Interview: From component manufacturer to system provider

That's not so spectacular for us. Marketing Director is just a title. I held three different positions in parallel and was interim Managing Director for the Spanish market, managing the Spanish team and office in Madrid. I had already been responsible for intralogistics and the intralogistics markets within the organization. So it made sense - when we strategically realigned Denipro at the beginning of 2014 - to do the same for the company management.

MFL: What exactly did this reorientation consist of? Kirchhoff: We previously operated a pure component business, manufacturing components and selling them to system integrators. Now we are the system provider ourselves. We develop the systems ourselves around our technology park. And we operate directly with end customers.

MFL: What was the trigger? Why did you say: now we need a new strategy? Kirchhoff: There were two reasons. Many system integrators plan according to traditional, conventional conveyor technology. We have repeatedly become dependent on system integrators who have determined the design of the process and the system. When installed in standard processes, our technology was unable to exploit all its advantages. That's why we said we'd do it ourselves now. The second reason lies in our DNA. We have been building systems for 70 years. And standing in the second row and "feeding in" our components somewhere didn't quite suit us.

Gentle sliding instead of falling out: The new denisort system from Denipro ensures gentle handling of goods and workpieces. Photo: Denipro

Whether to the right or left

The tilting mechanism and the design of the trays in the new denisort show that the engineers in Weinfelden, Switzerland, have come up with clever solutions for the details. The tilting mechanism is designed in such a way that the products are unloaded gently. At the same time, there is the option of double-sided unloading: The tray can be tilted and opened both to the right and to the left. The highlight: the products do not simply fall out of the trays, but slide gently and in a controlled manner towards their destination.

MFL: What is the relationship between Ferag and Denipro? Is Ferag the big brother, Denipro the little sister?

Kirchhoff:

Yes, in terms of employees and turnover, that is indeed the case. Ferag is the main company that Walter Reist founded in 1957. We have a lot of production expertise, but only joined the Group in 1984. We are the young company in the group. Because we are smaller, we are more flexible and perhaps sometimes more forward. Perhaps also a little more dynamic. We have a joint development, but we are separate players in the markets.

MFL: With Zalando, you have gained a well-known company as a customer. How did you assert yourself against your competitors? Kirchhoff: Technology. We have an extremely strong technical portfolio. The technology is unique. It has been around for 28 years. People have been trying to copy chain conveyor technology in graphics for over 20 years. Nobody has managed that. That also convinced Zalando.

MFL: You emphasize that Denipro is a family-run company and that there are no outside investors. What is the big advantage for you as CEO? Kirchhoff: Predictability. Or continuity. We are a company that can afford to make and implement plans. That's the nice thing. I previously worked in large, listed companies. What always struck me was the incredible amount of time wasted on reporting. You don't have that here. There are short lines of communication. You pick up the phone and a decision is made five minutes later.

MFL: Thank you very much for the interview, Mr. Kirchhoff.