For a company to consistently deliver innovative and high-quality solutions to any given industry, a strong emphasis on research and development is required. Swiss-based Komax Group has this approach down to a tee, resulting in a long run of success for the business in the wire-processing and wire-harness manufacturing sectors.
Established in 1975 with just 3 staff members, Komax Group has grown significantly over the years and today it employs more than 1,600 people. It is globally active and has a reputation as a technology and market leader.
The CEO Magazine sat down with Matijas Meyer, the CEO of Komax Group, to discover what the business is doing to help its customers — predominantly in the automotive supply, aerospace and telecom industries — implement economical and safe manufacturing processes to improve their operations.
The CEO Magazine: We are in an era where automation and digital disruption continues to challenge many industries. Do you feel a lot of pressure to keep pace with your clients’ needs?
Matijas: We invest a lot into R&D, much more than other players in the market, and we place a strong emphasis on innovation. Very typically, we are smaller than a lot of our customers, and I think we actually surprise them sometimes with our new approaches and new technologies. We have a lot of discussions with our customers to help them understand the benefits of the new technologies and show them how they can improve their competitiveness by using our products.
It is important for us to always be a step ahead when it comes to technology. However, it doesn’t just stop at the development of a product. Once our customers buy a machine, they need to be sure that it is running well continuously. Thus, quality is very important, as
is our service responsiveness.
When you were appointed CEO in May 2015, what areas did you identify that you could grow and improve?
At the time when I took over, Komax had 2 business divisions. One was our core division, Wire, and the other, Medtech. One of the first steps I took was to sell the Medtech operation so we could focus on our core business, which is where Komax historically comes from. At the same time, we also acquired a number of companies that were in the wire business. We are now a pure player for investors, and customers understand that we focus on the needs of the wire-processing industry.
What have been some key milestones along the way?
We have had fantastic growth. From 2015–16, our turnover increased in the core business by 18%, which is a significant figure for one year.
What are your plans for the future of the business in the next 3 to 5 years?
Are there any key initiatives or innovations you’re able to share?
When it comes to our turnover, we would like to achieve further growth. We are today at SFr 370 million, and we are aiming for between 500 and 600 million SFr by 2021. We believe it is very ambitious, but achievable if the political and global economic framework remains stable.
We have 4 strategic priorities to reach this goal. One is solutions along the value chain. We provide solutions along the value chains of our customers, and work to connect
them. We will also invest a lot in innovation — 7% – 8% of our turnover annually.
The third one is to increase our global reach. Since our customers are constantly moving, we have to keep up with them, be close, and provide excellent service. The fourth one is to develop non-automotive markets.
How do you predict intelligent technology will become a mainstream part of society?
I think it is already happening now; self-driving cars, smart buildings and robots are all being developed. The question is to what degree and how long will it take to influence significantly our social behaviour. In terms of autonomous mobility, I believe people will see accelerated change.