Hoogeveen-based Betech Mass Turning spins large series of parts for Kohlhage Automotive, a German manufacturer of parts especially for OEMs in the automotive industry. The companies met during the Matchmaking programme at ESEF in 2016. The cooperation between the two organisations has grown considerably since then; Betech now produces a variety of parts for Kohlhage. The companies expect this successful collaboration to grow further in the future.
Betech Mass Turning specialises in turning complex metal parts in large series. The company focuses mainly on technical components for the automotive industry, high-tech industry and mechanical engineering. The company produces 24 hours a day using automated lathes, allowing one employee to manage multiple lathes simultaneously. "Production, regardless of where it takes place, requires investment in CNC turning machines, material and man-hours. Because we combine automated lathes with intelligent production techniques, our labour costs are relatively low. This allows us to compete with Eastern European and Asian countries, among others, while labour costs here are significantly lower than in the Netherlands," says Arjan Schuinder, responsible for Sales and Marketing at Betech Mass Turning.
Kohlhage Automotive
One of Betech's customers is Kohlhage Automotive. Stefan Valera, Product Manager at Kohlhage Automotive, explains: "We mainly design and supply assembled parts to OEMs, such as tube assemblies, welded components and valve systems. We focus on specialised parts for the automotive industry. These parts often need to be produced using special production techniques or materials. In Europe, there are only a handful of companies that can meet these specific requirements. Kohlhage is one of them."
Kohlhage participated in the 2016 ESEF Matchmaking Event, which was provided by B2Fair. "We needed a complex part that our existing suppliers simply could not produce. At ESEF, I started looking for parties who could help us with this through the Matchmaking programme," says Valera. "Before ESEF, I selected five or six interesting parties, one of which was Betech Mass Turning. I scheduled a meeting with these parties on the exhibition floor. This eventually led to the collaboration with Betech, which now runs a variety of parts for us."
Partner within driving distance
Kohlhage deliberately sought a partner within driving distance of its German home town of Neuenrade. "Due to the complexity of the parts that suppliers produce for us, we have frequent contact with these parties, especially in the start-up phase of production. In this initial phase, this means that I often travel to a supplier every fortnight to discuss the latest state of affairs on site and brainstorm together on the design. We therefore specifically looked for a supplier located within driving distance of our facility in Neurenrade."
Betech Mass Turning is based in Hoogeveen, Drenthe, which is conveniently located for Kohlhage. "A drive from our head office to Betech takes about two and a half hours. This makes the company closer for us than many German turning companies, which are mostly located in the south of Germany. If I travel to the Black Forest, for example, I am easily six hours away. In addition, the quality delivered by Dutch and German parties is comparable. This combination makes Dutch suppliers interesting partners for us," says Valera. "In addition, we sometimes unexpectedly need parts at short notice. The short travel distance between Hoogeveen and Neuenrade makes it possible to get products delivered within a day and often even within a few hours in such emergencies. In addition, due to the automation, very modern machinery and intelligent production techniques used by Betech, the company's production costs are comparable to Eastern European and Asian companies. The choice for Betech was quickly made because of this combination."
Thinking along about designs
"Another important argument for choosing Betech was the extent to which the company thinks with us about the design and production method of products. They not only look at whether they can produce a particular component, but also come up with technical solutions to make the design and large series production even better," Valera says. Schuinder added: "We have many specialised technical people who think along with the customer about complex components. Does it prove challenging to realise a particular design, for example? Then we look for possibilities and techniques to get it done anyway. This may mean adapting the design in consultation with the customer, but it may also mean purchasing new machines to meet customer demand. In other cases, we expand our machinery at a customer's request to scale up an existing production run to the desired level."
The cooperation between Betech and Kohlhage has proved to be a successful formula. "The cooperation has now expanded considerably. Today, we produce several parts in large series for Kohlhage and expect the cooperation to continue to grow in the coming years," says Schuinder. Valera added: "Betech produces a variety of components for us, which are incorporated in all kinds of automotive parts. Think of parts for exhaust systems, fuel engines and electric cars. The components Betech produces are usually not visible to the end user."
Greater chance of interesting new contacts
Schuinder has positive experiences with matchmaking programmes. "I participate more often in B2Fair's matchmaking programmes at European trade fairs, such as ESEF. The programme is being organised for the second time at ESEF this year. The ESEF Matchmaking Event in 2016 was a great success for us and resulted, among other things, in a long-term relationship with Kohlhage, for which we still produce parts today," Schuinder explains. "At any trade fair, you can come across interesting parties, but you never know in advance who you will meet. So every time, it is a matter of waiting to see whether an event will generate new interesting contacts. A Matchmaking programme like ESEF offers more certainty. You know in advance who is participating in this programme and you know that these participants are actively looking for new contacts. This increases the chances of you gaining new relationships at an event that lead to new collaborations."
"Those who apply for the matchmaking programme fill in a profile, in which you briefly give a short description of your company, what your company specialises in and what you are looking for. Based on this profile, you then invite other participants of the programme for a meeting. You are thus informed about your interlocutor's background and activities before the meeting, allowing you to talk about a potential collaboration immediately during the meeting. In a random meeting at a trade fair, you don't have this prior knowledge and first have to find out about your interlocutor. The Matchmaking programme therefore streamlines meetings to an important extent," says Schuinder.
Matchmaking programme streamlines conversations
Valera shares this view. "It is more effective to travel to a trade fair if you are sure in advance that you will get to speak to the right person here. When you visit a company's stand at a trade fair, it is often a challenge to strike up a conversation with the right person. For example, this person may already be in conversation with another visitor or may not be at the stand at the time you visit. The matchmaking programme prevents this. You know in advance who you will speak to and when, which increases the chances of a trade fair yielding interesting new contacts. You can also prepare in advance for an interview, which usually makes conversations during a matchmaking programme more efficient."
Given the successful collaboration that the Matchmaking programme at the ESEF in 2016 brought Betech, it is no surprise that the company will participate in the programme again at the ESEF 2018. The event takes place from 20 to 23 March in Jaarbeurs Utrecht. More information about ESEF can be found at ESEF.nl. More information about the matchmaking programme can be found here.
www.kohlhage.de
https://www.betech.nl/
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source photo: Betech Mass Turning
