products or technical excellence. You have to cooperate with your clients in order to become a business partner. Your customers have to trust you. This is my credo. Customers of ARF know that they get top quality and that we deliver in time. Most of our clients do not look at the price at first.”
Focusing on individual solutions, ARF offers a wide range of product and service solutions. The manufacturing of small, medium and large steel structures is the mainstay of the business. Warehouses and production halls, shopping centers and sheds are only a few examples. The steel specialist also covers a wide range of small metal products, such as meat hooks and fencing elements.
“We draw on CNC-controlled bending presses, milling machines and turning machines and on laser cutting machines,” says Mr. Zadworny. “Therefore, we are able to deliver building and machine parts, too. Here, you have to meet extraordinary demands for precision.”
ARF is well-known for its welding and metal cutting services. The company offers different types of arc welding and robotic welding. Laser cutting, propane-oxygen cutting and plasma cutting, bending of metal plates on press brakes up to 7.2 m and hot dip galvanizing complete the portfolio.
ARF’s clients also appreciate the company’s technical support and delivery reliability. Today, ARF serves customers in seven European countries. These are Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain and Denmark. In addition to his strategic activities, Mr. Zadworny is actively involved in the acquisition of new customers himself.
Most of the clients come from the engineering, construction and automation industries. At present, education and learning is a big issue at ARF. Mr. Zadworny also sees improvement possibilities in the education of young people.
“Often, the qualification of the young employees is not sufficient,” he says. “Sometimes, locksmiths apply who are not able to read technical drawings. Others are great theoreticians but have no practical experience. We have always been a learning company. Our method is simple. In every department we ensure that young and old team members cooperate. Often, younger and older people work at the same job stations. As a result, there is a continuous transfer of know-how. I believe that people are an important factor of success. Of course, you have to pay them well.”
ARF was founded in 1988 to supply DIY markets with hot-dip galvanized ground sleeves. In the 1990s, the company moved to its current location. In 1994, ARF commenced the production of hot-dip galvanized components, and in 1997 its own coating shop was established. Over the years, the portfolio grew, and ARF was able to employ more and more people.
“In the beginning, we had around 30 people,” says Mr. Zadworny. “Today, we have a staff of 200. My son joined the business a few years ago. At present, he is working on the implementation of an ERP system. Product-wise we will move towards more complex and challenging technical solutions. We come into the game when others surrender. I want ARF to be recognized as a preferred partner for technically sophisticated solutions, profound know-how, and state-of-the-art technologies and machines. This is an ambitious goal. Therefore, we will not rest on our laurels in the coming years but continue to develop and improve. We are a family enterprise and passionate about our business. We work hard and are dedicated to what we do. These are excellent preconditions for achieving our goal.”