The name technotrans enjoys a long-established reputation in the USA. After all, we now offer our entire portfolio and have had our own location since 1995. I find the future markets such as e-mobility especially exciting.
Dandy Uy, Refrigeration Engineer
Amid all the heated political debate in the USA, it is often overlooked that industry here is further ahead in many future markets than Europeans sometimes assume. E-mobility is a major area for which I know technotrans supplies great products and has excellent references. It’s also a big help that we’ve already made a name for ourselves in such fields as laser technology or plastics processing.
And having our own location in North America takes the wind right out of the sails of anyone who has reservations about technotrans being from Germany. That also shows me the people in Sassenberg have a deep understanding of the special circumstances on other continents. It makes my work easier and I can say “Made in Germany” with a clear conscience if I am selling reliable, innovative products.
Research and Development is where I and my colleagues make both our own ideas and our customers’ wishes become a reality. We therefore always try to stay one step ahead of the market.
Dr. Robert Holtwick, Project ManagerWorking in Research and Development serves up something new to fascinate me every day. This is where we help shape the future with our products. I can also take pride in the knowledge that electric mobility, medical technology or digital printing wouldn’t be possible in quite the same way without technotrans products. I relish the dialogue with colleagues at the other locations, we learn from each other and that makes us even more effective.
Meanwhile the developments of recent years in various industries present a challenge. We can’t countenance standing still. That motivates me. So it’s good to know we have the company’s backing and enjoy the freedom to experiment. Ultimately, our developments make an important contribution to the whole group, which preserves the company’s viability.
My office at gds is right opposite the HQ in Sassenberg. That’s where I and my team of experts work on Technical Documentation and CE support for our clients.
Ludger Bruns, Head of Service ConsultingInformation needs to disseminate knowledge – that is and always will be at the core of our work. As products become ever more complex, the context of use is coming more sharplyinto focus than before. At gds, we now work with what is known as electronic content delivery to achieve optimised technical documentation that overcomes the limitations of paper. Constantly tuning in to new products, companies and requirements is the exciting part of my work.
Finding ever better ways of supplying every user with up-to-date information accurately and swiftly is a challenge. I help customers to integrate our solutions profitably into their day-to-day work through workshops and training courses. I always find it valuable to have direct contact with the people involved. I am able to be of help, and see the results of our work directly at the coalface.
termotek has been part of the technotrans group since 2011. The best part of it is our options have increased, but we are still a success with what we do best.
Aurèlien Muller, Test Facility/Service Team LeaderIn Baden-Baden we build chillers mainly for applications in compact laser equipment. They are used in such areas as medical technology, so need to operate very reliably. A quality management system to DIN ISO 9001 is therefore self-evident. Since we became part of the technotrans Group, we have been able to put more resources into our core skills and have acquired plenty of new customers. My task is to make sure we supply consistently high quality and satisfy all the requirements.
It’s no longer enough just to talk of good products. Certifications and in-house tests above and beyond what is required by law guarantee that exacting customers will equally want to work with us. So the fact that I’m a perfectionist and want to get comprehensively acquainted with the subject matter certainly isn’t a problem, and I feel really at home in the test facility.
We build a wide variety of industrial cooling systems in Bad Doberan. The high-performance systems are used in many different areas, and each one of them presents specific requirements that we seek to meet individually.
Stefan Titze, Head of ProductionThese production operations demand plenty of flexibility of me and my team. The biggest challenge is that our systems have to satisfy different conditions at each user. It’s about much more than simply the cooling performance. So whether we have to contend with extremely high temperatures, want to cool several systems centrally or are developing a very energy-efficient cooling solution for lasers, many projects are tailored specially to our customers. That way, we cover a large number of application areas and every performance range.
KLH and its companies have only been fully owned by the technotrans Group since 2016, but KLH has fitted in perfectly. First, I was readily able to show my colleagues the benefits of the strong group structure. Second, all locations have come together very well. Along with our sister company termotek, we now cover the entire performance range for refrigeration technology, so we are a genuine full-liner.
As the newest member of the technotrans Group, we’ve learned a lot from each other very quickly. My role at gwk is to develop various versions of our cooling systems for high performance ranges.
Klaus Cyriax, Area Sales ManagerA central cooling system or linked systems may be used in virtually all the industries we supply. Injection moulding, extrusion, plastics, metals, chemicals/pharmaceuticals or food – a single one of our large-scale units for these areas can easily be the size of a container. One big challenge is to keep adapting to specific customer requirements and then developing energy-saving but high-performance cooling systems.
As part of the technotrans Group, we have the backing of a strong organisation that makes it so much easier for us to pursue our growth targets specifically in international markets. That means the customer requirements I encounter in my day-to-day work are constantly changing. But also that our solutions are already proving successful in many markets worldwide.
Sprachenwelt is in some senses a one-of-a-kind entity within the group. We draw on our understanding of technology and language to help provide legally sound, swift translations for technotrans and many other businesses worldwide.
Daniela Trost, Commercial AssistantTranslating technical documentation or highly specialised texts in general needs abundant expertise. That is what our specialist translators offer. With our linguistic background, we are experts at handling terminology, which is the key to the translation process. That makes us able not only to supply our clients with consistent, legally sound translations, but also to maximise the time and cost saving. We therefore carry a big responsibility.
By handling a variety of languages and an array of technological products every day, there is never a dull moment in my work.
Ovidius is a relatively recent addition to the technotrans Group, but we’ve integrated seamlessly within a short time. And we bring special skills that further enhance the gds portfolio in very specific areas.
Martyna Emilia Pietrzak, Sales AssistantAt Ovidius, we specialise in XML and deal with every area of the entire content life cycle. That includes the XML editorial system XR as well as ARC-Desk, a portal for review and approval processes. That’s where I work on making approval and review processes at companies simpler, swifter and more accurate.
My task is to support the users when introducing our systems. It’s often a big step for them to switch from having bits of paper everywhere to digital administration of processes. Once customers experience the advantages it brings and how we simplify their day-to-day work, we often see and hear how thrilled they are. Obviously that’s an added motivation for me. Since we became part of the technotrans Group, we’ve enjoyed even more market opportunities thanks to the extra resources available. Including for the benefit of our customers.
Always being the first port of call for my customers, developing mutual trust and therefore being able to contribute towards technotrans’ success through my work is what has motivated me for 8 years now.
Partha Sarathy, Sales & Service Adminstrator
For me, the quality of the products and service are what critically determine how much I enjoy working in sales. It’s so much easier for us if our colleagues in Germany are coming up with brilliant solutions, are able to act on our feedback from customers and the service procedures run smoothly. It makes me realise every day how important it is for us all to move in the same direction. We serve India in very close partnership with our colleagues in Singapore. The fact that I’m working in Chennai allows me to straddle two cultures. Indians and Asians have one thing in common: they appreciate technotrans systems.
In my time here I’ve experienced a lot, met some great people, seen many interesting places and become acquainted with innovative companies. And I’ve witnessed technotrans change and gain a foothold in many new industries. Accompanying that process in sales has been and is incredibly exciting.
Things run at a different pace in Dubai compared to Europe. On the one hand we have ultramodern systems and businesses, but we sometimes also lack expertise, for which we then call on the best companies worldwide.
Niels Siegel, Managing Director
I see the technotrans location as the gateway to the Middle East, and we can also serve a good portion of Africa from here. Those are both incredibly dynamic markets with very distinctive challenges. While global groups realise huge projects in Dubai that the whole world watches, other countries are still far from being considered industrialised. Yet merely the population statistics show technotrans is right to have a presence here. It’s still difficult, but my task is to tap the huge potential as soon as fitting opportunities arise.
Reference projects such as the electric tram in Qatar and the installation of scanner technology in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia obviously help. They help us demonstrate how technotrans has innovative products that operate reliably in the region’s occasionally difficult climatic conditions.
Every market is different – I notice that every time I talk to colleagues from around the world. But we always apply the same rule: when customers come knocking, we respond swiftly and straightforwardly. The customer is the focus of everything we do.
Scott Smith, Technical Support
Helping the people who bring their requirements to me is my top priority. Being available at any time and finding an optimal solution for all parties is where technotrans does more than merely pay lip service. What actually matters is that the customer’s production operations run smoothly and deliver quality. I know that here in Customer Support we decisively influence how our company is seen from the outside.
So ideally I start by trying to solve problems over the phone or by remote maintenance. If that doesn’t work, the service personnel will visit to carry out what I have discussed in advance with the customer. Since the subsidiary in England was founded in 1990, we’ve been a well oiled team and internal communication has always been our watchword.
Putting across the advantages of technotrans in South America is quite a challenge. Because the economic situation keeps changing rapidly – and not just in Brazil. That makes it all the more pleasing that we’ve recently been able to acquire a string of new customers.
Maria Soares, Sales Assistant
As a salesperson, obviously I look first at the figures. There is so much potential in South America, but unfortunately the situation in many countries is not straightforward. It’s very important for technotrans to be represented in person here. On the one hand most of my customers expect that, and on the other hand it means we can respond quickly to local developments and seize opportunities as soon as they arise. Just being more flexible than a competitor has helped us close many a deal.
And once a customer is convinced about the quality of our products, they keep coming back to me. In the medium to long term, the market in South America will gain even further importance for technotrans because more and more customers are already expanding their production or entering the market.
My work has changed dramatically in recent years. An important part of it remains having a local presence, because customers value personal contact. But when time is of the essence, we can now often solve problems by remote maintenance.
Riccardo Consonni, Service Engineer
At a meeting with my colleague from France, we discovered digitalisation has long become a reality for us. We read a lot about it in the media, but our day-to-day work already definitely revolves around concepts such as remote maintenance, and soon predictive maintenance too. The standards expected of service in Europe are generally very high. So it’s good that technotrans has such a broad basis in the EU. Whether in France, the UK, Spain or here in Italy, we all have our own service team. I believe that’s the only path to success for an international business. Time and time again, I hear the same from my customers.
Because we’ve been operating successfully here for quite some years, we can now act highly independently and assume local responsibility for the products for the new areas, such as our spray lubrication system.
Our entry into new markets means my work is now even more varied. At technotrans, I’ve been able to steadily broaden my knowledge and now handle a lot of challenging tasks independently.
José Naranjo, Service Engineer
Because all locations operate highly independently, it’s important for us to have sufficient expertise locally in every product area. That means every single employee needs to develop professionally, and I’m glad we have plenty of opportunities to do so. I’ve learned a great deal in my 6 years at technotrans. I’m now reaping the rewards. Alongside our products, offering a good service in Spain helps us set ourselves apart from the competition. If I present an air of calmness and expertise, the customer will then associate those qualities with technotrans. So I think it’s important to adopt a professional manner.
Ultimately it’s also a way for me to give something back, because I really appreciate the secure, good job with all its opportunities within the company. We’re also noticing Spain’s economy gather pace again. That’s benefiting our local branch and the whole group.
Whenever I tell people I work in Australia, colleagues worldwide ask me first if it really is so nice Down Under, and then if the market is really that relevant. And my answer to both questions is: yes, definitely!
Paul Duncan, Service Manager
My patch covers an entire continent. I look after technotrans customers in all major Australian cities, of which there are many more than is widely assumed. Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide – many people in Europe don’t realise each of these cities has over a million inhabitants. Melbourne and Sydney alone have a combined population of more than nine million. That neatly deals with the question of how relevant the Australian market is. Here we have very interesting customers who supply their products all over the world, and our systems are frequently fitted. The number of installations in Australia is continually rising, too.
So having a local presence is indispensable. Without that, we’d be too much out on a limb. Customers and OEM manufacturers alike are accustomed to a high standard of service from technotrans, and we can only deliver that long-term by being here on the ground.
Germany is not far away, yet France can sometimes seem a world apart. Our French customers mostly turn to us first, and we have quite a free hand in finding solutions to every challenge. That saves time and therefore money.
Sofian Benabedrabou, Development Manager
The priority for service is to find a quick, simple answer to every customer requirement. Customers always want 100 % availability, without having to negotiate any unnecessary hurdles. technotrans has grasped that, and gives us the freedom to act as we see fit. There are no language barriers, no unnecessary coordination processes and no long distances. Instead, we are present locally and can operate virtually autonomously even for new products.
Along with that trust, we bear plenty of responsibility, which we of course want to justify. I think that’s worked very well in recent years, we’ve been able to handle plenty of new projects and since then have been looking after very satisfied customers. I’ve also observed how French businesses are investing increasing amounts in their facilities, which still offer plenty of potential for sustainable, more efficient production.
The biggest challenge in the Asian market is cultural differences. Businesses here rate technotrans products very highly. But they expect us to have a thorough knowledge of the market and provide a top service with a dedicated local branch.
Jenny Chang, Sales & Service Manager
Whoever buys a product of a German company in Asia can rightly expect top quality, because the domestic competitors are often cheaper. Our notable success in Singapore is mainly down to the fact that technotrans products satisfy that criterion. We explain to our customers that the total outlay for the investment, when spread over the operating life of a machine, is actually lower in our case. Once we’ve lived up to that promise, customers remain loyal to us. That’s how we are progressively tapping the huge potential for technotrans in Singapore, Chennai and Melbourne.
The decisive thing for me in all this is that technotrans’ structure means it can play to its strengths. The customer-specific solutions give us flexibility in sales and the globally reliable service is perfectly adapted to rapidly expanding customers.
I make various products for technotrans in Taicang, mainly for the Chinese market. We bring together the best attributes of German and Chinese corporate culture.
Luca Wen, Warehouse & Logistic Supervisor
We see every day just how important China is. For instance, we’ve packaged sales and service activities so that customers have local contacts for all their products. I know from experience that that’s important to the Chinese to see foreign businesses demonstrate a strong commitment to China. It’s also important for me to find that in my employer. That’s why I like working for technotrans. We’re expanding further and even following customers into new markets. We introduced the SAP system in 2017, so we’re now connected even better and more efficiently with the parent company for all business processes. Such investments inspire deep trust.
I’m convinced technotrans is very well positioned in China. The government and businesses are promoting a wide range of developments in electric mobility or medical services. We have important products for those areas.
technotrans has long been active in Japan because we partner the big printing press manufacturers with our core skills. The culture here is very important and as a globally active group we naturally adapt to it.
Yoko Okada, Sales & Service Administrator
A Japanese customer was once surprised when I mentioned our German head office towards the end of our very first meeting. He had initially perceived us as a Japanese company, and already knew of the technotrans brand from his competitor’s systems. That was the biggest compliment imaginable for me, because we Japanese really do appreciate it when a company truly engages with our culture. technotrans is correspondingly well established above all in the print area. That provides a good position from which we have been very successfully tapping other markets in Japan for the past few years.
Don’t forget: many leading mechanical engineering companies are from Japan, and this country has always led the way with new technologies. In fact the economy has recently been growing faster than expected.