Fitting-Ker has roots dating back to 1967 before its official foundation in 1991 by Zoltán Takács, the father of today’s managing director. “In the 1970s and 1980s, hired labour was undertaken,” explains Levente Takács, managing director of Fitting-Ker. “After the Hungarian Revolution, our company was able to expand its business and produced pipe ties for Ikarus until 1995. In the search for customers from Germany, a cooperation with Friz Maschinenbau GmbH was established. For more than 20 years now, all parties have profited from this fruitful collaboration.”
Since 1997, Fitting-Ker has also worked together with Knorr Bremse and its locations in Hungary, Austria and Germany. “Today, we serve as the largest supplier to the Budapest branch within metal cutting,” states the managing director. “In 2010 and 2011, we were even awarded ‘best supplier’ by them.”
At the present time, the Hungarian enterprise employs 80 people at its single location in Tököl. “In 2011, we expanded our premises to 2,800 m², where the flow of goods, from raw materials to finished products, is organized in clearly defined and transparent procedures,” says Mr. Takács. “Especially after the year 2000, it became more and more necessary to have highly technological and up-to-date machinery. Concerning this matter, we renewed our equipment, and at this point, we make use of 13 Mazak machines with a total value of 1.8 million EUR, which we bought between 2006 and 2013. Due to our focus on the German mechanical engineering industry, we also have German machines at our command. All of them are maintained regularly and operate in highly precise ways.”
With these excellent preconditions, Fitting-Ker is able to provide a comprehensive product and service portfolio for its demanding customers at home and abroad.
“We specialize in machined parts, including the processes of shaping, milling and grinding,” explains the managing director. “In this regard, we are able to realize complex products according to the customer’s demands. Usually, clients equip us with a basic draft, and we take care of the procurement of raw materials, the complete production processes including necessary supplies from abroad, as well as serious product testing, controls and delivery to its destination.”
These products and services make the company a much sought-after partner on the market. “We are very versatile and serve a variety of audiences,” states Mr. Takács. “The railway industry serves as our primary target group. From the restored subway in New York to the Deutsche Bahn to high-speed tracks in Japan, our products for the rail industry can be found in nearly all countries of the world.”
In addition, Fitting-Ker supplies the mechanical engineering, automotive and oil sectors. “We recently changed our corporate profile,” says the managing director. “Our company had reached the goal it set for itself six years ago: to be able to react to the changing needs of customers with a flexibility not seen elsewhere on the market. The expansion of our machine park, the rethinking of our operating processes and our business concept proved to be a solid foundation for this.”
In terms of marketing and sales, many of Fitting-Ker’s customers approach the company directly. In the past, its good work made for renowned references. Recommendations are highly important, as well.
An export rate of nearly 40% shows Fitting-Ker’s popularity on global markets. “Some core markets include Japan, China or the USA,” explains Mr. Takács. “By means of our partners, large parts of the remaining production volumes also reach destinations on foreign markets.”
In the future, the family-run enterprise strives to diversify its range of products and services. “In order to distinguish ourselves from the competition, we want to carry out more complex manufacturing processes,” summarizes the managing director. “Medium-sized and small series between 10 and 40,000 parts per year will stand in the foreground. With our flexible and family-run structures and moderate financial risks, we will be able to continuously improve our processes and produce at low prices.”