50 Years Multi

Transcription

50 Years Multi

Advanced Contact Technology
www.multi-contact.com
1962 – 2012
50 Years Multi-Contact AG
1962 – 2012
Content
2
4
Preface
6
The pioneering phase
Rudolf Neidecker, 1961 – 1979
20
Rudolf Neidecker
An extraordinary personality
26
The expansion phase
Peter Duss 1979 – 2008
38
Peter Duss
Versatility and risk-taking make the master
42
The phase of change and growth
Franco Delvecchio, from 2008 on
52
Personnel
A diverse and well-trained team
3
58
‘We have to hear the grass grow’
Interview with CEO Franco Delvecchio
66
Dates, figures and facts
72
Textile machines, couplings, robots
Stäubli, with 4000 employees, has turnover of a billion francs.
74
Conclusion
Preface
4
In 2012 Multi-Contact is celebrating its 50th anniversary. We have taken this occasion to write a
chronology of the company. Because today‘s employees only know the founding years from word
of mouth, it is all too possible that the history of our beginnings could be lost.
‘The pioneering phase’ describes the founding years. These were the turbulent days of our company‘s origins, which make us aware that a strong personality and a great inventive spirit are needed
to overcome difficulties. Rudolf Neidecker, with his unbelievable will and his power of persuasion,
built the company on solid ground with no financial means of his own.
The second chapter, ‘The expansion phase’, looks at the period during which I myself had the opportunity to take MC from its beginnings as a local company to its status as a globally active group.
With the help of many highly motivated, gifted people the product range was extended and subsidiaries were opened in most industrialised countries to ensure proximity to the customer.
‘The phase of change and growth’ describes the great changes that took place after MC had been
sold to the Stäubli Group. Apart from being integrated into a strong, well-diversified family company, MC was confronted with great challenges due to the enormous growth of the solar industry.
The result was a transition from being a provider of specialities to mass production with all its consequences: high investments in personnel, production equipment and facilities.
When I look back today I feel a wonderful sense of satisfaction about what we have achieved
together. Many people have found interesting and stable careers at MC. We have been able to
develop a culture characterised by teamwork, trust and commitment. My most heartfelt gratitude
goes out to all the people who have contributed to our success. I am thoroughly convinced that we,
as an important part of the Stäubli Group, are headed for a successful and secure future. I am very
happy to contribute a little more time – together with Anthony Stäubli – to our continued prosperity.
Dr. Peter Duss
Chairman
5
Rudolf Neidecker, 1961 – 1979
6
“In order to take advantage of an article with
The basis for success
great future potential in the area of electrical engineering (patents registered in Switzerland and
But the first activities had no promising future.
abroad), the founding of a corporation is planned.
Much more promising was his sales represen-
– We are seeking additional
tation of the German company Otto Dunkel in
Mühldorf (ODU) in Switzerland, which he took
capital of Fr. 250,000.–
(including in partial amounts of Fr. 10,000.–)
on in 1954. He had found the company while
visiting the industry trade show in Hanover.
Rudolf started selling multiwire spring-loaded
– Fabrication has already started and well-known
sockets for connectors. However, he was not
industrial companies here and abroad are already
at all satisfied with the fabrication process of
accepting delivery. Interested parties to whom docu-
the contact principle. In 1956, therefore, he
mentation is available for inspection may submit their
founded Neidecker, Hamm & Co in the Som-
offers under code A 8479 Q to Publicitas Basel.”
mergasse in Basel, selling semi-automatically
mounted straight spring contacts. When his
This is the text of an ad that appeared on Au-
partner Hamm left the company, Multi-Contact
gust 25, 1961, in newspapers that included the
Neidecker & Co was formed. They fabricated
Schweizerische Handelszeitung (SHAB). The
MC contacts with straight spring contacts and
initiator of the announcement was Rudolf Nei-
set up a delivery warehouse for Germany in
decker, 50 years of age.
the town of Weil. Rudolf continued tinkering;
he always wanted to improve the quality of his
A radio technician by trade, he had tried his
products.
hand at a number of other fields of business.
After his education was complete, he initially
worked at Radio Steiner. He soon sought
The first shareholders
new activities. He went independent as a
But the young entrepreneur didn’t have the
sales representative, for seesaw car ramps,
finances he needed to build the company. Here,
children‘s toys, and collapsible prams. He in-
too, his extraordinary inventive talents came
stalled ceiling heating systems. Then Rudolf
in handy. Using the ad mentioned at the out-
Neidecker brought the first hearing aids to the
set, he actually recruited his first investors: On
Swiss market, for personal reasons: he is hard
March 2, 1962, at 3:30 PM, at a notary’s office
of hearing.
in Zurich, the founding act of Multi-Contact AG,
7
8
Certificate of incorporation of Multi-Contact AG
based in Basel, took place. The original stock
tered worldwide patents. The system proved
in the company was 420,000 Swiss francs, di-
useful; the company grew.
vided into 450 fully liberated named shares of
200 francs each, and 330 fully liberated named
The company participated in trade shows like
shares of 1000 francs each. Rudolf Neidecker
Ilmag in Basel in 1959, the German Industrial
himself retained 150 shares at 200 francs each.
Trade Fair in Hanover starting in 1960, and the
This didn’t leave him with a majority holding,
Swiss Mustermesse in Basel starting in 1961.
but did ensure him sufficient votes to control
the company. The Administrative Board con-
The headquarters at Sommergasse 48 in Basel
sisted of Rudolf Stokar von Neuforn (Küsnacht,
housed offices on the ground floor with ware-
Zurich), Carl Anderes (Meggen), Rudolf Nei-
house and assembly facilities in the cellar in a
decker himself, Kurt Schmid (Oberdorf), and
building owned by the company. His wife, Hei-
Willi Strecker (Freiburg i. Br.).
di, took care of human resources upstairs. The
family, with daughter Romy and son Tom, lived
Rudolf Stokar von Neuforn became President,
in the top two floors. Besides the boss himself,
while Carl Anderes was Vice-President and
seven people were employed by the company
delegate of the Administrative Board. Rudolf
Neidecker managed the business.
He recalled his days as a ceiling heating installer. Fin-shaped sheets were used there that
were stamped like louvres. They inspired him
as a new system for power transmission, and
he invented the leaf spring contact principle.
With the company E. Rihs in Bettlach, specialists in punching, he developed a prototype of
the leaf spring contact element technology
with many defined contact points and thus low
transitional resistance and power losses. The
basis for success was laid. After the inventor
was convinced that his contact technology was
superior to all conventional systems, he regis-
One of the first patents by MC
9
10
The first company
headquarters:
Sommergasse 48
in Basel
and saw turnover of 360,000 francs in the first
plug or a socket. Another innovation was the
year of business. The product range included
mountable insulator. This was a mountable
sockets, plugs and connector cables.
insulating part that could be drawn over metal
parts.
Over the next few years Rudolf Neidecker
quickly expanded the operations with his trust-
It made it possible to build a large number of
ed team, Louis Itin (assembly), Jean-Pierre Krit-
different versions using simple parts.
ter (business department), Georges Schneiter
(high current technology), Rolf Kraus (design)
This product line expanded continually from
and Alfred Binggeli (technology). The team de-
1970. The main buyers included manufacturers
veloped different Multilam contacts for a vari-
of teaching equipment for physics or electron-
ety of applications. The boss’s goal was to offer
ics in middle schools, vocational schools, tech-
the customer the optimum complete connector
nical schools and universities.
adapted to his own needs. He only sold single
The contacts were gold-plated, so apprentices
contacts if Multi-Contact was unable to deliver
and students had a tendency to stick them in
the complete connector.
their pockets and sell them. The schools had to
re-order frequently from Multi-Contact.
Nearly all Multi-Contact products were based
on the Multilam system. This permitted the
Incredible turnover success became the rule.
transmission of high current at low loss. These
The company was proud and equipped the
connectors were sold under the name ‘highcurrent programme’. The knowledge gained
from numerous special designs for individual
customers was applied in the development of
standard products that could be sold to the
entire industry.
In addition to the high-current programme,
the ‘laboratory programme’ was introduced
with a diverse range of measurement accessories. The first plug for test leads was the hollow
plug, a product that could be used as either a
The first plug for test leads:
The hollow plug
11
From the
1969 patent...
12
... to the first
prototypes...
... to today’s product
13
3
Trade fair booths at the Hannover Messe in 1962 and
1972
first tourist submarine with MC contacts for
Expo 64. Many years later the solar aircraft
developed by Bertrand Piccard to fly around
the world (project ‘Solar Impulse’) would also
be equipped with electrical contacts from
14
Multi-Contact.
Strategic personnel move
By 1967 turnover had risen to 1.6 million
In Munich Rudolf Neidecker came into contact
francs. The company was bursting at the
with Felix Riedl, then employed by Schaltbau,
seams and needed more room. In 1968 they
a company that made connectors and other
rented a four-room apartment next door at
products. He lured this superior technician
Sommergasse 47 where they set up additional
away in 1969, setting him up near the Bavarian
offices. The kitchen housed a self-designed and
metropolis as a designer.
self-built cable-cutting and insulation-stripping
machine. In the same year the company leased
This personnel move was a smart one;
a large garage in Kannenfeldstrasse in Basel for
Multi-Contact won enormously important pres-
production and warehousing.
tigious customers in Bavaria and elsewhere in
Germany – customers such as Siemens, the
In 1970 the company employed 20 people. By
Max Planck Institutes and BBC. Felix Riedl
1972 turnover had already risen to 3.7 million
worked on new projects. His good reputa-
francs.
tion spread. Germany became the company’s
most important market. The proximity to big
companies such as Siemens was of immense
contacts from Multi-Contact for automatic rail
importance.
couplings. The Multilam Technology worked, to
the surprise of the experts, and caused quite a
After the crisis, great orders
sensation. The fact that the first products were
used in the Zurich ‘Gold Coast Express’ was a
But then came a dry spell. Orders vanished as
particular source of pride for the Basel natives.
the first oil crisis in ’73 / ’74 triggered a drop
Sécheron turned out to be an important long-
in turnover. The company’s financial situation
term customer.
was so tense that the traditional ‘13th month’
Christmas bonus had to be paid in instalments.
In 1974 at the most inopportune time possible,
Original financing
the company moved from Sommergasse to
Rudolf Neidecker found himself confronted
Fabrikstrasse in Allschwil – in 1975 turnover fell
with new difficulties in the ’80s. Customers
by over 20%.
installing his connectors into their electronic
devices had to have their products officially
But then the tide turned. By 1979 turnover had
tested. The development time up to that point
nearly doubled to 9.2 million francs. 60% of
could last up to two years. Multi-Contact could
turnover was attributable to high-current con-
only deliver orders once the buyer had received
tacts and the remaining 40% to the laboratory
marketing approval and production could start.
programme. Two prestigious orders contrib-
The result was liquidity problems during that
uted to the steep upwards trend. ETH Zurich
phase. At the time, banks were not interested
ordered patchboards – the professor in charge
in providing loans without collateral. So the
was very enthusiastic about MC contact tech-
boss had a new idea – he would take loans
nology. The patchboards were used to supply a
from customers, suppliers and employees,
wide variety of training workstations (with dif-
at generous rates. And it worked. Employees
ferent current requirements) with power.
collected money and gave their investment
vehicle at Multi-Contact original names such
At 800,000 francs, it was the largest single
as ‘Empire Building Trust’. Not a single credi-
order the company had ever had. The other
tor lost money – on the contrary, many team
large order came from rail coupling manufac-
members didn’t even want their money back
turer Sécheron. The company, a supplier to
later because they found that their funds were
SBB, now part of ABB, ordered electrical plug
being put to such good use.
15
Two product areas
with a diameter of 2mm and a measurement
and testing programme with a diameter of
In 1970 the product range was grouped into
4mm. The laboratory line expanded quickly and
two different areas:
soon comprised several thousand standard
models. It included test leads and components
High-current programme
such as plugs, sockets, clips and test probes.
The high-current area included releasable pow-
16
er transmission elements for the generation,
MC simultaneously had great success among
transmission and distribution of electrical
manufacturers of teaching materials for edu-
power. For this area MC primarily fabricated
cation (schools and universities) and among
special designs on a prototype to series scale.
OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), the
At the same time a standard product line with
providers of equipment such as multimeters,
diameters ranging from 2 to 40 millimetres
oscilloscopes and so on. The laboratory line
and upwards covered all power ranges. The
had the advantage that it added stability in
line included round connectors, flat connec-
times of recession, compensating for any de-
tors, rotary contacts and pressure contacts.
cline in orders in the high-current programme.
Customers included renowned companies
such as IPP Garching (atomic fusion research),
Presentation of the laboratory sample kit in 1981
Siemens Erlangen (slip-on pipe fittings for the
oil pipeline from Alaska to the other US states),
Calor-Emag (high-voltage switchgear), BBC
Baden und Mannheim, AEG Berlin, Bührle Zurich, Sprecher & Schuh Aarau, Haefeli Basel
and more.
Laboratory programme
This area included standard products for measurement and testing. The product range was
broken down into the miniature programme for
electronics (with diameters from 0.6mm to
1mm), a measurement and testing programme
17
Advertising
photograph from
the 1980s
Example of customers: HPS, Leybold,
In 1974 Rudolf Neidecker discussed this dif-
Siemens, Fluke, Elabo, ELWE, Festo, Hera,
ficult situation with Claude Rey, who had
Lab-Volt, Metrix, Chauvin-Arnoux, Tectronix.
headed up purchasing and sales for the new
laboratory equipment department in Basel
The two product areas had about the same
since 1970. Much to his surprise, Rey, who
share of turnover at the outset. Later the high-
was himself from Alsace, was assigned the top
current programme continually expanded into
management role in the French Multi-Contact
new application areas and took on a dominant
subsidiary, which was splitting from Simel.
role for MC.
For two years correspondence passed
18
In the mid-1980s Multi-Contact started a revo-
through Asnieres to Basel, the place from
lutionary innovation with the MC safety line.
which the French market was served. After
The new system was placed on the market
only two years the French business had be-
together with the leading German manufactur-
come profitable. Claude Rey was named PDG
er of teaching equipment, the Cologne-based
(Président, Directeur Général) in 1978 and a
company, Leybold. The innovation became the
year later Multi-Contact France finally moved
market standard as the new system offered
to St Louis, Rue de la Fontaine 26. The com-
maximum safety by means of contact pro-
pany hired an external sales force and partici-
tection during work and testing. Rudolf Nei-
pated in trade fairs with its own stand.
decker first presented the system at the Hannover Messe and the Electronica in Munich.
Bad start in Paris
From Basel to Allschwil
Space in Basel had become cramped again.
Rudolf Neidecker took a look around and
The second foreign market was France.
in 1974 found suitable facilities for lease on
Initially a company in Paris handled sales.
Fabrikstrasse in Allschwil. After five years,
Multi-Contact wanted more direct involvement
however, even that space was getting small
so worked with the company Simel to found
and the boss decided to build his own new
Multi-Contact France in Asnieres. Simel held
facilities. In 1979 the company moved into a
the majority holding. Year after year the com-
three-storey building on Stockbrunnenrain in
pany remained in the red.
Allschwil. 50 positions were available there
for design, laboratory, warehousing, assem-
The recurring space problems finally required the construction of a new building in Allschwil am Stockbrunnenrain. In 1979 the
building was finished and the company moved in.
bly, sales and administration. The fabrication
of the products, cables and contact elements
was still outsourced to suppliers. To begin
with, in 1980, 40 people worked at the Allschwil site.
In Hésingue four staff members handled the
French market, and in Weil there was a distribution centre for Germany with another three
people.
19
Rudolf Neidecker
An extraordinary personality
20
Rudolf Neidecker battled with a significant
Drive towards independence
hearing disability from childhood. In one ear
he could not hear at all and in the other only
Rudolf Neidecker was born to parents Berta
about 30%. He had difficulty understanding
and Adolf Neidecker in 1911 in Bümpliz near
teachers and professors, especially when
Bern. His father ran a company that inspected
they ‘mumbled’ or turned their backs to the
lifts. There, his son Rudolf learned two trades
class to write on the board. So the young
at once: electrician and salesman.
Ruedi had to ask his teachers to speak to the
That wasn‘t actually allowed, but as Ruedi
pupils directly. Most of them complied with
always said, ‘if nobody asks, you don‘t have
the wishes of this highly motivated student.
to answer.’ In Burgdorf he was educated at
Then he could read the teachers’ lips. As a
the Technikum as an electrical engineer. He
young man Rudolf Neidecker always had
took his first job, as a radio technician, at
to exert himself to get ahead. This lent him
Radio Steiner.
an iron will. He received a broad education.
However, at the same time he felt driven to
His hearing impairment gave him an idea.
try new things. He turned into a classic in-
He knew that hard-of-hearing US soldiers
ventor.
stationed in Germany used hearing aids.
However, the export of the devices and tech-
As a charismatic person with a radiant
nology was banned. So he contacted the
personality he met all the requirements for
American soldiers and convinced them to
becoming an extremely successful entrepre-
buy hearing aids for him. He brought them
neur, one who looked out for his employees
to Switzerland without declaring them to
and knew how to motivate them to achieve
Customs. That allowed him to avoid the time-
high performance. All this formed the perfect
consuming bureaucratic customs process.
breeding ground for an exceptional compa-
Once he was caught at Customs. A judge in
ny. This was the only way that Multi-Contact
Freiburg i. Br. handed down a very mild sen-
could be started, grow, prosper and yield the
tence, however, because the ‘smuggler’ was
rich harvest that it has, even today.
able to convince him of his good intentions.
21
such that the defined contact surface area was
multiplied. He hypothesised that the positive
effect that the fins of heaters provided in the
conduction of heat would also be beneficial in
the conduction of electricity. It worked – pure
innovation. A new contact element, the MC
Multilam, had been invented.
He later officially accepted a position as the
Swiss representative of the American hearing aid manufacturer Paravox, establishing the financial basis for the foundation of
Multi-Contact. Then the German contact
manufacturer ODU (Otto Dunkel & Co.) made
him their representative for electrical connec22
tors in Switzerland. He optimised their production process using his Multilam principle.
Rudolf Neidecker in the early years
Support from wife Heidi
His wife, Heidi, née Bächtold, was from
The drive for independence would not leave
Lucerne. Using her business education she
him alone. He soon took over the sale of auto-
supported him wherever possible. They were
mobile service ramps, triangular ramps made
married in 1940; the marriage resulted in their
of metal used to lift cars for maintenance. Later
two children Romy (1946) and Tom (1954). The
he installed ceiling heating systems, including
family made it through difficult times. The hus-
one in the villa of the hit singer Peter Alexander
band was often away visiting customers. The
in Tessin. Due to his installation experience,
wife took care of both the family and the ac-
and inspired by the shape of the heating ele-
counting. She stood behind him, one hundred
ments installed in the ceiling, he came up with
percent. Money is tight during the start-up
the idea of designing an electrical conductor in
phase of the company. Heidi provided signifi-
the form of a lamellae-shaped contact element
cant support in the business and took care of
Rudolf Neidecker
the staff as well. She filled the ‘payday pot’
To Hanover – with Bündnerfleisch
with wages counted out to the penny.
Rudolf Neidecker was an enthusiastic driver.
The family went on holiday infrequently and
He left shortly before midnight and drove, none
on a modest scale at the beginning. But then
too slowly, to the trade fair in Hanover by car.
they bought a caravan and then another one.
For these trade fairs he always took cheese and
They parked the first on Lake Neuchâtel and
Bündnerfleisch, a cured-beef deli meat popular
the other in the South of France. They only be-
in Basel. He trained the staff in how to prepare
gan to be able to afford longer holidays in the
the food the evening before the fair. No wonder
late ’70s. The couple lived frugally even as their
that Multi-Contact’s stand was always the most
fortune grew.
popular stop for visitors. At the entrance to the
fair he would slip the gatekeeper a Toblerone
Thus it was no wonder that Rudolf Neidecker,
instead of having his ticket stamped. He was
full-blooded entrepreneur, hardly had time
extremely popular with the gatekeepers. He
for hobbies. He did collect stamps, but he
only had his ticket stamped at the end of the
stacked them up at home for lack of time to
trade fair.
23
organise them. But Rudolf Neidecker bought
tens of thousands of francs’ worth of stamps
Rudolf Neidecker, a citizen of Bümpliz who
every year for his business, for use in corre-
grew up in Gümligen in the canton of Bern in
spondence. Although franking machines were
close proximity to the Tobler chocolate factory,
already customary, he placed great value in
always had a Toblerone at the ready. He used
the use of stamps, usually special stamps such
it, sometimes with a bottle of wine, to appease
as Pro Patria, Pro Infirmis or Pro Juventute,
customers with complaints. He also greeted
for outgoing mail from Multi-Contact. This al-
employees with chocolate at the entry to the
lowed him to make a charitable contribution
bus in the mornings when the company left on
through the company. When price lists had to
their annual ski outing.
be sent out half the staff were needed to affix
the stamps. That is just one more sign of his
outstanding customer orientation. Numerous
A patron, close to the people
letters from customers thanking him for the
As company patron he always strove to stay
exclusive stamps were received.
close and in contact with his team. There
was a stool in every office. He would sit on
it sometimes when having a meeting with
Both within and outside the company he en-
an employee. To keep them from being used
riched the lives of countless people by his opti-
by others the stools had his name inscribed
mism. Thanks to the invention of the Multilam
on them. ‘Management by Walking Around’
principle he was able to found a medium-sized
would be a good name for his leadership
company with Multi-Contact, thereby contrib-
style.
uting significantly to the economy. That is his
legacy.
During the many meetings, on the other hand,
he didn’t have much staying power. He often
excused himself after a few minutes with ‘you
go on without me and tell me anything important later’.
As boss he was concerned about the health of
his staff. There was a large bowl of fresh fruit
24
on every floor. There were no passenger lifts in
the buildings; climbing stairs was healthier.
He was well known for his saying that health
insurance, an ‘illness fund’ in German, should
be called a ‘health fund’.
Rare personality
Rudolf Neidecker died in 1994. A large congregation gathered in Basel to bid farewell to
a personality characterised by his belief in the
good in humanity, his generosity, power of persuasion, desire for independence, motivational
talent and sheer persistence. Rudolf Neidecker
never gave up, even in the most difficult of
situations.
Rudolf Neidecker
25
Rudolf Neidecker
in 1991 in front
of the company
headquarters
The expansion phase
Peter Duss 1979 – 2008
26
2 January 1979 was a very special day for Peter
had entirely forgotten that he had hired his
Duss. His father-in-law, Rudolf Neidecker, had
son-in-law. No suitable office space was avail-
urged him to join the company many times. Nei-
able. However, because his wife, Romy, had
decker saw in him the perfect combination of
coincidentally left her job in her father’s com-
electrical engineering and business knowledge.
pany after eleven years at the end of 1978,
Initially Duss would not hear of it.
there was a desk free.
At Filopur AG, part of the Haniel Group, he had
The new assistant manager still had a good
advanced to the position of managing director
start. The entire staff supported him. At the
within five years of gaining his degree in 1973.
time the company had a turnover of 9 million
He liked it there; he was able to expand the wa-
francs with 45 employees.
ter technology division on an international scale.
However, after the Haniel Holding sold the division in 1977, the work no longer satisfied him.
The first project
The first task his patron assigned him was over-
Thus he started work on a dissertation on the
seeing the construction of a new building. In
topic of ‘environmental analysis and corporate
1979 the company was already moving from
planning using an electrical technology-based
Fabrikstrasse to Stockbrunnenrain in Allschwil.
SME as an example’. The attentive reader will
The company held a ceremony to inaugurate
easily guess the company in question – yes,
the new building, which included offices as
Multi-Contact AG in Allschwil. He would enjoy
well as assembly and workshop areas. He
the work and ‘mature’ for the company. He fi-
developed an excellent relationship with his
nally gave in to his father-in-law’s entreaties to
father-in-law over time.
join the company.
Peter Duss quickly inherited Neidecker’s
Nobody knew
extraordinary strength as a motivator. For his
part, Rudolf Neidecker was happy that the
At the beginning of 1979 Peter Duss showed
commercial and managerial part of his com-
up at the reception area at Fabrikstrasse in
pany was to be covered perfectly from then on.
Allschwil as agreed – but nobody knew anything about it. Rudolf Neidecker, when called
So Peter Duss turned his efforts to the expan-
over, asked him what he was doing there. He
sion and internationalisation of the business.
27
The first strategic international orientation involved grouping the company’s activities in a
ten-kilometre radius from the headquarters in
Allschwil whilst still taking country-specific details into consideration.
Hésingue came first
The first step was taken in Hésingue. In 1989
Multi-Contact France moved from St Louis
to larger premises in Rue de l’Industrie. The
Peter Duss in his office
building was erected because after two years
of work the company had landed a long-term
28
MC proved to be a grateful and wide-open field
contract with Raychem, a company that is,
for him because the company had outstanding
among others, concerned with the heating of
products, but was only known to a few spe-
pipelines. Sales in Switzerland’s neighbour-
cialist buyers. He immediately understood the
ing country to the west developed quickly.
global potential for electrical connectors for the
Multi-Contact France celebrated its 25th an-
industrialised nations.
niversary in 2003. At the same time Claude
Impressions from the Duss era: Assembly and workshop on Stockbrunnenrain
The expansion phase
The Weil am Rhein subsidiary: In 1986, still under construction...
Rey handed the management over to his son,
market was built. Administration (sales, design
Vincent Rey. In 2012 about 110 people were
etc.) was still handled by the parent company
working in Hésingue.
in Allschwil, however. In September 1992,
under the management of Rolf Kraus, a new
Next was Germany
spacious building was designed and staffed
with a ‘bunch of additional people’ – for sales,
Multi-Contact had been active longer in Ger-
purchasing / MRP and technology / design.
many than in France, but the actual founding
MC Deutschland was slowly but surely taking
of the company in the country to the north
shape. Due to their geographical proximity to
took place later. When a German customer
Allschwil, the know-how transfer went smooth-
placed an order it was sent through customs in
ly. Rolf Kraus expertly developed and expanded
Weil and then shipped to the recipient from a
the company. As of 2012 there were 150 peo-
distribution site located in a garage. That was
ple working in the border town.
too complicated. The company’s main export
...in 2012, 150 people work at MC Weil.
market had to be handled more professionally.
With a smoothly operating sales network and
permanent sales staff the German market could
be developed more quickly, and proximity to
the customer would allow custom solutions to
be worked out. This task was assigned to Rolf
Kraus, who had been the marketing manager
for Germany in Allschwil. Multi-Contact Deutschland GmbH was founded in 1979.
In 1986 MC purchased some land on which an
extended distribution centre for the German
29
Because Peter Duss had heard of many bad
experiences with establishing companies in Japan, he didn’t want to start a subsidiary there.
MC products were represented by Solton in
Yokohama. To this day, Solton remains a valuable part of Multi-Contact in Japan.
Starting in 1986 in Santa Rosa: Multi-Contact USA
Expansion to Asia
30
Detour in the United States
MC’s road to success in the United States
is an interesting story. Tom P. Neidecker, the
Another ‘Allschwiler’, Alfred Binggeli, left his
son of the company founder, was already
mark in Asia. While the technical manager
working at the company when his brother-
was attending an exhibition stand at a trade
in-law joined the firm. First in Paris, then in
fair in Singapore organised by Swiss Export, a
Allschwil, he was working as a sales engineer
private export promotion agency, he was set
for the field sales force, but had always been
alight by the country and its people. So Peter
interested in the United States. The company
Duss handed him responsibility for expansion
Interlok, a distributor of electro-mechanical
to Asia. An initial joint venture with an Austral-
components, offered him a position in Silicon
ian company only lasted a year because the
Valley. So Tom P. Neidecker travelled to the
Australians, unlike the Swiss, were pursuing a
American West Coast. Interlok had carried
short-term strategy.
Multi-Contact’s Test & Measurement product
line since 1978.
In the first few years, due to a lack of volume,
MC also sold third-party products in Singapore,
At the same time, in Silicon Valley, MC
for example products from former Sprecher
worked with Hugin Industries which licensed
und Schuh and from the German company,
Multi-Contact’s high-current products and
Phoenix. Multi-Contact South East Asia, found-
sold them in the United States. Peter Duss
ed in 1981, handles the market in Singapore,
and Rudolf Neidecker paid a surprise visit to
Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam
the company in 1982. What they saw there
and India. As of 2012, the Singapore office has
surprised and shocked them: the company
grown to nineteen employees.
The expansion phase
18. July, 1987, just past one: A fire breaks out in the headquarters in Allschwil. The employees escape through the windows
and no one is hurt. The fire department quickly has the fire under control, but damages of about 4 million francs still occur. The
cleaning and repair of the building drags on. The whole MC team gives 200%, but there are still delivery delays as the main
warehouse was also affected by the fire.
31
was copying the Allschwilers’ products and
Multi-Contact USA, headquartered in Petaluma
selling a low-quality imitation.
in Northern California. Because he hadn’t come
from their own ranks, Bill Purdy was given a
A lawsuit would have cost hundreds of
20% share of Multi-Contact ’s US subsidiary
thousands of dollars, would have involved
as a motivation. After Bill Purdy retired, Tom
numerous court appearances and would have
P. Neidecker took over management of the US
lasted years. Therefore Multi-Contact decided
company and proved to be a great success.
to found an American subsidiary so they could
offer their original product with on-site cus-
The company moved to Santa Rosa, CA, in
tomer service and technical advice. Tom P.
1986. Two years later the first sales office was
Neidecker managed the subsidiary after it was
opened in Chicago and was quickly followed
founded in 1982.
by offices in Boston and Texas. Business in
the United States was booming. Another
Along with partner Bill Purdy, who had fallen
move followed in 1991, to larger quarters in
out with company owner Hugin, he built up
the airport business park in Santa Rosa. After
Multi-Contact had been sold to the Stäubli
Group in 2002, Tom P. Neidecker left the
company. As of 2012 Multi-Contact employed
about 60 people in the USA.
In Great Britain, the third largest industrial nation in Europe, Vic Lavell and Stan Rogers took
over business management after the founding
of Multi-Contact UK in 1987.
They had previously worked as local sales representatives for MC. Because Vic Lavell and
Stan Rogers, like Bill Purdy in the US, were
new to the company they also received shares
of 10% each, which the parent company
32
bought back after their retirement.
Peter Duss, Tom Neidecker and Rudolf Neidecker during
their visit to the US
Italy is next in line
Development of the business in Italy was a
ground-breaking move. CEO Peter Duss looked
around once more at the talent he had available
and this time came up with Franco Delvecchio
as a suitable pioneer for Italy. The second generation Italian had worked in the design department in Allschwil before his boss motivated him to move into sales. He demonstrated
his marketing talent there and proved to be
enthusiastic about his new duties.
Once the number of customers permitted the
founding of Multi-Contact Italia in 1991, Franco
Delvecchio and his wife, also a second genera-
MC UK not only celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2012.
The British subsidiary also moved to a bigger, more modern
building, having outgrown its old offices.
tion Italian, moved first to Modena and then
to Como. Business in Italy blossomed under
Delvecchio’s management.
The expansion phase
In 1987 MC celebrated their 25th anniversary:
The whole team made a trip on a historical steam locomotive.
Then there was a celebration at the Hilton in Basel.
A little anniversary brochure was also made.
33
In 1992 Multi-Contact Austria and
Multi-Contact Benelux were founded, expanding the corporate group’s international sales
network even further. MC products had pre-
Austria; now Michael Figl advanced the sub-
viously been represented by third parties in
sidiary in the neighbouring country to the east.
The 25th anniversary
During the expansion phase 1987 saw the
25th anniversary of MC. The anniversary
celebration started with a train journey to the
Wiesental on the legendary old steam
locomotive. After returning, the entire staff
The MC Italy location
took the old Basel Tram, ‘Aunt Schuggi’, to
bought Multilam contacts and hollow plugs
from MC. For health reasons Heinrich C. Kosmeier decided to sell his company to MC in
1994. Turnover at that time was DM 13 million
per year and the staff count was 125. Regarding the purchase price, all that is known is that
it was more than the Swiss had hoped and less
The acquisition of HCK in 1994 was a milestone in the
company’s history.
than the Germans had expected. With the purchase, however, MC were able to produce their
own plastic injection moulded parts and cables
the Hilton, where a culinary buffet awaited the
for the first time in their history. Until then they
guests and they celebrated with music and
had concentrated on the design and the as-
dance.
sembly of their products. The metal and plastic
parts were all purchased from third parties.
34
In the anniversary year 110 employees
The merger of the two companies and the new
achieved a turnover of 16 million francs.
‘measurement accessories’ branch considerably strengthened MC’s global market presence.
The acquisition of HCK –
an important milestone
Construction of new facilities in Essen
The acquisition of the company HCK (Hein-
Naturally, because it had always worked so
rich Christoffulus Kosmeier) in Essen in 1994
well in the past, Peter Duss looked to his own
stands out as another milestone in the history
people for a candidate candidate as senior
of Multi-Contact. Heinrich C. Kosmeier founded
manager in Essen. In Jürgen Klemm, born and
his company in 1952 and 13 years later began
raised in Weil and responsible for the sales
to manufacture plugs and test probes with
force in the Ruhr area, he found one. Jürgen
plastic parts – thereby becoming a competi-
Klemm had managed the NRW (North Rhine-
tor to the Basel-based company. In the 1970s
Westphalia) sales office of MC for 16 years.
HCK and MC had an informal cooperation,
For the German, it represented a once-in-a-
exchanging components for measurement
lifetime career opportunity. He accepted and
accessories. MC purchased silicon cables
mastered the difficulties he encountered while
and gripper clamps from HCK, whereas HCK
adapting.
The expansion phase
35
2009 opening:
The new building
of MC Essen had
864 photovoltaic
panels with output
of 190kW
the attractive building near the ThyssenKrupp
Quarter, Berthold Beitz Boulevard, Krupp Park,
and the car dealerships of the Gottfried Schultz
Group. The initial worries of Jürgen Klemm that
the construction project was too large proved
to be groundless. The economic recovery that
followed was so strong that they should actually have built even larger facilities.
On 19 June 2009 the new building in Essen was opened:
Anthony Stäubli, Romy Duss-Neidecker and Jürgen Klemm
cut the ribbon
Strategy and leadership style
prove highly successful
Under the aegis of Peter Duss, MC climbed the
36
Starting in 2003, due to increasing PV produc-
ladder to success year after year. The strategy
tion, the demand for cable configuration for
of internationalisation paid off. It also turned
photovoltaic installations rose sharply. Thus,
out to be an effective strategy not to compete
Stäubli Group management and Multi-Contact
with customers with finished products, al-
management decided in July 2007 to build a
though the temptation was sometimes great.
new plant at Westendstrasse 10 in Essen. An-
The customers appreciated it, also because
thony Stäubli, Peter Duss and Jürgen Klemm
specific products could be shipped exclusively
drank to the project with a good wine in a
to them. This allowed them to protect their
hotel. The ambitious goal – to complete the
own know-how.
project within a year – was achieved.
These fantastic results were based on the exAt the end of 2008 a trained team moved into
traordinary leadership and motivational talent
the new office and production facilities in the
of Peter Duss, which characterised the compa-
heart of Europe. On the roof was a photo-
ny culture as a whole. He had seamlessly tak-
voltaic system for power generation. Romy
en over the role of the classic patron from his
Duss-Neidecker, the daughter of MC founder
father-in-law. He managed strictly, with clear
Rudolf Neidecker, cut the ribbon in person in
objectives, but also provided generously for
2009. After only a year and a half of construc-
the wellbeing of the ‘MC family’. That included
tion more than 200 employees moved into
a sumptuous annual company party and an
The expansion phase
annual ski outing with the teams from Weil
and Hésingue. 2012 saw the 30th traditional
annual ski outing. The table tennis tournament
in which Romy Duss always vanquished allcomers had become a legend.
The shortening of the work week was revolu-
The merger with Stäubli took place in 2002. Left to right:
Tom Neidecker, Romy Duss-Neidecker, Anthony Stäubli,
Huguette de Germond and Peter Duss
tionary; the entire team was allowed to leave
for the weekend early on Friday afternoon.
Long-standing employees received princely
reward; after 25 years of service employees
and made a career of expanding the national
and their spouses were treated to two weeks in
subsidiaries.
Hawaii by Multi-Contact.
Continuing education also had great priority.
Sale to Stäubli
The company bore all training and educa-
There was no succession plan within the
tion costs for their employees and provided
family. In 2002 the shareholders decided to
the time needed, with the result that numer-
sell the company to the Stäubli Group. Peter
ous talents moved into managerial positions
Duss brought Multi-Contact into the Stäubli
Group as CEO. In 2006 he stepped down from
that position.
The MC ski outing also celebrated its anniversary:
In 2012 it took place for the 30th time.
After 27 years of operational experience Peter
Duss had transformed the nationally-oriented
small business of Multi-Contact into a globally
active group with about 750 employees.
After a short period with an external manager,
Franco Delvecchio was promoted to CEO in
2008. He had just returned from Italy and had
been in charge of the global sales force. Peter
Duss remained the corporate group’s very valuable coach and consultant.
37
Peter Duss
Versatility and risk-taking make the master
38
Marrying a woman so you can play sport with
nomics University, majoring in Business Man-
her is probably a little rare, but that was the
agement, and received a lic. rer. pol. (MBA)
story with the Duss-Neidecker union. Romy
in 1973. In 1981 he topped off his academic
Neidecker and Peter Duss looked each other
career with a dissertation on the topic of ‘envi-
in the eye for the first time in the Basel Table
ronmental analysis and corporate planning us-
Tennis Club. Romy was a top player and
ing an electrical technology-based SME as an
Northwest Swiss Master. Her coach forbade
example’.
her to duel with Peter, a casual club member
with a pathetic game. ‘I probably have to marry
Romy just to get the chance to play against
From clerk to managing director
her’, he joked at the time. No sooner said
This doctoral thesis had a familial logic because
than done: The two married in 1975 in the
his father-in-law’s company worked with just
St Margaret Church in Basel.
that electrical technology. Before Peter Duss
settled on that area of study for his career,
Academic honours
though, more water would have to flow down
the Rhine. After obtaining his degree he started
Peter’s grandparents both came from families
his career as a clerk in another industrial sector,
of farmers. His father was a labourer at
that of potable water purification. Filopur AG,
J. R. Geigy AG. During his kindergarten years,
part of the Haniel Group in Basel, promoted
after an emergency appendectomy and a un-
him to managing director within four years. His
fortunate fall on his ear, little Peter suffered
father-in-law followed this phase with eagle
from migraines and lagged behind physically.
eyes and satisfaction. But Peter resisted the
His parents still insisted that he enter school
constant entreaties to join his father-in-law’s
along with others in his age group and receive
company.
a good education. They also ensured that he
entered an academic high school immediately
After Haniel Holding sold the water technol-
after primary school; he graduated in 1967.
ogy division, though, the young manager felt
under-employed. The company offered him a
After his preliminary diploma he had to inter-
job outside Basel, but he turned it down. Then,
rupt his studies in electrical engineering at ETH
in 1978, Peter Duss tackled his dissertation on
in Zurich because he fell ill with glandular fever.
the aforementioned topic, gradually moving
Back in Basel he enrolled in the National Eco-
closer to Multi-Contact.
39
Social competence
But the CEO, and as of 1994 also a delegate of
the administrative board, transformed the small
company of 60 employees (in 1981) into a globally active corporation of about 750 employees over his 27 years of operational management. He was engaged on all fronts to help the
company blossom and ensure that hundreds of
people would find great jobs at MC. As patron
Peter Duss (second from right) with the Neidecker family
he was deeply committed to protecting the
welfare of the team.
Ideal complement to father-in-law
40
After the family sold Multi-Contact to the
Stäubli Group in 2002, he stayed on as CEO for
In 1979 it was time. He joined MC. After just
a few years to ensure continuity in the compa-
two years as assistant manager he was made
ny and to oversee its integration into the parent
manager by Rudolf Neidecker. With his educa-
company. Then he withdrew from operational
tion, his professional management experience
management. From that point on he concen-
and his personal qualities he was the perfect
trated on strategy and coordination with the
complement to his father-in-law.
parent company as president of the administrative board.
Rudolf Neidecker was a genius when it came
to invention, but he was not blessed with the
patience and staying power to expand his com-
Not just a career
pany globally. The two had an outstanding re-
The great personality of Peter Duss certainly
lationship that greatly furthered the prosperity
includes his extracurricular activities and in-
of the company. Until his death in 1994 Rudolf
terests. His most important source of strength
Neidecker was informed nearly daily by his
is his marriage. Romy and Peter Duss spend a
son-in-law about the most important aspects
lot of time together, whether with winter sport
of the business and contributed greatly to the
in Arosa or in their second home in Florida;
company’s success.
whether going to the cinema, reading, going
Peter Duss
out to events at the Rotary Club, dancing or
listening to music. As a youth he played in
a band that even appeared on television in
Switzerland. And one shouldn’t forget Peter
Duss’s passion for sport: his active passion
for sailing and skiing and his passive passion
for Formula 1 racing and football, preferably
involving FC Basel.
41
Peter and Romy Duss skiing together
The phase of change
and growth
Franco Delvecchio, from 2008 on
42
Franco Delvecchio joined the MC Group on
ment of local suppliers who could meet MC’s
10 February 1986. During a 12-year jaunt in It-
usual high quality standards. The actual goal
aly he and his wife Nadia built up the subsidiary
was to take the success stories of Allschwil,
there. In 2003 he returned to Allschwil, taking
Hésingue and Weil and duplicate them over-
over responsibility for global sales. He knew the
seas in the new Production Units in Windsor,
company through and through – and on
California, USA, and Hangzhou, China.
4 September 2008 he took over the role of
CEO for the entire MC Group.
‘Assembling’ Essen
It was a great challenge. The strategic orienta-
In parallel to this Franco Delvecchio also had
tion was as follows: continue to expand the
to equip the main production and development
traditional industrial division and simultane-
centre for PV in Essen, in operation since 2009,
ously secure and further the high-volume, high-
as a competence centre. The right people had
growth photovoltaic (PV) business. This two-
to be found at the right time in the right place.
track strategy required further decentralisation
Essen needed employees with very special
not only of the competence centre in Essen
capabilities. The product development process
and the headquarters in Allschwil, but also of
for photovoltaics was very different from that
the foreign sales subsidiaries, production and
for the previous business, where the new prod-
development of customer-specific applications.
uct could be developed step by step. In a high-
Focus was on the United States and China.
volume business the automation processes in
Until then the design and construction of con-
production are an elemental aspect even in the
nector parts and customer-specific solutions,
design phase. In view of the highly automated
with consideration of specific foreign local re-
production and batch sizes in the millions the
quirements, took place primarily in Europe, i.e.
quality demands were enormous. The systems
in Allschwil, Hésingue, Weil and Essen, as well
became increasingly complex. The machines
as in the preliminary stage in the United States.
and assembly lines for cable assembly (cutting
In the future, independent entities in the United
of the cable and attachment of the connectors)
States as well as in China were to take over the
had to be absolutely state-of-the-art. In Essen
on-site development and production for local
the number of employees grew from 250 to
customer needs. Local facilities would have to
350 within three years from early 2009 to early
be developed and equipped with people and
2012, depending on production capacity utili-
machinery. That would include the establish-
sation.
43
Management also had to match up the tradi-
China, where actual pioneering work had to be
tional industrial business with medium batch
done. The same standards for processes, prod-
sizes and customer-specific special solutions
uct quality and product development applied
and the high-volume PV business. Despite the
throughout the corporate group everywhere in
booming solar sector, development of tradi-
the world.
tional activities in the general industry segment
couldn’t be neglected.
The company, particularly Production and Logistics, faced a great challenge. The work was
New tasks for headquarters
For the Swiss headquarters, decentralisation
comparable with the expansion in Essen. The
‘pacesetters’ had to travel extensively and deal
with new languages and cultures.
meant new tasks. The technical departments
in Allschwil had to ensure that the design and
technical requirements for connectors met the
44
Support from the Stäubli Group
same high quality standards in Essen, the US
Wherever possible, the outstandingly function-
and China.
ing and globally oriented Stäubli organisation
helped their ‘family members’. That was par-
New functions such as Market Developers,
ticularly beneficial for Multi-Contact in China,
who could be considered ‘godfathers’, handled
where Stäubli was active with an established
the transfer of know-how, growth in the US
textile business and with products such as
and Essen, and particularly the expansion in
quick-couplings for fluids and gases as well
‘Family’ with Stäubli: MC Portugal, MC Benelux and MC Czech Republic
Opened in 2011: MC USA in Windsor, California. The output of the solar roof can be seen any time on the Internet.
45
as robots. Multi-Contact was able to build on
of the largest buyers and increasingly also a
the existing infrastructure of the Stäubli Group
manufacturer of solar cells.
when founding new subsidiaries in Brazil,
India, Russia, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the
Multi-Contact once again reacted quickly.
Czech Republic.
The organisation on the West Coast of the
United States moved to a new building com-
Through enormous effort the company suc-
plex in Windsor, California. At the same time
ceeded in adapting production to the booming
Stäubli substantially expanded the subsidiary
demand in the PV business. MC took the lead
on the East Coast, in Duncan, South Carolina,
in the world market in the area of connector
planning for Multi-Contact’s PV production and
systems for PV solar cells.
assembly.
Expansion in the USA...
...and in China
China progressed to become the most signifi-
And in China, too, the Production Unit in
cant manufacturer and California became one
Hangzhou was taking shape. In China particu-
tion in Singapore (a hub for Southeast Asia)
and the additional resources in Hangzhou,
China and Mumbai, India, MC were perfectly
positioned for this development.
High investment volume, with risk
The Multi-Contact subsidiary in Hangzhou, China
For the medium-sized MC, despite the speclarly, the hiring and retention of qualified staff
tacular growth in photovoltaics, the enor-
over the medium term as well as the transfer of
mous investment in production capacity and
know-how represented a significant challenge.
resources was still risky. The trend may have
been clearly upwards, but there was a great
Asia, as the world’s number one growth area,
deal of volatility. Large orders could be recalled
was playing an increasingly more important
or deferred. Flexibility was paramount. De-
role for Multi-Contact. With the sales organisa-
mand had to be met at the right time and in
46
the right place.
MC Singapore
The strict electro-thermal quality requirements
for connectors in photovoltaics swallowed
immense amounts of investment. Among
other things, products had to pass a stringent
environmental test, enduring 1000 hours in
the climate cabinet at a temperature of 85 degrees and humidity of 85% without damage,
then still pass strict electro-mechanical tests.
Multi-Contact makes no compromises when it
comes to quality.
Management expanded and adapted
The CEO rearranged the organisation in 2008
with a view to accommodating the demanding
expansion period. Management now included
Investing for the long term
his successor and Director of Global Sales and
Marketing, Philippe Grunenberger.
The explosive business growth demanded
From Allschwil Grunenberger oversaw devel-
continuous adaptation of the facilities both in
opment in China and, as the former design
the three local countries and abroad.
manager of MC Weil, also had a high level of
technical competence.
Headquarters in Allschwil, as always, reacted
quickly. After significant construction had
The director and former head of sales of
been completed, especially in Essen, but also
Multi-Contact in Essen, Stefan Liedtke, be-
in Hésingue, it was then headquarters’ turn.
came Director for Production and Logistics.
Today the buildings all have a uniform ap-
The management team was now made up of
pearance. The entrance at headquarters at
Franco Delvecchio, Philippe Grunenberger,
Stockbrunnenrain 8 in Allschwil is now much
Stefan Liedtke, Richard Unterhuber (CFO) and
enhanced.
George Freudiger (CTO).
But the CEO was thinking of something extraordinary. So he sat down with the architect, Albert Schaller. The new ‘Visitor Centre’
New building at MC France
47
48
The new ‘Visitor Center’ at Stockbrunnenrain with meeting rooms, cafeteria and showroom
on Stockbrunnenrain, with a visitor and train-
advertising for MC. Employees could iden-
ing centre, meeting rooms and a cafeteria,
tify with their company, and customers were
was to be a jewel – and became one, good
given an impression of MC’s remarkable history, the dynamics that were emerging and
the outstanding prospects they had ahead of
them.
The internal driving forces behind the company
were also manifested externally in Allschwil.
The visitor could feel the force of innovation.
In Hésingue the subsidiary had already expe-
The foyer of the headquarters
rienced an expansion in 2008. The reception
49
area, meeting rooms, plant and offices then
corresponded to the uniform appearance of
Conveying and transferring
knowledge
MC. And expansion was also happening at
MC France. A neighbouring plot had been
Long-term company success primarily re-
purchased to secure reserve space. In the
quires well-trained and qualified employees.
factory building on the site a test laboratory
This is why fostering young talent is part of
for railway technology is planned for the fu-
the company tradition. In the Allschwil head-
ture. MC has a particularly strong position
quarters, in Hésingue, France, and in Germany
in this sector in the neighbouring country to
MC offer apprenticeships and traineeships for
the west. Hésingue is responsible for compe-
polymechanics, design, process mechanics,
tence in the Railway, Aeronautics and Defence
information technology and business careers,
market segment across the entire corporate
among others. Whenever possible the gradu-
group.
ates are hired into the MC family after suc-
Design for a plug for
electric vehicles
50
cessful completion of their training. In 2010
fore the game’, says Franco Delvecchio. What
Multi-Contact Essen has even taken part, for
that means is that the latest fantastic success
the first time, in an exchange programme
achieved with existing products is not set in
organised by vocational schools in Germany
stone.
and Norway. Students from different areas
of study can also complete traineeships as
MC has the advantage of being able to ne-
well as term papers and final theses in the
gotiate from a position of strength. New win-
company.
ners have to be ‘bred’ promptly, he says. The
requirement for that is the early detection of
MC also invest in the latest of equipment on
lucrative new trends and the current and po-
an on-going basis, motivating the team to the
tential needs of customers and markets. These
highest performance, whether in the area of
must be the basis for product development and
product development or in the improvement
product diversification.
and acceleration of development processes.
‘Green technology’
‘We need new winners’
One such new field of activity is ‘green tech-
After all, innovative strength is the decisive
nology’. MC’s market leadership in PV connec-
factor in any company’s ability to exist and
tors and special applications for other types
succeed in the market. ‘After the game is be-
of alternative energy is the focus here. The
keywords are wind and tidal generators, as well
as e-mobility, megatrends like miniaturisation
and data transmission. MC are already profiting today from a significant share of turnover in
environmentally-friendly business fields.
Growth despite financial crisis
Thanks to broad diversification and market
leadership in different areas of the fast-growing
PV industry, Multi-Contact has shone even during the financial crisis and recession. So far MC
has sold an astounding 150 million connectors
for photovoltaics. As of 2012 the corporate
group employed about 1000 people.
51
Sure ‘winner’ in the PV area:
the MC4 connector
Personnel
A diverse and well-trained team
52
Many of our employees have already cel-
When a company expands in the way MC has
ebrated a career anniversary at MC. Some have
done in the past few decades, more and more
been loyal to this 50-year-old company for
new, young employees also join the team.
25 years, or even longer. One or two were even
apprentices at MC, held various positions and
Then it is particularly important for older em-
functions – and stayed until they retired.
ployees, the ‘bedrock’, to fulfil their roles and
involve the newer people with care, so that
That is only possible if employees are occupied
know-how is passed down from generation
with tasks that correspond to their specific tal-
to generation and retained. That happens at
ents and capabilities, are continually educated
MC, and so the company can be happy in the
and trained, and can gather experience in dif-
knowledge that it relies on a diverse, well-
ferent divisions. Well-founded knowledge and
trained young team and can expect to take ad-
a strong bond with the company ensure a high
vantage of the enormous future potential of the
degree of identification with the company and
industry for years to come.
its philosophy.
53
A view of assembly
54
Experience meets
invention:
Exchange of ideas
in the development
team
Trainees guarantee the future: not just
empty words
A good education lends a young person selfconfidence, discipline, and a hopeful start to
their career. Qualified young workers help a
company to move forwards and take the future. The relationship between company and
trainees results in a number of win-win situations. This wisdom is proclaimed by every
company, but not many manage to live according to it. At MC, continuous training of
young people has a long tradition, and the
company has that tradition to thank for a sig-
Instructors take the time for comprehensive explanations
nificant part of its outstanding success. Over
55
the years, an increasing number of trainee
positions has been created in different depart-
Just one example: The polymechanics ap-
ments. In Allschwil in 2012, the Production
prentice, Michel Lehmann, built a tool for the
Mechanics, Logistics, IT, Design, and the busi-
dismounting of product rolls in his third year
ness areas hosted a total of seven apprentices
of training in 2010 – a tool that still makes the
and interns.
day-to-day work of the quality testers in the
company easier. The work required precision,
Quality education is a decisive factor
manual dexterity, and patience – the metal
parts had to fit to a tolerance of 1/100mm.
The quality of education is vital. Young peo-
Based on existing drawings, he made two cop-
ple must be challenged, supported, and fully
ies of the fast opener over the course of five
integrated into daily operations. That means
weeks, working entirely independently. The
they should have their own projects. Trainees
device has since become a standard part of the
fabricate objects with a long-term practical use
testing of PV deliveries.
that are used every day in the company. That
strengthens a feeling of self-esteem and simul-
MC also offers regular work-study positions,
taneously increases enjoyment in the work.
trainee positions, and options for thesis work.
MC Essen has even participated in an exchange programme organized by the trade
schools of Germany and Norway. One apprentice in the Process Mechanics Plastics
and Rubber Technology division travelled to
Norway for two weeks. In return, a Norwegian
industrial mechanic was hosted at MC Essen
for a two-week internship in the Injection
Moulding department.
At MC, we are conscious of the fact that learning doesn‘t end with school. Continuing education during the career is therefore welcomed
and supported. Some employees enrol in specialized seminars or studies during their regu56
lar employment, earning additional degrees
or higher qualifications, and that often opens
up new perspectives within the company for
them.
Occasionally, there is the opportunity to take a
temporary foreign position. Employees are then
sent to a foreign subsidiary for a few weeks or
months to oversee a specific project, carry out
local training, or implement new business processes.
Employees in
Assembly
57
‘We have to hear
the grass grow’
58
Interview with CEO Franco Delvecchio
Mr Delvecchio, in the anniversary year 2012,
The photovoltaic market is very difficult to
Multi-Contact ’s environment is character-
estimate and is subject to a great deal of
ised by the European debt crisis and a weak
hyperbole both upwards and downwards.
economy. What is the current situation of the
company?
The sudden moves in the market highlight
its great dependence on political mood and
Unrest of this kind is never good for business
momentary imbalances between supply
and it is naturally outside our control. But we
(production capacity) and demand. Price wars
are very well positioned globally. We have a
and the squeezing-out process are in full force
broad-based customer structure and well-
and the big manufacturers in China are calling
diversified fields of activity. That compensates
the shots. The on-going consolidation will also
somewhat for the varying success of our
probably continue for some time. However, if
business fields.
the market turns, MC, as market leader, will
quickly reap the benefits.
Does it help to be part of the Stäubli Group?
Then we will have to put the right people in the
Yes, of course. We benefit from synergies with-
right place in the context of globalisation and
in the group. Especially in the areas of connec-
decentralisation. The know-how transfer to Asia
tors and robotics they are far from exhausted.
and the United States demands a lot of us. It
is much harder, though, to estimate the global
Do you have a positive outlook for the future?
economic trends over the next few years.
Absolutely. We, and by that I mean the Stäubli
... and the strong Swiss franc?
Group too, are fit as a fiddle from a financial
standpoint. We lead the market in several
Although we are already buying and producing
sectors and are simultaneously building on a
a lot in the Euro region, our national currency
promising product pipeline.
is not causing us much joy. We are also feeling increasing price pressure, not just because
What is currently the most burning issue for
of the strong Swiss franc, but also due to our
the CEO?
Chinese competition.
59
What are the consequences and measures
Are photovoltaics (PV) still as important in
resulting from these difficulties?
these dismal times, or are customers in that
field trying to save money?
From our headquarters and from Europe we
are supporting the development of the growth
We have done very good work, inventing the
markets even more intensively. By that, I pri-
PV plug connector system nearly 20 years ago.
marily mean the BRIC states, meaning Brazil,
Today we benefit from that because as a first
Russia, India and China, along with Southeast
mover we set the global standard. This has
Asia and North America. We are reinforcing the
increased the profile of the brand ‘MC’ as well
support and coordination between the global
as our market share enormously. In the future,
competence centres as well as our sales and
though, even we will have to work at it, but
production subsidiaries.
if we act cleverly in this
We are also working on
dynamic industry and do
growing value creation in
fabrication, for example
60
in China and in the United
States.
‘We are oriented towards our
customers, continually
check costs, drive innovation
and invest intelligently’.
our homework, we will be
able to defend our market
leadership. The PV industry is a future market that
is currently stuck in a tran-
What does the last part
mean, more clearly?
sitional slump. Companies
that are financially fit, innovative and positioned
broadly internationally are in a very good situa-
We are fabricating more and more in our local
tion.
production subsidiaries and looking for more
local production partners.
What do you mean by ‘doing our homework’?
Are strategic changes also necessary?
We are oriented towards our customers, continually check costs, drive innovation and in-
No, we are focusing on our core competence,
vest intelligently. But it is still a great challenge
staying flexible, paying attention to geographi-
to maintain the balancing act between our
cal changes and keeping our eyes and ears
strategies of cost leadership with high volumes
open for new application areas. We have to
and specialisation with customer-specific small
hear the grass grow.
and medium volumes. We are confident.
What business policy is MC following with
nections between railcars, on the roof or under
connectors?
the car (traction power inverter, bogie traction
engines, batteries etc.).
The traditional industrial division is a solid,
established pillar of our business and will con-
With the continual expansion of our other
tinue to be progressed further. In the coming
modular ‘MC CombiTac’ plug connector family,
years we want to continue our above-average
we are also offering innovative solutions in the
growth and diversification. We are striving for a
area of Aeronautic and Defence, for example,
healthy balance between the traditional general
with individual combinations of power and
industry segment and newer business fields
control contacts, thermal elements, coaxial
such as PV. That will allow us to avoid cluster
contacts, optic fibre and pneumatic, hydraulic
risks.
and Ethernet contacts.
Are new business fields being pursued?
We are also already offering advanced new
connector concepts for the area of e-mobility
Railway, Aeronautic and Defence, E-Mobility
(such as multiple-pin connectors between the
and Batteries are our most recent business
electrical drive and the battery or power invert-
fields. We are consistently expanding them.
ers for electric vehicles).
Please give us two or three examples of these
new products!
I’d be glad to. Our ‘Modular Power Connectors’
(MPC) are one such example. This novel product line was developed to provide an electrical
connection between different applications in
the powertrains of railcars.
The advantage of the MPC system is that it is
a universal, compact and modular plug connector solution for a multitude of applications
– that is to say an ‘all in one’ solution – i.e. con-
61
In general where does the future of the
About Franco Delvecchio
Franco Delvecchio, the son of a Swiss mother and an Italian father, came into the world
in Basel in 1966. This is where he went to
school, learning the trade of an architectural
draughtsman. On February 10, 1986, at the
age of 19, he joined Multi-Contact in Allschwil as a technical draughtsman, and got
to know the world of electrical connectors
and contact elements.
62
Sales fascinated him, and combining it with
technology was his dream. And it was a
dream come true when an offer came from
CEO Peter Duss to work with his girlfriend
Nadia Risivi, who had done a business apprenticeship at MC, to build up the business
in Italy. He gathered two years of experience in the external sales force while getting additional education in marketing. The
two-person company “MC Italy” started on
January 7, 1991. The couple, married in the
meantime, quickly built up the business.
After twelve years, the Delvecchios moved
back to headquarters in Allschwil. In 2003,
Franco Delvecchio accepted the post of
global director of sales and marketing from
Jean-Pierre Kritter. Five years later, the company named him CEO. At the same time, he
deepened his business knowledge, earning
degrees as a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Steinbeiss University Berlin
and an Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of St
Gallen (HSG).
products lie?
Our core competence, high-quality and reliable
industrial plug connector systems, will be more
and more in demand in traditional areas such
as power distribution as well as in new fields
such as renewable energy.
Why are you so certain?
The more power that has to be transmitted
reliably over plug connections, the better
things will be for MC. That is why we love high
current so much. But we also want to adapt to
current macrotrends and not to lose sight of
them.
What are those macrotrends?
They include, for example, smart products that
communicate with one another – keyword
‘wireless data transfer’ or ‘radio-frequency
identification’ (RFID). Changing demographics
also conceals great opportunities in the
medical field. Last but not least, we are
continuing to expand our service competence.
Will there be geographical movement?
In Europe, especially in Germany and France,
as well as in Japan and the United States, we
are continuously generating solid growth as
Essentially we don’t foresee any significant
an innovation driver. But our growth markets
changes. We are concentrating on central
are primarily in Asia, specifically China, India
group functions such as sales and marketing,
and Southeast Asia. There is a great need for
information technology (IT), research and
updates to the infrastructure there, in power
development, design for Switzerland and
distribution, the auto industry and the railways.
for specific export countries, assembly work
We can already foresee that the MENA states,
primarily for Switzerland and the competence
the Middle East and North Africa, will be fol-
centre for selected industrial products and
lowing with similar requirements.
contact elements.
What investments result from that?
How will the anniversary year 2012 turn out
qualitatively?
Currently they involve the expansion and
construction of shared MC-Stäubli subsidiaries
I assume we will cry with one eye and
in China, India, Brazil, Korea and Russia.
laugh with the other. I am convinced that
our promising product pipeline will bring us
What will be the future role of the headquarters
additional progress in the traditional general
in Allschwil?
industry segment and that we will meet our
demanding long-term growth objectives. The
PV segment, on the
other hand, is hard
‘In the coming
years we want to
continue our aboveaverage growth and
diversification’
to estimate. After
the party, the boom
phase with all its
hyperbole, we now
have to get through
the hangover – i.e.
the generally very
high stock levels will first have
to be corrected to a reasonable
point and the rapid price
spiral will have to be stopped.
63
Moreover the subsidies in different countries
work successfully. And our innovative ability,
will continue to dry up. After all that, we
which has stood the test of time.
anticipate a return to more predictable times.
Then there is an immense need for upgrades
And if the debt crisis continues, the Euro re-
in many countries in the old and new worlds,
mains weak and the economy continues to be
particularly in infrastructure. And then there
sluggish?
is the growing trend towards conservation of
resources. Environmental awareness is on the
Then we will have a braking effect in the form
rise. We have an ideal range of products at the
of weakening demand.
ready.
In what segments will
Multi-Contact probably
retain global market
leadership?
64
What does Franco
‘The more power that has to
be transmitted reliably over
plug connections the better things
will be for MC’
Delvecchio himself
want for the next
ten years?
In the area of high-qual-
Success ... and I’d
ity industrial connectors
like to put it in the
for selected segments (such as PV, measure-
words of Henry Ford: In our industry success
ment accessories, PTD – power transmission
comes from having exactly the capabilities that
and distribution, Railway and Multilam con-
are currently in demand. And to be successful
tacts) and especially in specialised business
we have to understand the point of view of
and the custom products area.
others and see things through their eyes.
What environment and what conditions are
good for MC?
First of all, our creative and committed
employees, our competent customers and
suppliers whom we have counted on for many
years and with whom we have been able to
65
The Multi-Contact
management board
66
Employment trends
Rudolf Neidecker started the company with
MC world had become international. Today
seven employees. After the first expansion in
about 1030 permanent employees work in
1978/1979 into the three-nation region, the
22 locations around the world.
2
2012
7
2007
Hong Kong | Taiwan
Portugal | Turkey
Russia
Brazil | Korea
India
China
Czech Republic
2
2002
Merger with Stäubli
Spain
7
1997
2
1992
7
1987
UK | Thailand
Italy
Austria
Benelux
Essen
2
1982
Singapore
USA
7
1977
France
Weil am Rhein
2
1972
7
1967
1962
2
67
The MC subsidiaries
Europe
Europe has traditionally had the strongest
CH Allschwil
ES Sabadell
representation in the global MC network.
DE Weil am Rhein
GB Milton Keynes
DE Essen
IT
In the anniversary year 2012, aside from the
FR Hésingue
PT Milheirós
headquarters in Allschwil, a total of 12 subsidi-
AT Heiligeneich
TR Istanbul
aries were in operation:
BE Bissegem
RU Saint Petersburg
CZ Pardubice
68
Carate Brianza
Americas
To support MC USA, founded in 1982,
additional offices were implemented in
Brazil and Mexico:
US Windsor, CA
MX Querétaro
BR São Paulo
69
Asia
MC is also present in the fast
growing Asian markets:
CN Hangzhou
HK Hong Kong
TW Taipei City
IND Mumbai
ROK Daegu
SG Singapore
TH Bangkok
Executive board of Multi-Contact AG
Sales & Marketing
Philippe Grunenberger, VP
Engineering, Research & Development
George Freudiger, CTO
70
Franco Delvecchio, CEO Multi-Contact
Member of the Stäubli Executive Board
Production & Logistics
Stefan Liedtke, VP
Financials, Controlling, HR, IT & Legal Affairs
Richard Unterhuber, CFO
71
Stefan Liedtke,
Richard Unterhuber,
Franco Delvecchio,
George Freudiger,
Philippe Grunenberger
(from left to right)
Textile machines,
couplings, robots
72
72
Stäubli, with 4000 employees,
has turnover of a billion francs.
Multi-Contact AG is 50 years old, but the
Stäubli Group originated in the year 1892 and
has already celebrated its 120th birthday. And
it has been exactly ten years since Basel-based
MC joined the Stäubli Group, with headquarters on Lake Zurich.
Stäubli’s success story started with the development of dobbies. They formed the cornerstone of the Textile Division, which today manufactures high-quality systems for the weaving
industry. The division’s business areas include
carpet weaving, weaving preparation systems,
73
frame weaving, Jacquard weaving and electronic controls.
The Connectors Division of Stäubli is one of the
food industry, mechanical engineering, surface
world’s leading manufacturers of quick cou-
technology, the plastics processing industry,
pling systems for fluids, gases and electrical
electronics and photovoltaics as well as life sci-
power. These standardised or custom products
ences.
(mono- and multi-couplings, tool changing and
quick mould change systems) combine safety,
Stäubli Group and member companies
performance and quality and are thus a guar-
Multi-Contact and Schönherr together employ
antee of high value creation. The Electric Plug
4000 people and see yearly turnover of over a
Connector area is handled by Multi-Contact.
billion francs. The Stäubli Group encompasses
12 industrial production facilities as well as
The third division is Robotics. The product line
sales and service subsidiaries in 25 countries
ranges from small SCARA robots up to six-axis
and a representative network in 50 countries.
robots with medium to high load capacities
up to 250 kilograms. Customers include the
Conclusion
74
74
Congratulations! The wonderful performance of Multi-Contact is a joy to behold and makes us very
proud.
On behalf of the Stäubli Group I would like to congratulate Multi-Contact and thank all the employees who for half a century have contributed to the Multi-Contact success story and are still doing so
today.
The anniversary motto ‘Successfully connected’ can be applied just as easily to the connection between Stäubli and Multi-Contact. I remember my first meeting with Peter Duss, then the CEO of
Multi-Contact, very well. I came to know Peter Duss as a good-natured, cultivated man, a supportive
patron with a clear vision, a strong will and persistence. It was a great concern to him to find a sustainable way forward that secured the future of Multi-Contact and was worthy of their achievements.
The things we had in common, as well as the conviction that Multi-Contact and Stäubli made an
outstanding match and complemented one another perfectly, led to the purchase in 2002 of a majority share in Multi-Contact on the part of Stäubli, and to a complete takeover a few years later.
Then and now it was a happy and successful connection. To this day we remain the only corporate
group that can offer connection solutions for fluids and gases as well as electrical connections
based on our own know-how. We have been able to make use of these synergies in many areas,
offering our customers added value and acting successfully in the market. Now we are able to support a denser and denser global network of subsidiaries. Thanks to our common strength we can
look optimistically to the future and make the right investments to strengthen our foundation for the
next 50 years of company history. As we travel that road together, I wish Multi-Contact continued
success as an important and valued pillar of the Stäubli Group.
Anthony Stäubli
President of the administrative board of the Multi-Holding AG
Vice-President of the administrative board of the Stäubli-Holding AG
75
Imprint
Text: Felix Erbacher, Basel
Images: Multi-Contact AG, Shutterstock (p. 58),
www.ginkgomaps.com (p. 66, 68,69)
Editing and Layout: Multi Contact AG, Global Communications
Printing: Birkhäuser+GBC, Reinach
© Multi-Contact AG Switzerland, 2012
© 2012, Multi-Contact AG, Stockbrunnenrain 8, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland

50 Years Multi

Transcription

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